This portrait gives a window to a locked life

Every night, right after sunset, Ruth Medjber chatting with neighbors in Dublin, Ireland, and taking their portraits in their windows.

The photos offer a glimpse of people’s lives during this global pandemic.

“I started shooting only friends and family as a way to connect with them while locked up,” the photographer explained. “I live alone, so I miss even the simplest interaction. Knowing that I will see friends every night gives me purpose.”

Now he has new friends.

Photo project has been opened online, and he has opened it for volunteers. The only requirement is that they live within 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) of their home – a limitation set by the Irish government.

“I chose the road every night and tried to shoot as many volunteers as possible,” Medjber said. “I usually average about four shots before the light fades completely, but two if I talk a lot – which I tend to do.”

He said the response to his project, Grá Sa Bhaile (Love at Home), has been extraordinary.

“I think people like to know that they are not alone in their isolation, and they really try to choose people who are similar to themselves in this series,” he said. “This is also a different view of a pandemic: more human views. Instead of showing what the virus has taken from us, this shows that it gives us more opportunities to bond with family and friends and spend time together.”