Pandemic Visual Diary

January 12, 2021

Photography
Chris Record

After an eerily silent spring, athletes returned to campus and then to their (masked) workouts, student orientation teams waved and shouted greetings to new students who gazed out from lines of cars inching their way along Main St., and students adapted familiar activities for the new environment and created new activities to meet the needs of the moment. 

College Photographer Chris Record, and student photographers Claire Tatum ’24, Sydney Schertz ’24 and Zoe Ren ’24, canvassed campus to provide a glimpse of life on a college campus during a pandemic. These are some of their photos.

Students Studying with Laptops and Masks
Student Studying with Mask, Cleaning Products, Laptop

Photography during COVID-19 has certainly presented challenges. My background as a news photographer helped prepare me for almost anything, but this is a situation I hadn’t anticipated. But what I’ve seen is the incredible resilience and resourcefulness of everyone here at Davidson. I’ve tried to capture some of that in my images.

Chris Record

Director of Photography, Davidson College

Student Reflected in Art Work Wearing Mask
Students Play Instruments on Chambers Lawn in Masks
Group of students have socially distant gathering
Students Play Foosball in Masks
Instrumental Practice Outside with Social Distance Between students
Student Holds Up Green Covid Symptom Tracker on her phone while wearing Mask

A college campus during a pandemic, on the surface, is less lively than a typical year. However, this has just highlighted opportunities for me as a photographer to improve my attention to detail. I was compelled to look more closely at the subjects did photograph and how I wished to portray them, as well to search for inspiration in more unusual places.

Sydney Schertz ’24

Photography Assistant

Student by the Art Cart
Student on Laptop Wearing Mask while Studying
Chalk Board with Writing by Wall
Student with Mask pets dog
Student Poses in Onesie and Mask
Outdoor Dining Tables with Umbrellas
Students in Masks play Spike Ball