Photographers Capture Eerily Desolate Areas Due To COVID-19

Photographers Capture Eerily Desolate Areas Due To COVID-19

A world impacted by the deadly coronavirus is undoubtedly an eerie one. With everyone confined to their homes and only allowed limited trips to "essential businesses," photographers all over the world are venturing out and capturing their neighborhoods at their emptiest, from the busy streets of Times Square to desolate airports and makeshift temporary hospitals. 

San Francisco's Oracle Park has empty benches on what would've been the MLB's opening day. 

American Airlines has grounded its planes in Tulsa, Oklahoma due to a reduction in commercial flights. 

Healthcare professionals prepare a makeshift temporary hospital at the Ifema exhibition complex in Madrid, Spain. This facility is set up to house 5,500 COVID-19 patients and has an intensive care unit.

San Francisco's known for its hills and cable cars running down the streets. Now, with everyone in quarantine, the roads are mostly empty, with no cable cars in sight.

One of New York's most famous landmarks is left empty during this crisis. 

Stay safe and healthy, everyone.

Lead image: Juan Di Nella via Unsplash

Laura Ersoy's picture

Laura Ersoy is a portrait and music photographer based in the New York/New Jersey area. She currently works as a Digital Designer, while also serving as Editor-in-Chief for the independent music & culture publication, EUPHORIA. Magazine.

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20 Comments

I was in downtown Winnipeg a few days ago. This shot is not of the quality of the above images, but I shot it just before I left. This is a normally busy street.

Four weeks ago, the Nashville area was hit by a tornado and then the virus has struck. I was in the area and shot a couple popular spots before heading home.

Absolutely heartbreaking. Thanks so much for sharing, Tony.

Hollywood CA

santa Monica CA

A very empty downtown Los Angeles, @ Pershing square

Thanks so much for sharing, Stefan! Stay safe!

I know this is a very alluring photo opportunity, but please please only do it if you can do it responsibly.

Unless someone is a journalist, what exactly about walking around outside to take pictures makes it an "essential" activity?

can walk around all you want, just not with a group of people

I don't think health officials would really agree with this. You should be staying home as much as you can and only go walk around when you need to get out for exercise or for essential tasks.

Exactly, it's why they are having to close down more public area's. People are selfish. It's only going to get worse before it gets better.

Amazing what people will do for the “gram” these days...

I agree with Eddie— plus anything to help your mental health as well. If going out on a solo photo adventure while keeping safe social distancing protocol is what’s going to keep you sane— it’s worth it.

Stay safe, everyone!

gorgeous shots, but terrifying knowing how busy these exact spots were only a few weeks ago.

Took this for the newspaper in Monmouth County, NJ.

Insane.

Here´s the Siegessäule in Berlin dueing quarantine. Usually the streets are full of vehikels.

If the local rules state that the only time one should be out is for stuff like groceries or pharmacy visits, then we shouldn't be out otherwise. However, if that's not the case, shooting empty streets threatens nobody. I did and the closest pedestrian to me was about 15 feet and much of the time, there wasn't another human in sight.

The threats come from the morons that insist on meeting in large groups, not from a photographer that is isolated in his/her environment.