MY SURROUNDINGS
In 2020 the government of Indonesia imposed stringent lockdown to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and I found myself confined to my little room. I started taking pictures of the world outside my window - the empty sky, the lonely birds to spend my mundane and lifeless life. I found myself drawn to the character of black and white photography, felt like it was the perfect medium to capture the emptiness of the city and my life. I felt a sense of hopelessness as the shutter clicks. The lockdown had drained all the color and joy out of my life, leaving only a state of despair.
As the day passes, the memory of my camera is filling up. Photography is the only activity I am looking forward to everyday. I started to notice small moments of beauty that put smile on my face again. Birds soared high into the clouds with wings spread wide, cat wandering around the streets, buildings with unique feature, random mark markings by birds. These small details brought a glimmer of hope and became the potion to my boredom. For the past 20 years, I had never discovered so many interesting moments in my surroundings. It took the lockdown to open my eyes and see the beauties and surprises that are right in front of me.
The element of surprise that I may find through my camera is what kept me sane and alive till today. It helped to convey the emptiness of lockdown and at the same time, became a tool for me to keep me engaged and creative through the beautiful moments.
