Documentary

This was the final project for my Documentary Photography class in the Spring of 2020. It includes an artist’s statement, a 7-minute film, and supplementary photos.

My past work has revolved around people. Photos of people living their lives. Photos of people taking photos. Photos of people just being themselves. In a Covid-19 world, everyone is hyperaware of the people around them. Too close of an interaction can get someone sick. Asymptomatic transfers can get someone killed. So, to combat the world’s newfound fear of people and the Covid-19 virus, people have disappeared. 

“Covid-19 in Florida” is a documentation of society’s disappearance. The short film and accompanying photos take place in West Palm Beach, Florida during the Covid-19 pandemic. When this was written, Palm Beach County led the state of Florida in Covid-19 deaths. Businesses, both local and corporate, are closed. Strip malls are empty. Parking lots are vacant. Hospitals are open and opening. Restaurants doing what they can to tell people they’re there. As a South Florida native, the only thing I can compare this to is a hurricane, but longer and more deadly.  

However, the story of open vs. closed businesses in Florida during this pandemic is a long and complicated one. The first case of Covid-19 in the state was detected on March 1st, yet a statewide stay-at-home order wasn’t issued until April 1st. In the month leading up to the governor’s executive order, city and county governments put restrictions in place in an attempt to keep citizens safe. Many believe that Governor Ron DeSantis’ actions, or lack thereof, are far from enough to keep residents safe. Part of the executive order went as far as rolling back local restrictions that closed churches and gun stores. 

As I drove around in search of footage, I saw a lot of things. There were completely vacant plazas that felt almost apocalyptic. But, down the road, there was a drive-thru line spilling out of a Starbucks like a normal morning. I saw people walking out to their private beaches on A1A by Mar-a-Lago, but I waited for the Intercoastal Waterway’s draw bridges to open and close for no boats. This weird combination of normal and survival mode is reflected in the government’s actions. The virus has been downplayed and dismissed at both state and federal levels. Because of this, I chose to interlace statements from government officials as well as reporters through the audio of the piece. 

With most of my audience being in Pennsylvania, I’ve tried to showcase what’s happening in Florida. It’s more than just the opened or closed beaches on national news. It’s businesses that may have closed their doors for good. It’s vacant parking lots that were once impossible to get a spot in. It’s an empty state during one of its busiest tourism seasons. It’s a confusing definition of “essential business”. It’s a skeleton of my hometown. 

Hopefully, this piece is something that everyone can compare or relate to as they’re stuck at home. In years to come, it will be something to help remember this pandemic; we will remember when the world needed to come to a stop, but people were adamant to keep moving. 

Stay Home.
Stay Safe.
Stay Healthy.
​-Meghan

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