Brilliant photos show Sheffield's everyday heroes staying home to beat coronavirus

These photos show the incredible spirit of Sheffielders who are adjusting to a very different way of life as they stay home to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

By Robert Cumber

Published 17th Apr 2020, 08:25 BST

Updated 17th Apr 2020, 14:20 BST

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They are the work of Sheffield photographer Nick Eagle, who wanted to send a ‘positive’ message about people’s resilience as an antidote to the usual ‘doom and gloom’ surrounding the COVID-19 crisis.

The 30-year-old from Woodseats visited friends and family around the city before the lockdown was imposed and shot them on their doorsteps striking a defiant pose, with a nod to their ‘previous life’ and how the pandemic has changed everything.

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Some of Sheffield photographer Nick Eagle's portraits from his Corona v Us project

Some of Sheffield photographer Nick Eagle's portraits from his Corona v Us project

From a social worker to a Team GB athlete trying to fit long jump practice into her living room, the resulting ‘Corona v Us project’ is a fascinating chronicle of how we’re all adapting to this new way of life.

“The week before lockdown happened all my clients paused their work, understandably,” said Nick, who has worked with the likes of football magazine FourFourTwo, Manchester United and his beloved Sheffield United.

“Everyone knew the lockdown was coming and I was determined to do something while I still could but I wanted to make it positive because there’s a lot of doom and gloom surrounding coronavirus, for obvious reasons.

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Leah has been spending her weeknights in the dojo for 17 years and isn't letting a pandemic stop that now. She's still getting the gi on and joining her karate class via video call for the time being. One perk of this is a shorter wait between training and teatime.

Leah has been spending her weeknights in the dojo for 17 years and isn't letting a pandemic stop that now. She's still getting the gi on and joining her karate class via video call for the time being. One perk of this is a shorter wait between training and teatime.

“People are doing good things at home and being creative, but I don’t think anyone’s really told that story. It was really important to me to get a range of people from different backgrounds who have interesting stories to tell.”

Among Nick’s subjects is his girlfiend Leah Groom, who wrote the copy for the project and posed in her karate ‘gi’, and his grandad Vernon, who remains a keen golfer at the age of 92.

Full-time DJ Oris, meanwhile, appears with headphones around his neck, having been forced to ditch the decks and late nights in favour of 5am starts as he relishes spending more time with his ‘little man’.

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On a normal weekday, Nicki can be found both in front of and behind the camera on photoshoots up and down the country. She's a freelance make-up artist, stylist and model,
and has worked for brands including Netflix, Sony, Channel 4 and Jaguar Land Rover.
A self-confessed workaholic, Nicki is also a mod with a passion for 60s style. She's been enjoying the drastic change of pace and is taking the chance to swap her go-go boots for her slipper socks, and spin some of her favourite vinyl. — On a normal weekday, Nicki can be found both in front of and behind the camera on photoshoots up and down the country. She's a freelance make-up artist, stylist and model, and has worked for brands including Netflix, Sony, Channel 4 and Jaguar Land Rover. A self-confessed workaholic, Nicki is also a mod with a passion for 60s style. She's been enjoying the drastic change of pace and is taking the chance to swap her go-go boots for her slipper socks, and spin some of her favourite vinyl.

On a normal weekday, Nicki can be found both in front of and behind the camera on photoshoots up and down the country. She's a freelance make-up artist, stylist and model,
and has worked for brands including Netflix, Sony, Channel 4 and Jaguar Land Rover.
A self-confessed workaholic, Nicki is also a mod with a passion for 60s style. She's been enjoying the drastic change of pace and is taking the chance to swap her go-go boots for her slipper socks, and spin some of her favourite vinyl. — On a normal weekday, Nicki can be found both in front of and behind the camera on photoshoots up and down the country. She's a freelance make-up artist, stylist and model, and has worked for brands including Netflix, Sony, Channel 4 and Jaguar Land Rover. A self-confessed workaholic, Nicki is also a mod with a passion for 60s style. She's been enjoying the drastic change of pace and is taking the chance to swap her go-go boots for her slipper socks, and spin some of her favourite vinyl.

Nick thanked his creative retoucher Gary Roylance and told how he hopes to finish the project post-lockdown hold an exhibition, with proceeds going to the NHS so he can ‘give something back’.

For now, you can see more of his work at www.nickeaglephotography.com or by following @nickeaglephoto on Instagram.

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Nick Eagle photographed people on their doorsteps for his 'Corona v Us' project

Nick Eagle photographed people on their doorsteps for his 'Corona v Us' project

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