The following series of photos is my submission for the Journ 110–01 COVID-19 photo essay assignment. I chose to feature myself as the sole subject in the photos following, due to a few factors: firstly, because an average week in my life during the height of the pandemic consisted of me spending most of my time alone, and in addition to simply being by myself, I wanted to communicate the overarching feelings of isolation and a sense of time slowing down that reverberated throughout the world. I found that it was harder than expected to give detailed captions to each photo, but I also found an irony in that, since it adds to the feelings of mundanity and lack of direction that encompassed my personal experience. I hope you like it!
Sala Thanassi, 21, of Portola Valley, Calif., looks out over the foliage of her backyard during a warm summer day. Throughout the pandemic, Sala would spend a large amount of her time in her backyard, laying in the sun or painting on the grass.
Sala Thanassi, 21, of Portola Valley, Calif., examining her face in her bathroom mirror. “I found the COVID-19 pandemic to widely be experienced as a period of self-reflection — regardless of whether it was wanted or imposed upon,” Sala said. “It can be a double-edged sword, an influx of time with yourself. You can strip yourself down so easily.”
Sala Thanassi, 21, of Portola Valley, Calif., watching television on her computer screen in her childhood bedroom. “One of the most defining things about the pandemic was the skyrocketing of technological use,” Sala said. “I think we were all glued to our screens to keep ourselves as connected to the world outside of our homes as we could.”
Sala Thanassi, 21, of Portola Valley, Calif., stands in a grocery aisle near her home, surveying the food.
Sala Thanassi, of Portola Valley, Calif., sits on the floor and surveys the camera. “At the height of the pandemic, I was able to feel a clear distinction to the rest of my life – a distinction defined by exhaustion,” Sala said. “There seemed to be so much happening all at once, and I had never felt more lost in how I perceived the world.”
Sala Thanassi, 21, of Portola Valley, Calif., reaches for a diet coke in the supermarket near her home. Of the few places Sala regularly visited during the pandemic, the grocery store was simultaneously her favorite and least favorite.
Sala Thanassi, 21, of Portola Valley, Calif., takes a photo of the sunset at Poplar Beach in Half Moon Bay. When Sala wanted to escape the confines of the house — and before the beaches closed – Poplar was her favorite place to visit.
