No one could have foreseen that a deadly pandemic was going to show up and shut the world down in 2020. It was something unlike any of us had ever experienced. The year began full of fear and uncertainty and ended with anger and uncertainty. There are many aspects of our lives that may take years to regain any semblance of normalcy, but it will happen. Years from now when we see any of the pictures that were taken during 'The Pandemic', we'll know just by looking at them that they couldn't have been taken in any other year than 2020. And the whole thing definitely was not a dream. Here are 40 of those pictures.
1. 'What Does A Guy Need To Do To Get A Beer?'
One of the best things about sports is the atmosphere that is created by the fans in attendance. The magic of the stadium has the power to take us away from the real world. When attending an event in person, it doesn't matter which team someone is backing everyone is sharing the same experience. 2020 was a bit different than other years.
Professional athletes played in empty stadiums across the world for the majority of 2020. Fake fan noise was pumped into the stadiums in order to take away some of the eariness that came with playing in front of 65,000 empty seats.
2. 'Don't Forget To Bring A Towel'
The only way to have had pictures taken at a variety of destinations in 2020 would have been through the use of photoshop.
It's better than the reality of all the places that were actually visited in 2020, like the front lawn and the park around the corner; although, sometimes the park would have some fairly interesting characters passing through.
3. 'A Cut Above The Rest'
Unfortunately, businesses that did not provide what was deemed to be "essential services" were forced to close their doors for most of 2020. Included in the closures were hair salons and barber shops, which led to a lot of shaggy hair and unique new hairstyles.
Harnassing the hairstylists inside themselves, mums and dads all over the world put in valiant efforts in their attempts to trim, cut, and shape their children's hair in order for them to be presentable for zoom classes.
4. 'Basket Case'
Throughout 2020 there were millions of people all over the world who were confined to their homes for long periods of time at one point or another. When fear of infection was at its peak people were doing anything they could to avoid leaving home.
To avoid any unnecessary contact, it became a common occurrence for people to lower baskets by rope, in order to collect deliveries,
5. 'Where's Waldo?'
When professional sports returned after a three and a half month hiatus, it was to empty stadiums. The fans that help to give a stadium its personality were no longer allowed to attend in person. In order to make up for the lack of live audiences, teams had to think outside the box to create a professional sports atmosphere for the players.
Out of all the methods that have been used in order to give the appearance of full stadiums, the best has to be cardboard fans. Some athletes were so excited to see fans of any kind back in the stadiums that they began to interact with the fake fans.
6. 'Book Him In The 10:30 am Time Slot'
It's very important for a child's development for them to socialize with others their age. 2020 was especially difficult for the younger generation who aren't fully capable of understanding why they can't see their friends.
This is what a 1st-grade playdate looked like in 2020. Thanks to the creativity and thoughtful planning by these parents, this young man was able to have zoom hang outs with his friends whenever time allowed.
7. 'Accio, Books 5-7'
In March of 2020, prior to bookstores closing for the first lockdown, many people stocked up on reading material for the weeks of boredom that were destined to follow.
Reading Harry Potter for the first time during a pandemic is a great way to take one's mind away from the realities of being in lockdown. Be sure to buy the whole series at once though, because waiting for the bookstores to re-open in order to finish the series, may take a while.
8. 'ABCs With Usher And Elmo'
After schools closed due to safety concerns, distance learning done through Zoom classes was essential for the continued education of children of all ages. From kindergarten right through to college, students everywhere were adapting to this new way of learning.
The hard part is not putting together a make-shift kindergarten class, actually it could be a fun activity for any parent who has found themselves growing tiresome of watching the same children's programs time and time again. The difficult part is getting a five-year-old to sit still in 'class'.
9. 'Nice To Meet Ya'
People are not the only ones who were affected by the lockdowns and self-isolations of 2020. There are certain animals in captivity that have grown rather accustomed to seeing people and having some form of interaction with them.
In order to give the penguins at this aquarium a bit of change from the loneliness of their visitor less exhibit, the penguin trainers here took this waddle of penguins on a walk around the rest of the aquarium to make some new friends. At a different zoo, there was a meeting between a sloth and a dolphin that went swimmingly.
10. 'Where does the time go?'
