Lori Pond | Thinking About Photography

Lori Pond

Homescapes

The Covid-19 pandemic reduced the radius of my world down to the confines of my home, especially during the several lockdown periods. I’m a world traveler, and to be physically limited to just my house at first was untenable, unimaginable, impossible. After that initial shock, I took a look around at my new boundaries and made a discovery. My world is whatever I make it—however I choose to make it. It can be small or vast, limited or free-flowing, very narrow or very wide. It is all in my mind’s eye.

The more time I spent locked down at home, the more I started to notice the things that I had over the 30 years of living in the same place decided to surround myself with. I became re-acquainted with items I had passed by in my hallways thousands of times without pausing. I took a new interest in the objects that had enough meaning for me to display them in my home.

Because I was physically limited, my photographic viewpoint also changed its focus. I started to become very interested in the small details that make up our existence on this planet. I noticed that within the objects sitting in my house were tiny, yet complete, worlds all unto themselves. Consequently, I began to photograph details and pieces of things, letting the whole be an unknown. But then, the whole became the detail and vice versa.

I discovered (by the things I surround myself with) what is important to me. I found out that I need to have color, humor, beauty and an indescribable visual poetry in my life to feel complete. The astonishing thing I found out was I didn’t have to leave my house at all to find all these things.

I am immensely grateful that I am able to take away something positive during this very trying and difficult time.