There’s no denying that times are currently tough for creators. Cutting off social contact greatly limits what one can do, but it also presents an opportunity to try something new. That’s why this week we’re featuring a group of Sony photographers who are making the most of the current situation and finding ways to continue creating. Have you found your creative outlet during social distancing? Tag your Sony photos & videos on Instagram with #BeAlpha for a chance to be featured on AlphaUniverse.com – and make sure you check out #CreatorConversations – an AMA (Ask Me Anything) series hosted by @sonyalpha on Instagram. 

See how these photographers are combatting social isolation with creativity.

Brooke Shaden – @brookeshaden

Brooke Shaden is a fine art photographer and Sony Artisan Of Imagery. With over 238k followers on Instagram, it’s clear that Brooke’s fine art photography and mission to share passion resonates with many creators across the platform. She is a total pro at self-portraiture and recently shared a comprehensive How-To Create Self-Portraits Guide to simplify the process and help keep the creative juices flowing during social isolation. She’s also running her #PromotingPassionChallenge through this Sunday, so create your self-portrait and submit before the deadline – she’s choosing one person at random to win a special prize. 

Paul Gero – @paulgero

Paul Gero is a portrait photographer and Sony Artisan Of Imagery. Portrait photography became quite the challenge once social isolation practices began, so Gero had to figure out a way to use his skills to tell the story of this historic time from the local perspective. He started a photographic project called, “Portraits In The Time Of Corona,” where he’s photographing families on their front porch or through their front window. He found an excellent way to continue creating while following social distancing practices, and the results are photos that will always tell the story of this time. See some of the images below and read more about the project in Portraits On The Porch. You can ask Paul your questions live in the next Sony Alpha #CreatorConversations Live-Stream on March 31 at 12pm PT – learn more and register here. 

Jeremy Cohen – @jermcohen

Jeremy is based in New York City and a member of the Sony Alpha Imaging Collective. His account has a fun and colorful variety of street shots, portraits and more – but those shots can be difficult to get during social isolation. That’s why he came up with a series called “Roof Culture During Quarantine,” where he’s capturing the culture of roof activity in New York during social distancing. Check out some of the shots he took for Part 1 below using his Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. (And that’s not all he's been up to...check out this video of Jeremy asking out a woman he saw dancing on a rooftop via drone that went viral this week.)

Mahesh Thapa – @starvingphotographer

You would typically find Seattle-based Alpha Collective member Mahesh Thapa out and about capturing stunning landscapes, but what is he doing now during social distancing? He’s taking his camera to the backyard to capture stunning bird photos. He took the shot below using his Sony α6600 and Sony 70-350mm f/4.5-5.6 G lens and you can check out his account for more.

Frankie Sutera – @frankiesutera

Frankie Sutura is another Sony photographer who typically posts impressive landscapes and cityscapes. Since he’s in an area not under lockdown, he was able to maintain safe social distancing to head out to the Salt Flats at 4am when no one was around. That's where he captured this stunning astro reflection shot using his Sony α7 III and the 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master.