Health |

Drone photos: Bay Area’s beautiful, eerie landscape as shelter-in-place continues

CLICK HERE if you’re having a problem viewing the photos on a mobile device.

I’ve covered a lot of big news stories in my 30-year career as a photojournalist, but never imagined I’d document the world shutting down.

Normally we photograph events that involve a lot of activity and people interacting: sports, concerts, rallies and community events of all kinds. But this pandemic is about the exact opposite — the forced absence of activity and the need to not closely engage with others for our own safety.

So I took the drone to the sky and found both a simple beauty and loneliness in these pictures, from empty stadiums and parking lots to deserted freeways and playgrounds marked with yellow caution tape where children used to play.

I suspect it’ll take us years to recover from the psychological and social harm that the Covid-19 pandemic is causing. It’s so hard on everyone to be separated from their families, friends and community while fearing getting sick themselves.

I look forward to the day when venues for music, sports and worship open back up and people don’t avoid each other in the street. When we’re not afraid to shake hands, to high five, to hug, to kiss. To embrace each other and feel human again.