A Very Different Downtown

Campus scenes from the quarantine

Campus scenes from the quarantine

Campus scenes from the quarantine

I posted this image on my social media accounts right before campus shut down, and I wrote, “This is the way I prefer to be socially distant, on a roof, alone, at sunrise.” It was the first time I used the phrase “social distancing.”

I posted this image on my social media accounts right before campus shut down, and I wrote, “This is the way I prefer to be socially distant, on a roof, alone, at sunrise.” It was the first time I used the phrase “social distancing.”

I posted this image on my social media accounts right before campus shut down, and I wrote, “This is the way I prefer to be socially distant, on a roof, alone, at sunrise.” It was the first time I used the phrase “social distancing.”

This was during the first week we worked from home, but I wanted to capture the daffodils in Woodruff Park while in full bloom.

This was during the first week we worked from home, but I wanted to capture the daffodils in Woodruff Park while in full bloom.

This was during the first week we worked from home, but I wanted to capture the daffodils in Woodruff Park while in full bloom.

There were very few people downtown, but Georgia State police officer Robert Winston still made his rounds.

There were very few people downtown, but Georgia State police officer Robert Winston still made his rounds.

There were very few people downtown, but Georgia State police officer Robert Winston still made his rounds.

After a week of sheltering in place, I came downtown for some more photos. René Torres from the facilities department escorted me to the roof of One Park Place to shoot the downtown skyline at sunrise.

After a week of sheltering in place, I came downtown for some more photos. René Torres from facilities department escorted me to the roof of One Park Place to shoot the downtown skyline at sunrise. It was nice to talk in-person with someone besides my husband and kids.

After a week of sheltering in place, I came downtown for some more photos. René Torres from facilities department escorted me to the roof of One Park Place to shoot the downtown skyline at sunrise. It was nice to talk in-person with someone besides my husband and kids.

I'm not sure René appreciated me leaning over the roof wall for this shot. For someone who works on roofs all day, he doesn't really like heights. I love being on top of tall buildings. This crosswalk would usually be filled with students rushing to their 8 a.m. classes in Aderhold Learning Center and with people headed to work.

I'm not sure René appreciated me leaning over the roof wall for this shot. For someone who works on roofs all day, he doesn't really like heights. I love being on top of tall buildings. This crosswalk would usually be filled with students rushing to their 8 a.m. classes in Aderhold Learning Center and with people headed to work.

I'm not sure René appreciated me leaning over the roof wall for this shot. For someone who works on roofs all day, he doesn't really like heights. I love being on top of tall buildings. This crosswalk would usually be filled with students rushing to their 8 a.m. classes in Aderhold Learning Center and with people headed to work.

Georgia State needed images of students learning from a distance — the university photographers obviously didn't have a lot of images of students studying at home. We couldn't visit people safely in their homes, so I turned my 12-year-old into a college student. I also asked some student groups to turn in images of themselves studying from home to add to our stock. I did the same with faculty, with mixed results. Not surprisingly, Generation Z is better at taking selfies.

Georgia State needed images of students learning from a distance — the university photographers obviously didn't have a lot of images of students studying at home. We couldn't visit people safely in their homes, so I turned my 12-year-old into a college student. I also asked some student groups to turn in images of themselves studying from home to add to our stock. I did the same with faculty, with mixed results. Not surprisingly, Generation Z is better at taking selfies.

Georgia State needed images of students learning from a distance — the university photographers obviously didn't have a lot of images of students studying at home. We couldn't visit people safely in their homes, so I turned my 12-year-old into a college student. I also asked some student groups to turn in images of themselves studying from home to add to our stock. I did the same with faculty, with mixed results. Not surprisingly, Generation Z is better at taking selfies.

I had to get creative to continue photographing campus in innovative ways, and I never knew how interesting this parking lot was before now. Usually, it would be filled with cars, and the buildings around it would be filled with office lighting. These used to be the busy weeks before graduation, but very few people are downtown now.

I had to get creative to continue photographing campus in innovative ways, and I never knew how interesting this parking lot was before now. Usually, it would be filled with cars, and the buildings around it would be filled with office lighting. These used to be the busy weeks before graduation, but very few people are downtown now.

I had to get creative to continue photographing campus in innovative ways, and I never knew how interesting this parking lot was before now. Usually, it would be filled with cars, and the buildings around it would be filled with office lighting. These used to be the busy weeks before graduation, but very few people are downtown now.

The mural of Rep. John Lewis is my favorite in Atlanta, and amazingly, while the city was shut down, I could stand in the middle of the street for long periods to photograph the sunset with no traffic. I just had to look out for the occasional streetcar.

