Art / Photography

Positive portraits of people in lockdown

By Martin Booth  Friday Apr 10, 2020

A camera operator from St George is capturing people living through unprecedented times in a new photography project.

Since the beginning of the lockdown, Jack Lilley has used his daily sanctioned exercise to cycle across Bristol, taking photographs of his smiling friends.

Always staying outside their homes, Jack takes a few digital photos which he publishes on his Instagram feed and also one Polaroid snap which he gives to his subjects as a memento.

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Recently taking photos of friends of friends he has been introduced to, Jack wants to also find people who have unusual ways of passing the time under self-isolation.

“I would love to find people who have found interesting things to do with their time,” said Jack. “I’ll try to take the things that they are doing, but through the window.”

Tom and Francesca

Sophie and Lucy

Robyn and Callum

Josh, Rachel and Ruby

Caroline, Thom and Bodie

The 32-year-old father of one – who lives in St George with his wife Flossie and their two-year-old daughter – has so far visited his own neighbourhood as well as Bedminster, Clifton, Kingswood and Redland.

The project was inspired by a similar one in London by Sonny Malhotra, with Jack cycling dozens of miles on his road bike so far across the city.

Claire and friend

Rachelle, Dylan and Ziggy

Elle and Leila

Jen and Jack

Becka and Callum

Jack gives his subjects a Polaroid “so they can look back on this time”.

“Part of what I’m trying to do is to get positive faces of people who are not sad because they are trapped inside,” Jack explained.

“I’m trying to capture positivity. I want people to smile, to bring a bit of happiness.”

All photos by Jack Lilley / www.instagram.com/jacklilley

Read more: 13 photos of Bristol on the last day before lockdown

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