I was looking over some of my recent images on the Fujifilm X100V LCD, and it dawned on me how almost all of my photo subjects were wearing masks.

Musicians playing at the Tides Restaurant in Bodega Bay, CA. Outdoor seating only for lunch. Fujifilm X100V, ISO 160, f/5.6. Photo by Derrick Story. (The fish mask is a nice touch!)

The X100V is the camera I grab when I venture out into the world. And the world these days has covered faces. Odd for portrait work. Add a pair of sunglasses, and you really don't know who these people are.

I'm curious how we will view these images 10 years from now. Will it be, "Man, 2020 was a weird year." Or maybe, "Those are really interesting photos. I'm glad I recorded the moment." Or, for all we know, we may still be wearing face coverings well into the next decade.

Theresa just after ordering seafood at the Tides Restaurant in Bodega Bay, CA. Fujifilm X100V, ISO 160, f/5.6. Photo by Derrick Story.

The historian in me feels the need to document this moment in time. There's no way to predict how myself or others will feel about these pictures in the future.

It also occurred to me, that outside of a few random medical shots, I don't think I've captured a single mask portrait prior to 2020. Isn't it interesting how much the world has changed visually in the last 6 months?

I will say this, however, many of the face coverings have become more interesting recently. I guess if we're going to be stuck with masks, we can do so with flair.

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