Our friend in New York, photographer Stanislaw Boniecki, had been in lockdown in his NY apartment since the beginning of the health crisis with his pregnant wife. They both contracted the virus and were forced to spend a few difficult days in recovery during which he decided to work a small zine called ‘‘Stay Home’’ with the photos he took while in confinement. We asked Stan about his inspiration behind the book, parenthood and the creative process under stress.

How long have you been stuck at home?

I got back to nyc from Europe on March 13th. I was home entirely for more than a month and at the end of April I started going out to get groceries and to do

some jogging and stuff. But I am still staying home mostly.

When did you get sick? Was it both and you and your girl?

When I got back in March I started 14 days of quarantine. The virus hit us after around 12 days (meaning that I probably brought it from abroad). It was both of us. Me and my wife. Almost the same time.

If I understood correctly, you expecting a baby?

Yes. And our due date is in two days. So it can happen any minute actually.

How did you source the energy to be creative during these times?

I can’t not shoot. It’s like eating or brushing my teeth every morning. I do it and I can’t imagine not doing it. I wear my camera everyday all the time. I shoot everything. I guess there should be no differences or separation in photography. Like this is fashion photography or this is still life or landscape or portrait or he is a wildlife photographer or whatever. It’s just photography. I love it no matter what. And that’s why I don’t have to look for the energy to shoot. I just do it. It was different and challenging to take all of the photos in our apartment. I know every corner of it - every little thing there. I had to look at it all from a different perspective to find it interesting. And that was super interesting.

How did the idea of the book came about?

I was reading a lot of articles and newspapers. It all hit us kind of unexpectedly and everything was changing almost minute by minute. I Started writing down quotes that I like. And I was also shooting loootttssss of images at the same time. I started to look at the photos and combine them with the quotes. And it kind of made sense. That’s how the idea developed.

Which neighbourhood do you live in? How different life was in your hood during the lockdown.

We live in Williamsburg. It is so different. I hear birds. I see birds. I give them food. There are no cars at night so I can sleep better. It’s quiet. It’s empty. There are less people out (and we live on a busy corner). It is kind of slower in every sense. I like it a lot.

Do you even get to go out for walks?

I started to go for runs some time ago. We went for a long walk on Saturday. But not really. We don’t go out every day.

What kept you sane during the lockdown/sickness?

My wife. Photography. Books. Games with friends (online). Writing down ideas. Meditation. Talking with friends. Cooking. A lot of cooking. Omg we cook almost everything. Doing my own stuff just to do it.

Any books movies in particular?

I read a few books during that period. I am reading quite an interesting one at the moment. It’s called Rats by Robert Sullivan. As the title suggests, it is a book about rats. Rats in NYC. It is super interesting as he writes so many stories about the city in general and of course, about the behavior of the rodents.

Do you think it’s easy to be creative in such circumstances? Does it feel like an obligation?

I think it’s a great period to be creative! We have time to just be and think rather than looking at new new new new stuff on the Instagram all the time. We didn’t have time to really be creative for awhile. There was stuff always going on before our eyes and we were just trying to catch up with it. All the crappy social media that was exploding with thew same content minute after minute. And now it has stopped for a second. So we have time to just do whatever we want to. And that’s where creativity is. No, it’s not an obligation. That’s the whole point. You can just do nothing for two days and wait for it to come. No rush. That’s how it works.

How did you print the book?

I printed it on a small Epson 4x6 photo printer. Very basic. I taped it manually.

Are you printing more?

Yes. I am working on it right now. I should have the second round ready in a month or two.

How does it feel waiting be a parent among a pandemic? Do you feel it’s a sign of optimism?

As of now I am not a parent yet. I am all prepared and waiting. I am only scared about the baby. I don't want them to catch the virus. Thats the only thing that scares me. Other than this I am pretty positive and happy.

More on Stan’s work and his book here

LOCKDOWN DIARIES PART 6. STANISLAW BONIECKI