Glistening raindrops on leaves, skies filled with rainbow colours, play of light on objects, birds in many a mood, diaphanous wings of a dragonfly catching the sun… the frames captured by photographer Arun Kunjunny show his world since the national lockdown was announced on March 24 to combat COVID-19.
From day one, Arun has been focussing on the micro and macro views from his house, which he has not left for more than 55-plus days. “It is a question of perspective. There is so much happening in the world around you at any point of time but most of the time we are oblivious to it. You have to learn to look and observe. Without stepping out of the gates of my house in Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram, I have been able to capture images of life around us even when we are in a kind of hibernation,” he says.
Arun Kunjunny has been documenting the lockdown with one photograph every day.
Arun says though we might be stuck in a place, instead of panicking or feeling trapped, we have to see it in a new light and that would have a calming effect. When he began sharing his photos with a couple of friends, he noticed that they were also getting used to the idea of seeing their place with new eyes. His focus on photographs, Arun says, has made him upbeat and hopeful of overcoming the challenges thrown up by the pandemic.
“When the lockdown was announced, one of the first things that struck me was the uncertainty connected to the length to which the situation would extend and also the definite possibility of people developing a new pattern of existence, bordering on boredom and laziness. I have always been interested in dealing with people and doing whatever I can to cheer them up and inspire them to do better. In fact, that is one of the reasons why I took up the certification to be a life coach,” he explains.
Arun Kunjunny has been documenting the lockdown with one photograph every day
Instead of staring at a screen, Arun decided to smell the flowers and to stand, stare and click the drama of the natural world. So, along with photos of an empty room and windows, there are dramatic snaps of the skies apart from frames of geckos, crow pheasants, squirrels and pollen-filled flowers.
Story in every frame
Once the lockdown is lifted, Arun plans to hold an exhibition of his picturesque journal of photographs. Arun has enriched each photo with a tiny tale because he feels there is a story in every frame.
“The idea was to shoot one unique image per day, from within or around the house. The images have to be catchy and also not repetitive. As a person who loves writing too, I added an additional angle to it wherein I created a small story focussing on hope or strength or some positive aspects,” he says.
Arun Kunjunny’s photograph of a dragonfly was clicked on day 51 of the lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19. Arun has been documenting the lockdown with one photograph every day
Thus, the snap of a solitary drongo perched on the uppermost reaches of a tree, clicked on day 15 of the lockdown, has Arun pointing out that after two weeks of the curbs, “we are all getting used to our solitude and isolated perches. It is high ground and all alone but it is also a vantage point and an opportunity to look around and assess yourself and your life too”.
A photograph of a butterfly sipping nectar, taken on day 21 of the lockdown, has this little story to it: ‘Our shopping trips are restrained and our consumerism is at an all-time low. But, the natural dwellers seem to be having a free run and having a happy tour of every available natural resource that they can feast on without being disturbed or harmed.’
Arun Kunjunny has been documenting the lockdown with one photograph every day, all of which was clicked inside and around his home at Poojappura in Thiruvananthapuram
And so it goes on, each day documented by one photograph. He says that although he might have clicked many on a day, for this documentation of the lockdown, he would select only one picture from the lot.
“My mother, a botany professor, has a small garden and plants in her balcony. There is enough inspiration in both the places and the terrace gives me an amazing view of the sky at different times of the day. It might be the light falling in a certain way or something moving that inspires the lensman in me and I might click a number of photos. I might use the photos not included in this collection for another exhibition,” he explains.
Arun Kunjunny has been documenting the lockdown with one photograph every day, all of which was clicked inside and around his home at Poojappura in Thiruvananthapuram
As a trainer of photography and a life coach for children, he muses aloud if photography could be used to improve the observation and attention span of children.
“My take is this: we all see the same world but how you see it makes a difference.”