After the first stay-at-home order that was put out, most people had less than 24 hours in order to stock up on whatever they thought they may need for the next few weeks. Some people collected all the sanitizer and toilet paper that they could get their hands on, some got books or puzzles to make sure they had something to keep them occupied while at home, and others found themselves a friend and a reason to be allowed outside.
So many puppies and kittens were adopted in order to help people cope with the loneliness of being in the first lockdown. Two stay-at-home orders later, and the only way to know how much time has passed, is by the size of their not-so-little furry friend.
11. 'The Force Was With Him'
One of the most exciting times of the year for a child is their birthday, however, some of the excitement has disappeared due to the inability to celebrate with one's extended family and friends. Some family members went the extra mile in 2020 to ensure that a child's birthday remained a special day.
When this young man woke up on the morning of his 7th birthday, after being in lockdown for a few months, he couldn't believe his ears when he heard the 'Imperial March' coming from outside. Like any well-trained Jedi, he armed himself with his lightsaber and went to defend his household, but Darth Vader just wanted to wish the young padawan a socially distanced happy birthday.
12. 'Someone Find That Monkey'
The start of the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic was a frightening time all over the world. At a time when there were still less than 50 total confirmed cases in a country, the public was in a frenzy.
Seeing paramedics in full hazmat suits taking someone away in an ambulance once seemed like a scene from "Outbreak", it was like an out-of-body experience. A few weeks later...it was the new normal.
13. 'Home Grown'
Interacting with living things from outside of one's home was not a common occurrence during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Some people got pets to hang out with and talk to, but not everyone is ready for the responsibility of having a pet. Those people settled for another type of living thing to take care of, one that needs lots of care, but no cleaning up after.
Home gardens came back with a vengeance in 2020. Not only can they be a great source of beauty and nourishment but caring for a garden can also be extremely therapeutic. All because the plants don't answer, it doesn't mean they don't like to be spoken to.
14. 'No One In & No One Out'
Stay-at-home orders and city closures were a few methods that proved to be quite effective in preventing the spread of the coronavirus to neighboring cities. In the early days of the first lockdown, it was reminiscent of a zombie apocalypse outside.
Entire cities were systematically cut off from the rest of the world. In China, the highways leading in and out of Wuhan were closed and the bus lines were stopped, checkpoints were set up in other countries to ensure that people were only traveling for essential purposes. In Australia, they closed all interstate borders from the start and, as a result, their Northern city of Darwin remained mostly unaffected.
15. 'End Of Days'
After multiple waves and a couple of lockdowns, a lot of people forget what it was like back at the start of 2020. After China, Italy was the next country to be caught off-guard by the coronavirus. Some of the news that we saw coming from Italy at the time, looked as though it must have been taken from the movies.
Some of the most disturbing images from the Spring of 2020 were of the coffins that were lined up inside the churches in Italy. Pictures like this one will serve as haunting reminders of what Italy went through while the rest of the world was in denial about the severity of the virus.
16. 'Mini-Bar'
In 2020, there were countless celebrations that were either postponed or canceled due to pandemic-related restrictions that limited the number of people who were allowed to attend events. For some people, however, it wasn't the size of the event that mattered.
In order to keep things "covid-safe", this bride and groom opted to go with a "mini-bar" and celebratory gift bags for each of the twenty guests who were allowed to be in attendance.
17. 'Inflation'
With the first few weeks of the pandemic came panic-buying, unlike anything that had been seen in decades. In order to prevent further panic, stores needed to find ways to discourage people from packing their shopping carts as full as possible with sanitizer and toilet paper.
In Denmark, this store found a method to deter customers from overbuying without limiting the number of products they could buy.
18. 'What Do You Think Brown Bear?'
Every child has a day when they just don't want to get out of bed and go to school. In 2020, being a first-grade student was a bit different than what we experienced.
This first-grader made the decision to do his classwork from the comfort of his bed. He even had a little help finding a few of the answers from some of his animal friends.
19. 'I'll Take Any Ply I Can'
A year and a half ago, if a survey were taken all over the world to ask which item people thought would be in the most demand if a deadly pandemic swept across the globe, I doubt the answer would have been toilet paper.
Instead of food, clean water, or medical supplies, people rushed to the stores to buy every last roll of toilet paper available. There were shortages of TP right across America. It was as though people truly believed that toilet paper was the key to making it through the pandemic.
