by Yvette Depaepe 
and Editor Vicente Dolz 
Published the 29th of April 2020

In many countries all over the world, the pandemic confinement means that we cannot not leave our homes, we cannot go to work and we cannot … go out to take pictures.

Time to develop our 'inner' creativity.

We still can take 'indoor' and 'outdoor' images right in our close environment to express our current state of mind during this worldwide crisis.

1x released a photographic challenge to capture these rare moments and send in your indoor or 'close' outdoor photographs taken in quarantine.

To participate, upload your photo in your 1x portfolio, send the link together with a few sentences (no word limit) on how you experience these hard days
to Yvette Depaepe [email protected]

or to Editor Vicente Dolz (zlod) [email protected]

(No use to send your images and stories to both of us because we're working together as a team).

Every week, we will publish an article in which we will collect your contributions.

If your image and story isn't yet in this article, be patient... it will in one of the next articles.

Looking forward to it ...

Stay safe and healthy!!!

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Vito Guarino - SWITZERLAND
I live in Switerland and precisely in Ticino.  Our region is among the most affected by the Covid-19 virus.  Out of a population of 353,353 inhabitants, 3,089 are infected and 295 passed away.  I am in lockdown and for two days a week I am in smart working.

We are all well in the family. Having a lot of free time and having to stay at home has stimulated my creativity a lot and I made conceptual photos which presents the anguish and anxiety generated by this situation as a theme.
I hope this story will end quickly and let us live our freedom.
Greetings from Switzerland and keep it safe.

'What will become of us II' by Vito Guarino

'Breath' by Vito Guarino

'Caught' by Vito Guarino

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Saskia Dingemans  - THE NETHERLANDS
Since the outbreak of the Corona-virus, I transformed my income hall in a photo studio to shoot still lifes.  From the beginning of the lock-down there was shortage of toilet paper, so I thought I should use that as a subject ;-).
In the second image, I even made a connection to show that together, weren't alone. 
Photographing still lifes is currently what gives me the most satisfaction.  Living on my own, it also makes me forget that unfortunately walls don't talk.
But I'm still healthy and always happy to see people when going for groceries.

n/t by Saskia Dingemans




'Together we're not alone' by Saskia Dingemans

'Lily of the valley' by Saskia Dingemans

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Shenshen Dou - UNITED STATES
Social distance become one of a few effective ways to fight off COIVD-19 worldwide. Knowing so many people suffer and die is a heart break experience. I try to revival the complicated feeling of isolation, confinement through my work.
I have lost a colleague and friend last month to COVID-19. It affected me deeply. I create a series pictures to address the sadness and heaviness feelings immersed me, "Social distance" is one of them.
I hope sharing my picture could ease some of the pain we all experienced in this difficult time. 'Stay home, safe life'.

'Social distance' by Shenshen Dou

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Staab Franz - GERMANY
The German / Swiss border, there was no fence before Corona. Since Corona a double fence, only the common thread in between (the thread of love) that knows no boundaries. Neighbors, friends and lovers can only talk through the fences.

'The red Thread' by Staab Franz

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Despird Zhang - AUSTRALIA
Streets in Perth, Western Australia are now emptier then usual, kids have been staying home for several weeks and they claimed bored to death! The good news the government has done a great job and we basically controlled the spread-out. Everything is on a upturn.

'Empty street' by Despird Zhang

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The Jar – Geir Jartveit - NORWAY
Hello. I want to share my feeling and photos in this corona time. I can't travel anywhere in the world. Had many plans but now everything stands still. This worldwide pandemic gives us time to think about what is important in life. I am an artist and put these pictures in a surreal context as if this this virus was created by people in order to become rich with a vaccin. Whether this is a conspiracy or not, it is my artistic vision.  I try to stay safe and hope this bad times will be over soon.  Life will change for many of us and we only can look forward till everthing is back to normal.

n/t by The Jar - Geir Jartveit

n/t by The Jar - Geir Jartveit

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Antonio Pellicano - ITALY
In these hard corona-virus times, I would like to testify the life of an elderly couple in constant  isolation.  Due to the closure of the fresh pasta shop, my mother and father overcome the emergency doing the fresh pasta together. (Reggio Calabria, Italy, 04/04/2020)

'Inside the tradition' by Antonio Pellicano

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Eddy Verloes - BELGIUM
Apolcalypse April 2020. Brussels in lockdown. Nobody on the streets.
The Place de la Bourse (French) or Beursplein (Dutch), meaning "Stock Exchange Square", is a major square in central Brussels,Belgium. Nowadays, the square is used as a gathering place and many important events are organised there. It is located on Boulevard Anspach, and is, after the Grand Place, the second most important square in Brussels.

