Urs Hintermann, OC member of Photo Münsingen, is experiencing the corona pandemic like many of us: first with disbelief, then with a certain curiosity about how the state of emergency is changing our everyday lives. For a dedicated photographer, it makes sense to grab the camera. Thoughts and pictures of the first lockdown weeks.

After the outbreak of the corona pandemic, I felt like everyone else: First, shock and disbelief at what you are experiencing. Then I suddenly realized that we are probably witnessing an event that will be unique for a generation or two.

I first became aware of this because of a triviality: for the first time in decades we in Münsingen can see a blue sky for a whole day without any contrails in the sky. I'll have one then 13-hour timelapse of the sky over Bern made. We will probably never see that again soon. A contemporary document!

The next day, the two-man band “Bearbeat” drove up to the square in our development (Giessenpark) and gave a short concert - of course, keeping the 2-meter distance! The concert was an encouragement for everyone who has to stay at home and of course also a source of income for the musicians who are currently not allowed to give concerts because of the pandemic. An idea that set us all up.

I then asked myself what else is unique about this crazy time. Closed shops, of course. In the streets of Münsingen, Bern, Thun and Interlaken I noticed that this is a real photographic treasure trove. There is everything from dry references like "To" or "See you soon" to world conspiracy theories. Including a lot of funny, business-savvy, fatalistic, contrived and poetic.

Of course, I also noticed other traces during my walks. For example, how people almost routinely keep their distance from one another. Masks, something that we previously only knew from Asian tourists, are suddenly ubiquitous. And then there are of course the obvious traces in the form of countless arrows, distance lines, etc., which are more or less followed.

There would be a lot more. I will create a Corona notebook for myself that will record this special time. Hopefully soon we'll leaf through it at home and say: "Do you remember back then, in those crazy times ...".