Andri Tambunan

Visual Journalist

6 Feet Apart

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Location: sacramento, CA

Nationality: American, Indonesian

Biography: About Me: I am a documentary photographer and videographer currently based in Sacramento, CA. I possess a solid background in photojournalism and specialize in the long-term narrative. My documentary work focuses on social justice, health,... MORE

Focus: Photographer, Photojournalist, Advertising, Producer, Videographer, Health, Travel, Environment, Documentary, Multimedia, News, Photo Editor, Creative Director, Photography, Portraiture, Culture, Civil Rights and Social Inequality, Humanitarian, Commercial, Human Rights, Creative Professional, Education, Multimedia Journalist, Editorial, Newspapers, Storyteller, Climate, Visual Editor, Photo Coordinator, Feature Stories, Environmental Stories, Studio Photographer, Portrait Photography, Breaking News, Social Justice, Corporate, Reportage

Michelle, analyst, with her dau...ing, hate, and lack.”

Michelle, analyst, with her daughter Isabelle.

This photograph will forever be a reminder of living through a pandemic. A time that I had no time to process before having to make changes for the two of us. A time when we were restricted from going anywhere. A time when almost everything was shut down. A time when we would be wearing masks anytime we would step outside the house. This pandemic has forced me to slow down. I’ve learned to be more mindful and present. I also have to remember to take care of my health physically because there isn’t anyone to hold down the fort when I am not feeling 100% or feeling depleted. With the pandemic not yet over, my hope for the future is to find a better normal. I once saw this quote that someone reposted that says it all. “We will not go back to normal. Normal never was. Our pre-corona existence was not normal other than we normalized greed, inequity, exhaustion, depletion, extraction, disconnection, confusion, rage, hoarding, hate, and lack.”

Lyn, a medical nurse, she quara...ly or loved ones at their side.

Lyn, a medical nurse, she quarantined alone.

I’ve been fortunate to still be able to work during this time with my schedule remaining the same. As healthcare professionals, we are exposed to so many things but never something this uncertain. When COVID became more publicized and California announced the first reported COVID-related death, it felt surreal. I never imagined enduring a pandemic during my nursing career. The fear of getting severely ill or unknowingly passing it to someone compromised was real. One adjustment is having to give extra emotional support to patients who are dealing with stressful surgeries, new diagnoses, and extended hospitalizations with no family or loved ones at their side.

Andri (photographer), with fami...uring this time of uncertainty.

Andri (photographer), with family: Sister, Ro with dog Mocha; Mom, Anny (72); brother, Jon, with dog Mickey; oldest brother Ramos with his family, son, Theo (8), and wife, Eva.

The shelter in place order was given on March 19th in Sacramento, but I started staying home a week earlier. I was keeping up with the spread of the virus in Europe and Asia, and I knew it was just a matter of time until it would arrive at my front door. I remember I was at the gym wiping down sweat on a machine that someone had left behind and thought that it was the worst possible place to be in and I ended my workout and haven’t returned since. During the lockdown we all had to make many adjustments: social distancing, wearing masks while in public, washing our hands consistently, wiping down counters and groceries, and limiting our exposure outside the house. My biggest scare during the lockdown is when I had to take my mom to the Emergency Room. She was sleeping and woke up around 1:30 am because her blood pressure shot up to 200. My mom is healthy and independent. The first thought that came to my mind was that it could be related to COVID. While I was driving her to the ER I asked her questions to evaluate if she was experiencing any symptoms. When I reached the ER, I wasn’t even allowed to enter. The nurse took her in and I waited several hours while the doctor ran multiple tests. Luckily it wasn’t COVID. The doctor said that her test results were normal and that the high blood pressure might have been caused by stress and exhaustion. My mom is still very active and she told me that she was experiencing stress from being confined. Due to this pandemic, we’ve spent more time together as a family. Every Sunday we have been having our family dinner. We usually do this on special occasions but during the lockdown, we have a potluck every week and I hope it will continue. I’ve been asked many times if I was happy to be back, and honestly, there is no other place I’d rather be than to be close and present with my family during this time of uncertainty.

Justin, musician & stay...reat teachers for our daughter.

Justin, musician & stay at home Dad, with his wife, Kat, a nurse, and their daughter, Liv (4).

We just purchased our first home together as a family and we are moving in. We realized during this time of making our house a home we have more than enough things to do around the house to keep us busy, safe, and sane. Our daughter Liv had to delay her preschool which was a little disappointing because we wanted her to start socializing more. The main challenge we face is not being able to visit our loved ones. We love opening our home to our friends and family to break bread and create moments. The main thing that’s been occupying our time has been unpacking and updating our home while we try to be great teachers for our daughter.

