Corona guys 1-8

As the covid-19 crisis began, in March-April 2020, I photographed the men in my home street; people who had to spend time in isolation. They had to get some new inspiration and duties since they were not able to meet friends or family members. Dance venues and trips to Spain turned to homework, snow work, daily walks. I carried out my photo project in Rovaniemi, and my home street in the Arctic. The tension between the acquaintance and the stranger was interesting in building the portraits. I have lived on this street for soon 15 years and I had not met the men I portrayed face to face. We have greeted as we passed by and exchanged a few words. Surprisingly, being photographed and the isolation brought people together. The men at my home street were given names and stories. The light that filtered through Ounasvaara hill turned blue. There was a breath of spring in the air, as the isolation and the pandemic was changing everyday routines. With my pictures I want to draw a portrait of an elderly man: loneliness, intimacy, humanity and hope, gentle humour. I have built my images on the idea of gaze and longing to be seen. The prints are in real size; men's cavalcade greets the viewer on a human scale. The men’s life stories interested me as well as how they posed. One missed dancing, another had interrupted his journey to Spain, a third cursed during the picture-taking but would not have wanted to leave the camera.