Joseph Vavak Joseph Vavak

Like the larks in this country that have been singing the same five notes over for thousands of years

Photographs from a warm and windy Sunday afternoon spent exploring the landscapes, towns, and relics of Willa Cather country in South Central Nebraska…

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Post Title: Willa Cather - O Pioneers!

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Joseph Vavak Joseph Vavak

And everything must go wrong before it goes right

Photographs from Memorial Day weekend in rural Nebraska as everything begins to re-open even as the number of Covid-19 cases continues to rise throughout the state. I worry that this will only prolong this whole strange experience even longer - and make it even worse in the long run.

As a photographer who specializes in, as you may have noticed, empty places and deadpan compositions, the pandemic has not really changed my work that much. I’ve photographed Omaha more, largely because it’s right here, but also because traffic has been significantly down. We never had a firm stay-at-home order, but most businesses did shut down for a good two month period - and remain close due to the above-mentioned uncertainty.

More than anything, I miss the road. The pandemic has already cancelled two road trips that I had tentatively mapped out for myself, and will threaten more. Traveling just seems very selfish right now, and risky to myself, my family, and my coworkers.

I think a lot about how the depression completely reshaped my grandparents’ generation and wonder if this will do the same to mine. It comes down to this, I think - How long will this last, and how long will it take to recover from all of the economic and psychological damage?

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Post Title: Sundowner - This War Is Noise

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Joseph Vavak Joseph Vavak

I put my picture in a picture show

More photographs from the time of Covid…

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Post title: John Prine - Picture Show

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Joseph Vavak Joseph Vavak

Now the streets are turning blue

Another much-needed escape from the monotony and anxiousness of pandemic life…

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Post title: Tom Waits - Blind Love

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