Life in the land with COVID-19

“My Americana” is a long-term photography essay. Its goal: create a contemporary view of the people, places or happenings which depicts The United States of America. What defines this country? Patriotism, free speech, and choices of religious practices all are undercurrents in this essay. Patronite’s curiosity is captivated by daily happenings observed on streets. A record of the political process is vital, with the chasm of opposing doctrine bordering on fanaticism, a visual documentation on the issue will be vitally important to the final collection. At the beginning of 2020, the necessity to address more substantial social issues arose. Now, the worldwide COVID- 19 pandemic has been included in this reportage. Early on not having access to COVID units in hospital, Patronite decided to look at the streets of places he was photographing to bring to the public how others were handling, ignoring or flaunting resistance to the pandemic. Here you see images from health care workers in Chicago, two "super spreader" events- Sturgis Motorcycle rally and Spring Break in Texas, and a celebration by a COVID survivor on Day of the Dead in 2020.