Alec Soth While the term ‘social distancing’ is new to me, the spirit of it isn't. For me, photography has been a way to come to terms with this feeling of distance. I've been moved by all of your emails, bu
(...) t also envious. So many of my favorite photographs are intimate family pictures, but I've never been able to share that part of my life. Nor am I able to cook lasagna (or much of anything else.) To be honest, not much has changed in my life. But I have felt creatively paralyzed. At first I couldn't imagine picking up a camera. I was reminded of an African safari my parents invited me on a few years ago. I had no interest in photographing like the other Landcruiser tourists, nor did I want to photograph my family. I put down my camera and simply used binoculars. I fell in love with the view. It wasn’t just the closeness of the lion's mane, it was the way it was carved out of space. I could sense its heat while also feeling its distance. I ended up using my iPhone to take pictures through my binoculars. So for the last few days I drove around with a pair of binoculars. In Minnesota the winters are hard. This year the giddiness of anticipation for approaching spring has been replaced with dread of the coming viral surge. I drove around in the bubble of my minivan looking for life through layers of glass. Everything felt both faraway and so close. Saint Paul, Minnesota. USA. March 21, 2020. © Alec Soth | Magnum Photos
