Tatiana Roman-Oliveras

Artist Statement

Documentary photography has always influenced my image making. 2020 was a rough year for many people due to the COVID-19 virus and things have really changed drastically. So, I decided to create my own documentary series photographing people's lives during quarantine. 

It's no surprise that COVID has changed our lifestyles in major ways: staying six ft away from people, mask requirements to enter a building and two weeks off just due to exposure. My idea for this project was to highlight people of different backgrounds and professions that are related to me in some way. I wanted to document how they got through life during the pandemic. I photographed each person with and without the mask on to include what they look like during their personal time and at work. I also focused on their daily routines and how they stay protected mentally and physically throughout this time. 

I have included interviews with my subjects about their struggles throughout 2020 and 2021. There have already been many things during this year that are very much worth documenting. I interviewed my models, asking them questions about their lifestyle, learning how they coped and dealt with the many changes they experienced. My goal for this project was to study people that I care about and view how they dealt with the pandemic mentally and physically. 

View more of Tatiana's work here.

IMAGE GALLERY

Click through to enlarge and view individual artworks from Tatiana's thesis project.