ST. PETE STRONG
PHOTO ESSAY FROM A DISTANCE BY SANDRA DOHNERT
Several weeks into the “safer at home” mandate, Sandra Dohnert
felt compelled. Everything around her was changing. Shops,
restaurants and bars were shutting down. Museums and galleries,
playgrounds, shops and libraries, too. Concerts and performing arts
canceled. As a photographer there was only one thing she could do.
Grab her camera and shoot.
Dohnert wanted to document her city -- show her neighbors as they
were handling “safer at home.” Would they come out on the porch,
peek through the window, or invite her into their snug little worlds
resounding YES.
Kanika Tomalin / St. Petersburg Deputy Mayor
with Kai and Nia Tomalin
34 StPeteLifeMag.com May/June 2020
SPL
In “I Miss Us, St. Pete,” Dohnert’s photo essay shows us how people
one thing that is evident in these images: We are in this together.
Note, that these photos were mostly taken at residences or studios,
so you won’t see face masks. The photographer also notes that she
practiced social distancing while shooting her subjects. This is a
selection of her images.
St. Pete Strong
Frank Strunk III / Sculptor
“COVID-19 has brought unprecedented disruption to all our lives, creating many challenges
that test our resilience and threatens the most vulnerable among us. But, it has also brought
many unexpected blessings and opportunities. One for which I am most grateful is the
focused time I’ve been able to spend with my children.” - Dr. Kanika Tomalin
/StPeteLifeMag.com