Lockdown in Berlin

On March 12th 2020 I arrived in Berlin and the very next day Europe began to shut down. Traveling stopped everywhere and everything closed. My first reaction? Total freak out.

I asked myself the following

What the hell am I doing in Berlin if I can’t SEE Berlin?

Should I go home or stay and wait this out here?

Can I even afford to stay here?

What if I catch a flight to the U.S and catch the virus?

As you have noticed I decided to stay, what ultimately made my decision was when my father asked me on the phone “if you could be anywhere in the world during a pandemic where would you want to be?” and I said Berlin.

Germany is one of the countries with the most cases but with very few deaths. The lockdown lasted for a month and it wasn’t strict. We did not have a curfew and we did not need an excuse to be outside. The Germans had nothing but good things to say about their leader Chancellor Angela Markel and obeyed her instructions to keep a distance and wear a mask. We aren’t allowed to gather in groups larger that 2 people unless we are living with them.

I’m required to wear a mask when walking into stores and public transportation. Hair dressers are open and some museums are opening up. I have recently read that Europe is on track to open up traveling within the E.U in mid June which means I might be able to resume my original plan to continue exploring Europe.

Staying in Berlin was the best decision I ever made. Now, the question is…where can I go next?

Crashed my Drone in Budapest

I have a Mavic Mini Drone with Dji, the problem with the Mavic Mini is it doesn’t have sensors. Other drones with sensors know when an object is close by and stop before hitting it, but not this drone. 

I was at Fishermans Bastion in Budapest when I flew my drone into a building. It fell about 20 feet off the ground (not too high thankfully)

You know what the worst feeling is about crashing your drone? Everyone around you groans when it happens. It’s fascinating the human psychology of it because I didn’t have any negative feelings or panic when the drone fell to the ground. Only urgency. It wasn’t until I heard everyone vocalize their dismay that I too felt my heart drop. I thought “what the hell guys you don’t even know how bad it is!” but it’s a human reaction.

I didn’t take a picture of the damage but it really wasn’t THAT bad. The only terrible part was the gimbal was broken, if that hadn’t happened I think I could have continued to use the drone because if you get the kit (which I did) you get an extra set of propellers you can replace yourself. As soon as I could I sent it out to California from Budapest.

I’m sharing this with you because the feeling that I got after realizing I no longer had my drone is one to be noted. I missed my drone, I was sad that I didn’t have it, I kept thinking to myself “I’m going to Berlin next…I can’t believe I won’t be able to get any drone shots there” and it bummed me out. I noticed, however, that I didn’t feel seriously upset because I still had my one true love: My camera. More importantly, a camera. You see, I was a shooter before the drone so I knew that I should not, could not, and would not, let the fact that my drone crashed get in the way of my love and inspiration of shooting.

Don’t get me wrong, the second it crashed I packed my things and went home. I didn’t have it in me to take more photos after that. Art is a reflection of you and your emotions. I wasn’t going to give 100% at that moment and I was okay with that but I didn’t let it slip into my creativity as a whole and I think that’s what’s important. Countless photographer get their gear stolen, broken, or lost and it’s as if it’s the end of the world. It’s not.

I always wondered, “if Picasso or Van Gogh had one color to paint with what would they create?” At the end of the day, they are still artists and artists always find away. Losing every materialistic thing you own that is dear to you will feel like the end of the world and that’s ok but only for a day or two and nothing more. Your mind and your heart is where your art comes from. Not your gear.