Park life: photos of London in lockdown

Park life: photos of London in lockdown
Taking the air — As the coronavirus crisis gears up, photographer Theo McInnes documents how the city’s outdoor spaces are changing.

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

Bobby Gillespie: “This country is poisoned by class”
Culture

Bobby Gillespie: “This country is poisoned by class”

Primal Scream’s legendary lead singer writes about the band’s latest album ‘Come Ahead’ and the themes of class, conflict and compassion that run throughout it.

Written by: Bobby Gillespie

Vibrant photos of New York’s Downtown performance scene
Photography

Vibrant photos of New York’s Downtown performance scene

‘Balloons and Feathers’ is an eclectic collection of images documenting the scene for over two decades.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Picking through the rubble: Glimpses of hope in the US election results
Activism

Picking through the rubble: Glimpses of hope in the US election results

Clambering through the wreckage of the Harris campaign, delving deeper into the election results and building on the networks that already exist, all hope is not gone writes Ben Smoke.

Written by: Ben Smoke

US Election night 2024 in Texas
Photography

US Election night 2024 in Texas

Photographer Tom “TBow” Bowden travelled to Republican and Democratic watch parties around Houston, capturing their contrasting energies as results began to flow in.

Written by: Isaac Muk

In photos: “Real life is not black and white” – Polaroid x Magnum Open Call winners
Photography

In photos: “Real life is not black and white” – Polaroid x Magnum Open Call winners

See pictures from the competition organised by two titans of contemporary photography, which called upon artists to reject the digitalisation and over-perfectionism of our modern world, technology and image-making.

Written by: Huck

In photos: Rednecks with Paychecks
Photography

In photos: Rednecks with Paychecks

‘American Diesel’ is a new photo series that looks at the people, places and culture behind the stereotypes of rural America.

Written by: Ben Smoke

Sign up to our newsletter

Issue 81: The more than a game issue

Buy it now