Park life: photos of London in lockdown
- Text by Huck
- Photography by Theo McInnes
The UK has been in lockdown for the last three weeks. During that time, our lives have changed dramatically, with many of us now limited to just a single outing a day.
South London photographer Theo McInnes has been documenting these brief, government-mandated excursions. “I’ve been walking around my local green space, Kennington Park,” he says. “It takes on new forms every day, rain or shine, with people setting up miniature gyms or walking with loved ones – anything to catch a small break from being confined to our own homes.”
The ongoing project, shot on medium format black and white film, aims to capture how our outdoor world is responding to the coronavirus crisis.
“I think it’s really interesting looking at these spaces and the vital role they play in alleviating the inevitable and sometimes taxing symptoms of cabin fever,” he explains. “People often refer to London’s parks as the city’s lungs, and I think now more than ever they are playing a crucial role in giving people that very much needed breath of fresh air.”
“There’s also definitely still an energy present in the parks – they stood out to me as these little oases surrounded by all the deserted streets and shut up shops, which made me think that our little green spaces would be a really interesting thing to document and photograph.”
See more of the project below.
See more of Theo McInnes’s work on his website, or follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Latest on Huck
The party starters fighting to revive Stonehenge’s Solstice Free Festival
Free the Stones! delves into the vibrant community that reignites Stonehenge’s Solstice Free Festival, a celebration suppressed for nearly four decades.
Written by: Laura Witucka
Hypnotic Scenes of 90s London Nightlife
Legendary photographer Eddie Otchere looks back at this epic chapter of the capital’s story in new photobook ‘Metalheadz, Blue Note London 1994–1996’
Written by: Miss Rosen
The White Pube: “Artists are skint, knackered and sharing the same 20 quid”
We caught up with the two art rebels to chat about their journey, playing the game that they hate, and why anarchism might be the solution to all of art’s (and the wider world’s) problems.
Written by: Isaac Muk
The Chinese youth movement ditching big cities for the coast
In ’Fissure of a Sweetdream’ photographer Jialin Yan documents the growing number of Chinese young people turning their backs on careerist grind in favour of a slower pace of life on Hainan Island.
Written by: Isaac Muk
The LGBT Travellers fundraising for survival
This Christmas, Traveller Pride are raising money to continue supporting LGBT Travellers (used inclusively) across the country through the festive season and on into next year, here’s how you can support them.
Written by: Percy Henderson
The fight to save Bristol’s radical heart
As the city’s Turbo Island comes under threat activists and community members are rallying round to try and stop the tide of gentrification.
Written by: Ruby Conway