Jeff, an artist, and his girlfr... that is broken in our country.

Jeff, an artist, and his girlfriend, Phuong, who is a chef and restaurant owner.

I am lucky in that my work requires me to be solitary, plus I am an only child, being and working by myself is nothing new for me. But I was very social before Covid-19. I would spend a lot of time traveling to or for art exhibitions across the US. That is obviously on hold. Normal socializing is also on hold, which for me has been difficult. As much as I need my solitude, I also crave being around people. Phuong's restaurant was deemed essential, so work has not stopped for her. I have been stressed about money because anytime there is an economic downturn, the arts & entertainment industry takes a huge hit. In 2008-2009 it was different. There was a definite contraction in spending, but people could still visit museums. Art fairs were still open. People still frequented galleries. I was still making sales and commissions. All that is in limbo now, at least in the states. Luckily, I have money saved up and she still brings in a paycheck, but it’s stressful. I have been looking for a regular 9-5 gig, but when you haven’t had a “real job” in years, it’s hard to translate to employers that you have skills. Phuong is more stressed than usual because the restaurant is doing the same amount of business, but with less staff, so she is exhausted at the end of each workday. As soon as everything went to shit, all those “unskilled, low wages, dead-end jobs” suddenly became ESSENTIAL! All of sudden those people were heroes! The silver lining in my opinion is that people will realize this economy or this country for that matter, can function just fine without hedge fund billionaires. I am hopeful that people will take the time to see that the notion of America being the greatest country needs a “major adjustment” to say the least. I hope people will make the effort to do the serious work of fixing all that is broken in our country.

Aaron, with his Pa Nyia and dau...p one another in times of need.

Aaron, with his Pa Nyia and daughter Susan (12).

The adjustments that my family and I had to make during quarantine are rough. I had been furloughed and my wife had been relocated from her office to work from home remotely. My wife had not left the house. She is fearful of going out to public places due to the rise of crime rates against Asians. She keeps herself at home and if she needed something it is either online ordering for delivery or I will be the one picking it up curbside. My daughter had been doing online classes with her school due to the closures of schools. She is a tad bit sad due to her not being able to graduate with her friends before departing from elementary to middle school. The challenges that I face as of today are mostly mental stress and the reason why I say that is because I love seeing and interacting with people. Now that I am confined at home, it took some getting used to and readjustments of my normal routine. My wife and I are love company so being stuck home and not being able to go see loved ones was pretty hard the first few weeks. We are still not used to it. Many people have died, many have gone without, we need to do better for one another and our future generation. my faith in humanity is increased due to seeing what neighbors and community come together to help one another in times of need.

Ryan, an Active Duty United Sta...lost their jobs and businesses.

Ryan, an Active Duty United States Air Force Munitions Systems Specialist, and his wife Linda who works for State of California EDD, and his son Maverick (11).

“Shelter-in-place” wasn’t easy for us in the first few weeks. For Linda and I, we assumed this would be an ideal situation. Work from home, monitor Maverick’s school schedule and be able to spend time together. But that’s not the case. Monday thru Friday: Linda works an uninterrupted 8 hrs shift, Maverick has multiple-subject assignments and scheduled Zoom meetings, and I’ve become a “stay-at-home dad”. And let’s just say that I’ve found a deeper appreciation for those who are “stay-at-home Moms/Dads." Our major challenge is not being able to do what we love. Visit family/friends, travel, or even go out into the public without having restrictions, having to wear a mask, or having a fear that someone may be infected, asymptotic, and come in contact with. Additionally, Linda has a condition that affects her immune system and can become compromised. We’ve been extremely careful, taking extra precautions to ensure that no possibility of contact exists. I hope it returns to a normal (restriction-free) state of living. I hope that the CDC finds a cure. I hope for the people who lost loved ones to restore faith, peace, and love. I hope for the economy to stabilize and help those who lost their jobs and businesses.

Patty with her husband, Mike, b...marginalized what will it take?

Patty with her husband, Mike, both educators, and their daughter, Maeve (17).

At the beginning of all this, I had some panic and anxiety. One day, I just freaked out and started crying and drove my car for about an hour before I felt better. We’ve done puzzles. We’ve re-watched all the Harry Potter. I think I miss my students the most. I think my daughter misses her teachers and friends. This is her senior year. No prom, no graduation. The school is trying to compensate, but there’s just no substitute. I believe my family and I will be fine if we stay healthy. I am not particularly religious, but pray that we can address poverty and public health in this country going forward. If this crisis has not revealed the necessity of taking care of those who are the most marginalized what will it take?

Jade, is 7 months pregnant with...eing around family and friends.

