Park life: photos of London in lockdown
- Text by Huck
- Photography by Theo McInnes
The UK has been in lockdown for the last three weeks. During that time, our lives have changed dramatically, with many of us now limited to just a single outing a day.
South London photographer Theo McInnes has been documenting these brief, government-mandated excursions. “I’ve been walking around my local green space, Kennington Park,” he says. “It takes on new forms every day, rain or shine, with people setting up miniature gyms or walking with loved ones – anything to catch a small break from being confined to our own homes.”
The ongoing project, shot on medium format black and white film, aims to capture how our outdoor world is responding to the coronavirus crisis.
“I think it’s really interesting looking at these spaces and the vital role they play in alleviating the inevitable and sometimes taxing symptoms of cabin fever,” he explains. “People often refer to London’s parks as the city’s lungs, and I think now more than ever they are playing a crucial role in giving people that very much needed breath of fresh air.”
“There’s also definitely still an energy present in the parks – they stood out to me as these little oases surrounded by all the deserted streets and shut up shops, which made me think that our little green spaces would be a really interesting thing to document and photograph.”
See more of the project below.
See more of Theo McInnes’s work on his website, or follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
How Japan revolutionised art & photography in the ’60s and ’70s
From Angura to Provoke — A new photobook chronicles the radical avant-garde scene of the postwar period, whose subversion of the medium of image making remains shocking and groundbreaking to this day.
Written by: Miss Rosen
In west London, Subbuteo is alive and flicking
London Subbuteo Club — The tabletop football game sees players imitate vintage teams with tactics and tiny painted replica kits. Ryan Loftus takes a trip to Fulham to meet a dedicated community and witness a titanic Brazil vs Coventry City showdown.
Written by: Ryan Loftus
Artifaxing: “We’ve become so addicted to these supercomputers in our hands”
Framing the future — Predominantly publishing on Instagram and X, the account is one of social media’s most prominent archiving pages. We caught up with the mysterious figure behind it to chat about the internet’s past, present and future, finding inspiration and art in the age of AI.
Written by: Isaac Muk
The lacerating catharsis of body suspension in Hong Kong
Self-Ferrying — In one of the world’s most densely packed cities, an underground group of young people are piercing their skin and hanging their bodies with hooks in a shocking exploration of pain and pleasure. Sophie Liu goes to a session to understand why they partake in the extreme underground practice.
Written by: Sophie Liu
What we’re excited for at SXSW 2026
Austin 40 — For the festival’s 40th anniversary edition, we are heading to Texas to join one of the biggest global meetups of the year. We’ve selected a few things to highlight on your schedules.
Written by: Huck
Activists hack London billboards to call out big tech harm
Tax Big Tech: With UK youth mental health services under strain, guerrilla billboards across the capital accuse social media companies of profiting from a growing crisis.
Written by: Ella Glossop
