LPA Photographers / Will Hartley / While you were sleeping

Photographer Will Hartley captured this series while in the heart of lockdown, when we were all only allowed out for an hours exercise per day and to buy only essential items.

Captured while at home in East London with his girlfriend, Will captured images of the things around him, including his girlfriend and the park near his house. Shot mostly in black and white, we love the melancholy feel to these images, and the way they capture the quietness and isolation of the strange situation perfectly.

Will also wrote a short poem summing up his feelings during the time:

While you were sleeping

It was raining heavily yesterday evening as the sun came down,
it created a soft orange haze throughout the apartment, making everything glow.
The light felt like it was physical, sitting inside the apartment with me,
making its way around the room.

I threw my camera on the sofa and walked outside, my heart pumping and my head spinning,
like someone had put a clamp around my head and they were squeezing it tight.
I slammed the door shut and sat on the balcony facing away from the house.
I breathed in slowly to try and calm down.

It’s so quiet and peaceful, there are no cars around, or trains going past.
You can hear the birds, the nature, the stillness in the air.

She took her headphones off and gave me a hug, and said sorry,
she started to cry and I said I was sorry too.
She said I didn’t need to be; ‘I don’t want to lose you.’

We headed out to the marshes, I hadn’t noticed how beautiful the sunset was before the lockdown,
rich deep blues and purples fill the sky for a moment until the sun goes down,
and the moon takes over for the night.

© Will Hartley

© Will Hartley

© Will Hartley

© Will Hartley

© Will Hartley

© Will Hartley

© Will Hartley