VIDEO: Austin Under Quarantine
The Chronicle photographers capture a sheltered city
8:00AM, Wed. Apr. 15, 2020
Austin Chronicle staff photographers John Anderson, Jana Birchum, and David Brendan Hall have been on the ground covering COVID-19 and a city under quarantine since the virus first touched down in Austin.
Anderson explains why he felt compelled to edit their photographs and his own original video footage into a cinematic snapshot of a unique time in Austin's history:
"From a photographer’s perspective the COVID-19 pandemic, as horrible as it is, has been an event rich with imagery that also begs for historical documentation. That combination has created the opportunity for a very unique visual journal. So equipped with masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and plenty of social distancing, we’ve done our part to show the city what is happening to all of us, both in real time and for the sake of history.
"From a personal perspective it’s been difficult. The need for masks and social distance makes taking photographs of people uniquely challenging. There’s barriers that don’t normally exist. And seeing the already visible signs of economic decimation has been heartbreaking."
Watch John Anderson's video of the first three weeks of Austin under quarantine below.
Got something to say? The Chronicle welcomes opinion pieces on any topic from the community. Submit yours now at austinchronicle.com/opinion.
A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.