The mural of Rep. John Lewis is my favorite in Atlanta, and amazingly, while the city was shut down, I could stand in the middle of the street for long periods to photograph the sunset with no traffic. I just had to look out for the occasional streetcar.

The mural of Rep. John Lewis is my favorite in Atlanta, and amazingly, while the city was shut down, I could stand in the middle of the street for long periods to photograph the sunset with no traffic. I just had to look out for the occasional streetcar.

I came into town to photograph something completely different, and I drove around downtown to find a cool shot. In this one, the skies seem brighter and the colors more intense.

I came into town to photograph something completely different, and I drove around downtown to find a cool shot. In this one, the skies seem brighter and the colors more intense.

I came into town to photograph something completely different, and I drove around downtown to find a cool shot. In this one, the skies seem brighter and the colors more intense.

I came in to see the campus for myself. It was the middle of the day, and there were a few National Guard members and some people looking for a place to protest. Allen Moutran skated by a boarded-up Andrew Young School of Policy Studies with his therapy dog, and we started chatting. He wants to come to Georgia State one day to study, and he was on his way to the Capitol.

I came in to see the campus for myself. It was the middle of the day, and there were a few National Guard members and some people looking for a place to protest. Allen Moutran skated by a boarded-up Andrew Young School of Policy Studies with his therapy dog, and we started chatting. He wants to come to Georgia State one day to study, and he was on his way to the Capitol.

I came in to see the campus for myself. It was the middle of the day, and there were a few National Guard members and some people looking for a place to protest. Allen Moutran skated by a boarded-up Andrew Young School of Policy Studies with his therapy dog, and we started chatting. He wants to come to Georgia State one day to study, and he was on his way to the Capitol.

The Georgia State Police Department avoided major damage, but the Walgreens was completely boarded up. I appreciated the graffiti message, and I spent a lot of time trying to get the right image. If you look hard, it’s a small self-portrait of me, but really it’ a sad portrait of Atlanta.

The Georgia State Police Department avoided major damage, but the Walgreens was completely boarded up. I appreciated the graffiti message, and I spent a lot of time trying to get the right image. If you look hard, it’s a small self-portrait of me, but really it’ a sad portrait of Atlanta.

The Georgia State Police Department avoided major damage, but the Walgreens was completely boarded up. I appreciated the graffiti message, and I spent a lot of time trying to get the right image. If you look hard, it’s a small self-portrait of me, but really it’ a sad portrait of Atlanta.

I needed to go somewhere to feel safe. The Commons is a fortress, and it’s impossible to get inside without the right credentials. The courtyard typically looks onto hundreds of homes for our students, and it was empty, quiet and peaceful. The clouds were changing every minute, and I know it will be better one day. I’m looking forward to fall move-in day when all the excitement of a new academic year is contagious.

I needed to go somewhere to feel safe. The Commons is a fortress, and it’s impossible to get inside without the right credentials. The courtyard typically looks onto hundreds of homes for our students, and it was empty, quiet and peaceful. The clouds were changing every minute, and I know it will be better one day. I’m looking forward to fall move-in day when all the excitement of a new academic year is contagious.

I needed to go somewhere to feel safe. The Commons is a fortress, and it’s impossible to get inside without the right credentials. The courtyard typically looks onto hundreds of homes for our students, and it was empty, quiet and peaceful. The clouds were changing every minute, and I know it will be better one day. I’m looking forward to fall move-in day when all the excitement of a new academic year is contagious.

My oldest daughter, Ella, is getting ready for her first day of college at Georgia State. She’s a high school junior in the dual enrollment program, and she’s taking two online college courses this summer. When she gets to campus, it won’t be her first time — she started at the Lanette L. Suttles Child Development Center on campus when she was just six months old. She still comes back to campus for an occasional camp, to volunteer at the daycare or to go to a game. It’s not how we imagined her starting college, but it's our new normal ... for now.

My oldest daughter, Ella, is getting ready for her first day of college at Georgia State. She’s a high school junior in the dual enrollment program, and she’s taking two online college courses this summer. When she gets to campus, it won’t be her first time — she started at the Lanette L. Suttles Child Development Center on campus when she was just six months old. She still comes back to campus for an occasional camp, to volunteer at the daycare or to go to a game. It’s not how we imagined her starting college, but it's our new normal ... for now.

My oldest daughter, Ella, is getting ready for her first day of college at Georgia State. She’s a high school junior in the dual enrollment program, and she’s taking two online college courses this summer. When she gets to campus, it won’t be her first time — she started at the Lanette L. Suttles Child Development Center on campus when she was just six months old. She still comes back to campus for an occasional camp, to volunteer at the daycare or to go to a game. It’s not how we imagined her starting college, but it's our new normal ... for now.