Preparations

“This photograph was taken whilst I was on assignment for The Washington Post, covering the Covid 19 response in New Zealand. The work was commissioned by the International Photo Editor, Olivier Laurent.

In this frame we see a nurse preparing flu vaccines during the lockdown in Auckland throughout April 2020, at a doctor's office in the central business district. At the time precautions were already very high: patients would wait in their cars and be administered the vaccines in the building's car park.
New Zealand's successful response to the international pandemic put it on the world map, as being a forward-thinking and progressive country, with strong leadership.

Throughout the assignment, I photographed New Zealand at a standstill. I saw a change in how people behaved towards each other. We got to know our neighbourhood and our neighbours a little bit better. People seemed to find peace within their own bubbles. This more localized lifestyle became very interesting to me. I could see how the pandemic was affecting photography around the world, especially documentary photography. More than ever, photographers were turning their lens on themselves and their families. The whole situation changed everything. It seems like a new visual language was born, breaking many of the classic stereotypes and moving into a new realm.”