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By Beth Nicholls published 27 May 22

'Lockdown Light' by Billie Charity presents a heartfelt message of hope through a collection of images captured across Wales

We all experienced the pandemic lockdown differently. Some of us were productive and found new creative hobbies and more time to spend with family, whereas others lost loved ones and experienced extreme times of hardship.

This new photo book from renowned photographer Billie Charity captures the essence of 'lockdown light' and appreciates the silver linings, resilience, and the small joyous things that the Welsh photographer made her mission to capture. 

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It may have come out in recent news that members of the UK government – including the most important man in the country – were partying throughout times of terror and uncertainty, but many families made hard sacrifices and had their lives changed completely. The global pandemic and domestic lockdown procedures affected every individual differently, though we all collectively know of the lives lost as a result of it.

Photographer Billie Charity along with many of her subjects in her latest book, Lockdown Light, appear to have a glass half-full attitude when it comes to making the best of a bad situation. 

The collection features everyone from the old to the bold, the young to the eccentric, through the lens of people adapting to life through lockdown – proving that even in the most horrendous times, light can be found.

Having said this, there were of course some positive outcomes of having to go through lockdown and staying safe, with working from home measures introduced, home-schooling for students, and furlough payments for other industry areas meaning people found more time to spend with loved ones and pets at home, as well as finding new creative outlets to explore with additional free time.

From Aberystwyth to Aberaeron, Hay-on-Wye to New Quay, Barry Island to Anglesey, Lockdown Light is a time capsule of Welsh spirit and resilience during the pandemic, showcasing that even when our worlds shrink massively, there is much beauty that can be found on our own doorsteps. 

Starting from the bleak lockdown winter of 2021, Billie has managed to capture the strange adaptations to normal life most of us faced, from something as simple as taking up yoga in the garden to socially distanced entertainment and the weekly lockdown McDonald’s pilgrimage.

Lockdown Light by Billie Charity is available now from Amazon UK (opens in new tab)  priced at £25 ($31.50 / AU$44 approximately) and also Thru The Lens (opens in new tab) . You can find out more about Billie and her photography projects by visiting her official website (opens in new tab) .

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A staff writer for Digital Camera World, Beth has an extensive background in various elements of technology with five years of experience working as a tester and sales assistant for CeX. After completing a degree in Music Journalism, followed by obtaining a Master's degree in Photography awarded by the University of Brighton, she spends her time outside of DCW as a freelance photographer specialising in live music events and band press shots under the alias 'bethshootsbands'. 

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