I Spent a Year Documenting Covid-19 as a Photographer and Journalist

Here is my story

As the owner of an editorial photography agency, a big part of my job is predicting the future. When news stories break, publications often rush to find photos depicting whatever big event has just happened. Having those photos ready to go— ideally well in advance— is a big part of our business, and a big part of my job. It requires anticipating the news cycle at least 3–6 months in advance.

Some things, though, are nearly impossible to predict in advance. In January of 2020 I was in the middle of writing an article about “Visual Trends for the Next Five Years”, when everything suddenly changed. Covid-19 went from a local news story in China to a global, crushing pandemic which has changed everything about how we live our lives — and everything about how the world looks.

As an agency owner, a photographer, and a journalist, I’ve spent the last year covering Covid-19. Here’s a look back at what the experience has been like.

The Early Days of the Pandemic

Compared to the rest of the photographic world, we saw the potential impact of Covid-19 fairly early. I learned about the disease in December of 2019, when it was spreading locally in China, and most people expected it would stay…