Zongzhe Cai
The Heros
My project examines the happenings in my apartment community during the COVID-19 pandemic and makes its members’ stories accessible through photo reporting. During the pandemic, many people quietly contributed to society. There are heroes even in my apartment community.
These heroes’ actions cannot be ignored, from keeping the community clean to consistently taking steps to protect our health. Therefore, I wanted to use photos to document their efforts. I took several portraits of each staff member, interviewed them, and documented what they did during the outbreak.
I approached the project with a calm and focused attitude, seeking to surprise and educate people. Because the project focuses on people in everyday life, the work evokes an emotional response. In this moment when human connection is lacking, everyone knows someone who is going through a hard time due to social difficulties.
Zongzhe Cai is interested in the act of storytelling through photography. His recent project examines his apartment community during the pandemic, making its members’ stories accessible through photo reporting. He believes photographers need to learn and explore others’ stories, respect and recognize contributions made to society, especially during the pandemic, and then inspire people to safeguard their communities and look out for one another.