Jade, is 7 months pregnant with her first child.

I was still planning on working until the last month of my pregnancy but due to COVID 19 I lost about two months of work and I won't be able to go back once this is all over because I will have a newborn. I have been cooking and baking a lot. I got back into knitting again and spent a lot more time with my Mom. What I miss most is the feeling of freedom, going to places, not having to worry about the virus, and also just being around family and friends.

Kris, a software programmer, wi... next pandemic if there is one.

Kris, a software programmer, with his fiancé, Jill who is a nurse, and his daughter, Kylee (10).

Our family has been lucky and both Jill and I have been able to continue to work through this pandemic. At the beginning of this pandemic, I was part of a team that helped physicians deliver care via video visits as well as setting up all the new COVID drive-thru stations throughout northern California. All other tasks we're on hold and COVID-related projects were the priority. Jill, being a respiratory therapist is at the frontlines of this pandemic. When this all started there were days when she would come home feeling stressed out and defeated. She directly took care of COVID patients. When she came home, she would strip in the garage, wipe down her phone, keys, etc and go directly to the shower to ensure if any bugs came home with her that they didn't make it into the house. Although our work-life continued normally, our personal life took a big hit. We were due to be married at the end of May. All things relating to the wedding were put on hold. The week things started to shut down, was the same week Jill was supposed to leave for Bali for her bachelorette. She was waiting it out to see how things would play out and ended up canceling the trip three days before they were supposed to leave. I followed suit and canceled my bachelor party which was also supposed to be in Bali just two weeks after her trip. At that point, we still had hopes things would blow over and we'd be able to have our wedding as planned. But as time passed, we realized the severity of the pandemic and ended up postponing the wedding. It broke our hearts to inform all our guests that the wedding will be postponed. We still have yet to choose a new date due to the uncertainty of how things will be and how comfortable our guests will be in a large gathering. Kylee has been a trooper through all this. She learned how to ride a bike and has adapted to distance learning with ease. She's been keeping busy by doing arts and crafts and she's been enjoying the family bike rides. I hope that a vaccine is created soon and we can resume a normal life. Hopefully, we will be bettered prepared for the next pandemic if there is one.

Linda, Therapeutic Behavioral S...hat could be the silver lining.

Linda, Therapeutic Behavioral Service Clinician.

During this pandemic, I’ve coached clients and their families through these changes, and also had to learn how to adjust to the changes myself. These past few months, I’ve re-read the crisis interventions book and applied it to my thinking, which includes reflecting, identifying my distress, and then finding coping strategies that best serve me at the moment. Like others around the world, I had to change my day-to-day living and adjust to shelter in place. In the small city I live in, the first few weeks it was a ghost town everything was completely shut down and people were locked inside. Today, it seems others have loosened up and are out walking, jogging, and shopping at the nursery and grocery stores. I talked about this because I haven’t yet adjusted and still seem to look for some normalcy. The challenge is managing my stress and making sure I’m taking care of myself so that I can care for others in my work and my family. During this pandemic, I’ve continued to volunteer my time to a program called Life Force, which helps me stay sane and relevant in a world of so much uncertainty. It has taught me to adjust my thinking, change my perspective, and remind myself that I am not alone in this and I can still find the little joy in each day. Yes, it is a struggle some days, but I know I am still blessed and that could be the silver lining.

Lei, manager, with her husband ...one regardless of how we do it.

Lei, manager, with her husband Andrew, CalTrans, and two sons, Andreas and Leandro.

For myself, there’s always more than enough to do – work, teach, cook, feed, clean, do laundry, pay bills, give baths, go grocery shopping, take walks, find fun activities to do with the boys, etc. These are things a mother/wife needs to do regardless of the shelter in place order. I feel like I’m finally getting on top of all the household chores. I’ve always had a tendency to look at the bright side. The obvious silver lining is the invaluable time I have with my family. No one knows what will happen next, so we have to cherish every moment. I hope we all carry the lessons learned from this pandemic as we move forward. I hope we all lean in to help families grieve lost loved ones or get by from lost wages/jobs. I hope we maintain the mentality that life must go on and shit must still get done regardless of how we do it.

Private Story

6 Feet Apart

Copyright Andri Tambunan 2024

Updated Mar 2022

Summary

The Covid-19 pandemic is an unprecedented event affecting so many lives. We are rarely facing the same threat and uncertainties. Across the globe, we are undergoing a collective experience that forced us to alter many aspects of how we live, work, learn, and interact with one another.

Using visuals and personal testimonies, the aim of this project is to convey how individuals and families have coped to new sets of challenges and adapted to the new norms one month into the shelter in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mar 1, 2022

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