'Sign o' the times' by Eddy Verloes

Apocalypse April 2020.  Brussels in lockdown. Nobody on the streets. Only the cleaner of the city. The Grand Place, the most important square in Brussels, normally is full of people. What an exceptional and surrealistic view!

'The cleaner of Brussels' by Eddy Verloes

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JC Hanot - FRANCE
Here is my contribution to your proposal. Last week while standing in line outside a fruit & vegetable store, I looked up and discovered a rather emblematic scene of the situation experienced by city dwellers trapped in their apartments. : trapped at home, they seek to take advantage as best they can of the sun which accompanies this somewhat difficult period. Besides being iconic, it reminds me some pictures from photographers of the 60s and 70s such as R. Doisneau (without wanting to compare it to him!).

'Les pieds à la fenêtre' by JC Hanot

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Robin Wechsler - UNITED STATES
I am five weeks into lockdown in the Northern California, Bay Area, USA. The hardest part has been my inability to get out and shoot! So, at the end of my driveway there is an Echium bush. It is like Disneyland for Hummingbirds. I swear they get drunk off of it!  I shoot these tiny creatures doing their pollination dance every morning. I have taken hundreds of shots. I've attached just one. The morning commute is missing and I miss it. The hum of the cars coming and going gave me deep comfort. Life!

'Hundreds of Hummingbirds' by Robin Wechsler

'Stay strong, stay safe' by Robin Wechsler

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Sydney Harter - UNITED STATES
At first, staying home from work was a novelty. . .The days of the week were firmly in place and being forced to experience time at a slower pace was like forcing myself to eat my favorite ice-cream. But a steady diet of ‘sameness’ has resulted in a monotony where the days of the week just mean ‘today’. I’ve become more creative...but I’ve also met my counterpart, Melancholy.

'Confinement' by Sydney Harter

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Stanislav Aristov - RUSSIA
One image for our freedom, our words and our mood these days.
A lot of things are happening now in the world, everyone is locked at home, cities are closing, countries are closing, people are closing, they are going online, which has its own specifics of communication.

'#oneday' by Stanislav Aristov

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Petar Lupic - CROATIA
We are living on the Island Rab in Croatia and lucky enough we can stay in quarantine in our sailboat, traveling around the island an taking photos ;-)

'Isolation' by Petar Lupic

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Emine Basa - TURKEY
I live in Istanbul, Turkey. We have a family of four, an old mother and two brothers. We've been quarantined at home for over a month. Only one person in our family leaves home every day to work. We pay very very attention to all the rules. We don't accept any guests. We only do grocery shopping once a week, and we never go out without a mask.
It's not easy to get used to it. Very very boring days. My brother and I are photographers and most of our time was on the street. We have to produce at home now. It's not easy to run our imagination slotts. I'm a Still Life photographer. I'm trying to produce still life compositions at home. I took a masked picture of my mother so I wouldn't forget these days. I believe these days will pass.

'stop!' by Emine Basa

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Adem Karabal - TURKEY
Hello from Istanbul in quarantine.  No panic .. People are hopeful. We estimate that the quarantine will be finished after a month.  Quarantine days brought our family together.
We enjoy this .. Our children continue online classes .. Our pets sleep more …
Life is calm now .. The air of the city is cleaner .. We continue to love life .. Everything will be fine..

n/t by Adem Karabal

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Saurabh Sirohiya - INDIA
Now that we all are stuck at home I decided to test couple of still life images.  My today's photo is about maintaining social distance while shopping  The tea cup & saucer represent the grocer and the customers are shown as different branded biscuits practicing social distance while approaching the grocer to buy essentials.

'Social Distancing' by Saurabh Sirohiya

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Yann Loew - AFGHANISTAN
Hope you're fine and stay healthy.  Here is my 'Baselwerk' called 'Gehry's nightmare'.
Enjoy it!

'Gehry's skin' by Yann Loew 

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To participate, upload your photo in your 1x portfolio, send the link together with a few sentences (no word limit) on how you experience these hard days 

to Yvette Depaepe [email protected]

or to Editor Vicente Dolz (zlod) [email protected]

(No use to send your images and stories to both of us because we're working together as a team on this project)