Vancouver photographer captures faces of social distancing

Photo: Good Side

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For over a decade, Ryan Walter Wagner has worked as a photographer in Vancouver. From headshots to portraits to events to content, he's done it all. But, the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to think about his craft in a new way.

While Wagner often shoots clients in his studio, Good Side, social distancing doesn't allow for in-person close-ups. Instead, he's travelling to people's homes, and shooting them through their windows, on their porches, or on their balconies. Sometimes, their windows are open, other times they leave them closed. In some photos, people smile, while in others they look somewhat somber. 

Titled "Through the Window," Wagner's portrait project aims to show "how we’re all adapting from the perspective of physical distance, and looking out to a weird world trying to find our “new normal."

Wagner says people seem quite comfortable with the experience. In fact, he notes that they are actually opening up.

"I've noticed that people want to document this period in photos," he says. "People are opening up a lot more – they have a lot to express."

"One woman that I shot had been practically alone for 14 days. She said she'd only seen one other person - I was the second."