Seattle During COVID-19: A Quiet Look at an Empty City
In the spring of 2020, I was hunkered down in downtown Seattle for the COVID-19 quarantine, watching a city I love go eerily still. A few trips out for groceries turned into something more — I started bringing my camera along, not to document the crisis itself, but to sit with what it looked like from the sidewalk.
Choosing what to leave out of the frame
I am not the photographer who points a lens at strangers without their consent, so you will not find masks, gloves, or fear in these images. Instead, I turned my attention to the streets and storefronts themselves — the spaces that usually hold Seattle’s energy, and what it meant to see them emptied out.
What the city was trying to say
Walking through downtown, I found handwritten “closed forever” signs next to hand-lettered messages of hope taped in windows. Markets that are normally shoulder-to-shoulder with residents, tourists, and vendors sat silent. Restaurants I had walked past a hundred times were boarded up seemingly overnight. Photographing it felt less like reportage and more like paying close attention — noticing the small, human details a fast-moving city usually hides from view.
This series is my sobering, honest look at Seattle during a moment none of us will forget — and a reminder of why I keep a camera close, even when there is no client, no shot list, and no plan. Sometimes the most meaningful images are the ones nobody asked for.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Lindsey photograph Seattle during the COVID-19 quarantine?
I wanted to document what our city looked like during an unprecedented moment, not to sensationalize it, but to capture the quiet, human details of an empty downtown Seattle.
Are there people in these Seattle COVID-19 photos?
Very few. I am cautious about photographing people without their consent, so most images focus on the streets, storefronts, and signage rather than faces.
Comments Off on Seattle During COVID-19: A Quiet Look at an Empty City