Portrayal of a lockdown through thousands of images

It’s Tuesday (or Wednesday, perhaps?) and in just a couple of minutes the clock will strike 8pm. The sun still shines in the sky of this city which, at this time of the evening, waits for the people to gather in their balconies and salute health professionals and the rest of essential workers for their outstanding service during these times of ominous confinement…
For weeks, this has been the routine in many places around the globe. Previously unthinkable habits, like video calls with grandparents or window conversations a sidewalk apart, have been settling into our existence. We’ve witnessed life going by from our balconies, and also a bluer sky thanks to a noticeable decrease in CO₂ emissions.

The lockdown has compelled us to reinvent ourselves

During this period many things have changed. The lockdown has compelled us to reinvent ourselves. Our home has become much more than just that. Now, it’s our gym and our workplace; the office where many have got acquainted with telecommuting.
We have learned about resilience and endurance as well. Spring blossomed outside, while feelings spanning from fear or insecurity to creativity and altruistic generosity flourished inside our homes. Social media have shown us that life can be shared otherwise and that laughter, even if through a screen, can alleviate the burden of days slowly going by. We have exchanged hugging our friends for hugging boredom, and maybe many have discovered that idle periods can serve for new ways of creating, sharing and living.
During this lockdown, pubs were closed and balconies were opened. Shops shut down, but some neighbour wearing a mask and gloves opened his door and offered to run some errands for the old couple living on the first floor.
We have been able to witness all this from our own windows, which have become the framework where we captured all the events that have brought us together during these almost dystopian times. Many of these experiences have been compiled in the #PHEDesdemibalcón (images from my balcony) initiative promoted by PHotoESPAÑA and ACCIONA, an extremely interesting gallery full of inconceivable photographs which reflect every participant’s outlook on the lockdown.