Photos by Rene Amado
As a photographer, I enjoy capturing the world around me as it is.
I try to document things as they are. The landscape of recent times has changed dramatically. I visit downtown pretty regularly whether going out to eat or for a drink or to grab a coffee or visit my friend’s store. On one of my last visits to see my friends, I started to notice the closed signs in the windows. I decided to walk through more of downtown and as I looked at the different signs I took note of the different messages, the different handwriting. These places are someone’s business. Their livelihood. Their dream.
All closed. Futures uncertain. None of us have seen this before none of us know what’s coming next.
I spent the next day wandering and capturing as many signs as I could — downtown and other parts of the city. I love this city. It may not be much to some, but its home for me. I hope, one day soon, we can go back to some kind of version of what was before.
For now, this is what it is. I’d much rather wander the city and see people out, living, shopping, dining. Take random photos of my friends on a night out. But with this invisible threat among us, I’ll take comfort knowing that they and most others are safe at home, and just take a photo of what they’ve left behind to let us know they’re closed, for now.
