The irresistible charm of empty cities Seven photographers from around the world have portrayed their city during the lockdown

During these lockdown weeks, the home has become a shelter, a shield, a safe haven, the protected place par excellence where to hide from the world. Trapped between the familiar home walls the look wanders, always driven by a constant desire for escape. 

Scattered all over the world, photographers and creatives have found themselves alone with their cameras, with not many alternatives but pointing the camera towards the outside, that scary 'out' that has become the world affected by the pandemic. They've witnessed their city become empty, left alone at the mercy of the changing of seasons; to desolation, fascinating and melancholic, has taken over a shy return to life, made of bodies working out, faces covered with masks trying to interact with others, long-awaited encounters, solitary walks under the rain. 

nss magazine asked seven photographers from around the world to portray their city from their window and through their lens. 

Takis Zontiros
@takis_zontiros
London, United Kingdom

"Lockdown is still in place in London, but Spring is here and the weather is getting warmer. My neighbourhood’s very quiet and people only go out to do mundane, daily tasks which seem vital these days. There’s a weird contrast between the desire to get out and the fear to leave the house. 
My girlfriend says I’m turning into a cat, as I tend to look out of the windows much more. From my window, I can see the London skyline which provides me with a peculiar sense of optimism, as well as the parking lots and warehouses behind my house which ground me back to the reality of lockdown."