Lindsay Siu :: Scenes of Everyday Life, 2020

A couple weeks into self-isolation, my husband, son, daughter, and I were finally settled enough into a routine that I felt like I could finally shoot a project for myself. I struggled with what that might be, given the current situation and restrictions, that still felt like me.

Everything in our lives was different. I pride myself on loving and thriving in the fast pace of our industry. And here I was- busy but scattered, trying to figure out how to make everything work at home. Keeping us clean, fed, and safe. I really struggled with this at first. Eventually, we slowed to a simpler routine, and a simpler life. My previously overcommitted family was now eating all our meals together, baking bread, watching snails race, learning fractions at our kitchen table. Our only scheduled event was our 7pm banging of pots and pans. The mood outside felt incredibly dark and heavy, but with spring arriving, the sun was beaming through our windows, illuminating everything.

I started sketching down ideas. I was inspired again.

I wanted this series to capture this feeling, and to balance the gloominess with the quiet beauty of it all. Inspired by the Dutch Golden Age, this series portrays scenes of everyday life in the age of the Coronavirus.

Shooting these images brought me back to the basics, as well. It started with some sketches, then convincing my family to participate. (I’m missing one large, elderly Black Lab, who is incontinent, and scared of strobes.) But then there were no assistants, no stand-ins, no wardrobe, no grooming. No schedule. It was strange, but the forced limitations I had were in fact, kind of freeing.