The touching story behind an award-winning pandemic photo

Over 1,800 photos depicting life in lockdown were entered into photo competition – returning mixed responses of isolation, separation and hope.

Your Health Link National Photographic Competition's Mobile Category was won by Margaret Edwards for her image 'Window visit to my ageing mum.'

Margaret Edwards’ poignant image of a window visit with her elderly mother was taken just weeks before she passed away.

“We were only able to visit her during lockdown by window visit,” Ms Edwards said of her award-winning image.

“She had trouble hearing and it was very hard for her to hear us, and to talk meaningfully.”

It was one of 1,800 entries received in the Your Health Link National Photographic Competition - returning mixed depictions of isolation, separation and hope.

The competition is an initiative from the Mid North Coast Local Health District and the theme was “We’re all in this together, keeping safe and healthy during the pandemic.”

Ms Edwards’ striking black and white capture took out the Mobile category.

“The message I’m trying to convey is yes, we’re all in this together during the pandemic and we’re all trying to support each other.”

The coveted Open Category was won by Lucia Staykov for her image 'My family self-portrait in lockdown.'

The nationwide competition aimed to provide a platform for people to express their concept of the ‘new normal’ of working from home, physically distancing, and caring for each other from afar.

Veteran photographer and fourth-generation Coffs Harbour local Toni Fuller was on the judging panel and explained winners were chosen in a two-stage process. This meant the judges did not know anything about the creators of the images, ensuring fairness and objectivity.

“We looked for creativity, originality, composition and a good quality capture,” she said.

Taking out the coveted Open category was Lucia Staykov with her image ‘My family self-portrait in lockdown’ (pictured above), which she said depicted how her family’s world had been turned upside down.

She snapped the photo when her and her family spent three days in lockdown together in Adelaide.

The High School category was won by Toby Schuback for his image 'Suffero.'

“We are holding our favourite things that occupied us during that time” she said.

“We didn’t mind spending time with each other – even though COVID had turned our world upside down.”

The competition also had Primary School and High School categories which were taken out by Sonya Clarke with her photograph ‘Isolate together, family matters’ and Toby Schuback with his snap ‘Suffero’ (pictured above) respectively.

“I wanted to encapsulate the idea of the necessity of coming together,” Mr Schuback explained.

“ … We were pulled apart during the pandemic and now it’s time to reconnect.”

The Primary School category was won by Sonya Clarke for her image 'Isolate together, family matters.'