20. 'Eternally Grateful'
There are not enough great things that can be said about the efforts of healthcare workers throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. They stepped forward, not back, from the front line when the pandemic was still young and so much was unknown.
Unable to enter the hospital to show his gratitude, due to Covid restrictions, this man stood outside with his sign until he was satisfied that the heroes inside who saved his wife had seen how thankful he was.
21. 'Smiling Eyes'
A romantic walk along the beach with a loved one is a great way to spend an evening. Watching the sunset together has the ability to take a couple to a far-off place where, even on a busy boardwalk, they are all alone.
It is hard to believe that there was a time when it was possible to see the smile on the face of one's partner while out in public. 2020 taught us all how to read a smile in someone's eyes.
22. 'Always Have A Back-Up'
A child's school bag is usually packed with everything that they could need during a long day away from the house.
Parents probably never thought that they would have to send their children to school with a pouch full of clean masks and a place to put their dirty ones.
23. 'Mics Off Please'
Attending a family member's wedding is meant to be a joyous occasion shared by loved ones and celebrated early into the next morning. Things were a little bit different in 2020, due to restrictions on air travel and gathering sizes.
The "Zoom Wedding" was born in 2020. Friends and family from anywhere in the world were still able to join their loved ones in celebrating their big day.
24. 'Got Anything New?'
1st Lockdown: "No, I don't like to read. I don't have the patience for it."
2nd Lockdown: "Okay, so I read all the Harry Potter books, they were pretty good."
3rd Lockdown: "I just ordered another 10 books, they should be here by Tuesday."
2nd Lockdown: "Okay, so I read all the Harry Potter books, they were pretty good."
3rd Lockdown: "I just ordered another 10 books, they should be here by Tuesday."
2020 was a great year to start building a home library. Some people who hadn't read a book since high school, turned to literature to help stave boredom and more importantly, insanity.
25. 'Baked'
Baking was one of the more popular things that people learned to do during 2020. Cakes, cookies, and cinnamon buns sure are delicious but they aren't the most practical things to learn how to bake.
Bread on the other hand, now there's a winner. Bread is great for any meal and can be used in so many different ways. And the smell of fresh-baked bread is just fantastic.
26. 'One Ticket To Anywhere, Please'
Air travel is something that many of us had taken for granted over the years. It had been more cost-efficient than ever to travel. Whether going on a family holiday or a few weeks away with some friends, the sky was the limit. Over the past few decades traveling by air has made this planet seem a lot smaller than it really is. 2020 gave us a little reminder.
International airports in many countries closed their runways in March of 2020 for everything except emergency flights, and the world became huge again. Airports became ghost towns and runways became long-term storage lots for the planes. Planes even had to be parked in shopping mall parking lots because the runways were so packed.
27. 'Bam!'
Spending time in self-isolation can be a rather boring thing to do. It sure is a good thing that boredom breeds creativity then, isn't it? In 2020, everyone found their inner Emeril Lagasse and "kicked it up a notch", with some of the most delicious-sounding ideas.
When there are marshmallows, chocolate, and a pie crust in the house, there is no option but to whip together a fresh-baked S'mores pie. Caution: Let the pie cool for at least ten minutes in order to avoid marshmallow burns.
28. 'Delivery Will Be Monday Between 10am and 7pm'
Due to the limitations on the number of people allowed inside supermarkets, instead of waiting for one's turn to enter a store by standing in a socially distanced queue outside, a lot of people turned to online grocery shopping. If someone didn't know how to shop online prior to 2020, they probably do now.
The pandemic has caused so many people to turn to digital shopping that there were even queues to enter the online grocery stores. While waiting in an online queue, at least the customer doesn't have to worry about getting sick from anti-maskers flaunting health guidelines.
29. 'Totally Worth It'
Air travel was almost non-existent through 2020's first wave. Families were forced to go months without seeing each other (now over a year for some). As some restrictions on travel were lifted, there were some people who jumped at the small window of opportunity to visit their loved ones on the one plane that would be flying to their desired destination that week.
Flying in 2020 was different than anything any of us had ever experienced. One needed permission to enter a foreign country, proof of a negative covid test, and passengers were instructed to wear face masks while flying. If that wasn't enough, they then would have had to sit in quarantine for 14 days before being able to see those whom they had gone to visit.
