A PHOTOGRAPHER who has worked on the front line throughout the pandemic as an emergency nursing assistant captured the mood on a ward in a series of photographs.
Oxford Mail Camera Club member Becca Collacott , an emergency nursing assistant from the Abingdon Emergency Multidisciplinary Unit (EMU) used her passion for photography to document some evocative and historic moments.
The photographer will now be exhibiting her work at The Cosener's House in Abingdon from September 6 to September 8, from 10am to 9pm.
Ms Collacott's photos tell the story of the pandemic since March 23, 2020 and the challenges that she and her colleagues have faced throughout.
The exhibition will also feature some snaps of a very quiet Abingdon during the first lockdown, with pictures of the town centre, the river and local wildlife.
There will be a selection of quotes from the photographer's colleagues and also entries from her diary revealing how the pandemic impacted their lives.
Ms Collacott said: “I love my job in Abingdon EMU and I also love photography. One evening I had an idea, I thought why not try and combine them both together.
“So, I thought it would be great for me to take natural shots of all of the team whilst we are working, hoping to capture our Covid-19 experience here at EMU in photos.
“It was an experience none of us ever expected to be going through.
Having this in photos now means we can look back in years to come and reflect on this historical moment. This is a huge part of our history and we can share our experiences with our partners, children, grandchildren and friends in years to come.”
The Abingdon photographer feels the exhibition will show a piece of history that the nurses can keep forever.
The photographs are in black and white and have a relaxed feel despite being taken in a tense time. Ms Collacott says she did this illustrate their team work and not make the photographs too intense. She also chose black and white so the images would focus on the NHS workers' faces and not the background.
Ms Collacott said: “We have always been a close team, but I think it has made you realise how much you appreciate your colleagues more because every one is watching your back. If they can see you are feeling down or dragging down a bit there is always somebody there.”
The exhibition has been fully funded by Ms Collacott and although the exhibition is free, there will be a donation box for those who want to give towards her unit at Abingdon EMU.
The donated money will go towards buying something for the patients such as an iPad for entertainment.
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