The world stopped at the height of the pandemic.

Streets were empty, and people hunkered down in their homes, filled with fear and uncertainty.

Much of that time was a waiting game, waiting for a cure, and waiting for a return to normalcy. It was an unnerving time and the promise of what the next day would bring was never certain,

much less mundane.

However, many people used their art form to create work, some of which spoke directly

to their experiences with the pandemic, while others used that time to explore how that event served as a transitional point in their lives.

That's the case with Miko Takunan, who lived in Hong Kong and worked as a photo editor for the New York Times.

As the city slowly emerged from the pandemic, it faced conflicts on the streets, as citizens

demonstrated against political changes directed from mainland China.

The photographs Miko created during this time didn't focus on the pandemic or the demonstrations,

but they were informed by what he experienced there as he looked upon that city.

Instead, he created images that reflected his relationship with a place he would soon leave.

His book is a love letter to a city and a special period in his and his family's life.

This is Ibarian X and welcome back to The Candid Frame.

Well, welcome to the show. It's a pleasure to have you.

Thanks for having me. I found the podcast on, I don't know, Apple podcast or somewhere, and then I've like, you know,

listen to some of the episodes and I was like, wow, this is amazing. There's a couple other

photo podcasts too that I listen to and it's always like I like when I'm out and about with my

camera. Often I listen to music or listen to podcast and it's like, you know, it gives a, I don't know,

it gives us kind of certain inspiration listening to other photographers talk about their practice

and, you know, how they go about making.

Yeah, which is the reason why I started it because I was curious.

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