30. 'Who's To Say What's Essential?'
Restaurants and bars used to be great places for someone to go in order to meet new people or watch big sporting events. And then 2020 happened.
For almost all of 2020, people would walk past their favorite establishments and reminisce about the times that once were and the times that await on the other side of the pandemic. Thankfully Mike's Place bars across Israel survived the year, and are back providing customers with great live music and cold drinks.
31. 'Protest Bubbles'
People's ability to protest against what they believe to be unjust, without fear of negative repercussions, is one of the great aspects of a true democracy. The first year of the Covid-19 pandemic gave the public more than enough reasons to make their voices heard.
During the summer of 2020, outside gatherings of more than twenty people were banned in Israel. Meanwhile, due to the people's right to protest, thousands of people gathered in Tel Aviv's Rabin square, for a socially distanced protest. The protest's organizers even showed up early to place markings every two-metres, in order to signified where people were allowed to stand.
32. 'Pick A Colour, Any Colour'
Prior to 2020 surgical masks were for use by doctors and other medical staff. No one could have foreseen that facemasks would become the accessory of the year for 2020.
Businesses have cashed in on the demand for masks to wear during the coronavirus pandemic. Whatever the color, pattern, or material is that one may want for their facial wear, it either exists or will exist by tomorrow.
33. 'Decontamination Complete'
The images that were coming out of Wuhan in early 2020 were some of the most chilling photos of the year. The world was in disbelief that something like this could happen, and in denial about the possibility of it happening elsewhere.
Some countries weren't taking any chances and decided to have every inch of an infected city sanitized, while others opted simply to close down and deep clean the establishments that were known to have been visited by an infected individual. Those early days sure had an apocalyptic feel to them.
34. 'Heads Up'
Stay-at-home orders forced people to come up with some fairly creative ways of staying active. Some were a bit more daring than others.
When leaving their apartment buildings was not an option for these two, they took to their rooftops for a quick match of rooftop tennis. With a few safety tweaks, I think that rooftop tennis has the potential to be added to the next Xgames.
35. 'Sim-ba'
There are a few pictures that depict what 2020 was more than any others. With how much time people spent alone during the year, it's rather surprising that more people didn't lose their minds.
Sometimes in order to stay sane, it's best to go a little crazy. The Disney melody adaptation that this guy did, pretty much sums up exactly what it felt like during the first lockdown. And who hasn't wanted to do that from a balcony?
36. 'New Assistant'
Most people who had the opportunity to work from home during 2020 wouldn't trade the experience for anything. The time of their commute to work was cut back to however long it would take to turn on the laptop, and every day was casual Friday.
Zoom meetings gave us a lot of funny moments. We got to see our co-workers in a completely different light. When a little visitor would wander on screen during important meetings, we also got to put faces to all those stories we'd heard about their family members and pets.
37. 'Pick-up Will Be In Front Of The Oak Tree Between 2:40PM-2:43 PM'
Retail stores were forced to close their doors to customers for much of 2020. That's not to say that they weren't allowed to do business, it just couldn't be done in-store. The stores that don't do delivery, had to find another way of staying afloat.
Curbside pick-up. Curbside pick-up should just be a permanent thing. It's great. No one wants to go into busy stores anymore. Just let us order what we want, and tell us what time to be there to pick it up.
38. 'Who's Hotter?'
When 2020 began, I don't think anyone would have believed it if they had been told that temperature checks and masks were going to become regular parts of our lives.
It's crazy to think that we used to be able to go places without being worried about being half a degree too hot.
39. 'Play It Again, Sam'
At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, a lot of people were starting to lose hope. It was a very tough and challenging time for everyone, especially for those who live alone. And then something happened. People began to come together in their isolation.
First one musician then another and then a third. Balcony musicians improvised old favorites and entertained entire neighborhoods with their talents. When hope began to fade the strength of community prevailed.
40. 'Any Dream Will Do'
There were many people who decided to put off celebrations due to the challenges that the Covid-19 brought with it. But there were also some people that wouldn't let anything, not even a pandemic, get in their way.
A wedding where the bride and groom are wearing masks may not be a photographer's dream, however, something tells me these two won't soon be forgetting their special day.