Love in a Pandemic

The photo series Love in a Pandemic was created out of stories of hope and connection during this first Valentine’s Day in the pandemic. Missing moments of seeing romantic, raw, and intimate engagement of love on streets of New York City, photographer and director Abbey Drucker created beautiful images that are at the same time heart-warming and contradictory. In her own words “right now, kissing feels more dangerous than sex”.

ABBEY DRUCKER

New York Based Photographer & Director Abbey Drucker’s work is intimate, honest, empowered and refined. She has worked with the world’s top talent in Entertainment, Beauty, Ballet and Sports and is best known for her powerful depictions of Womxn. Recent bodies of work include United Nations Women’s Portrait Series, Planned Parenthood LGBTQ+ and her ongoing Fine Art series of Womxn Figure Studies.

This is Abbey’s third project created during the Pandemic that focuses on sexuality, love, romance, intimacy and mental health.

TRISTAN (SHE /THEY) & ANNA  (SHE /HER)

“We met in the fall of 2015, I had gone to visit a former friend, and Tristan joined us for breakfast the next morning .To me, love is every emotion possible braided into one. It is elation and humiliation and bravery and grief and everything else under the sun. It’s a glimpse into infinity in the eyes of another person.”

@anna_rose_93 and @trisbus_trisgram

JASON (HE /HIM) & VERTITY (SHE /HER)

“We met at an event through a mutual friend. We were friends for about a year until we started dating in 2017. The pandemic and quarantine has made us better listeners and communicators in our relationship. We are more empathetic of others.”

@1jasonpettigrew /  @veritylucille

JANEL ( SHE/ HER)  & ANDREW (HE /HIM)

“We met Bowling on February 21, 2020 through work. He was bowling and I was talking to our team and caught Andrew staring at me. I said do you like puppets, he replied “I am a puppet” (because he literally played a puppet from Frozen on Broadway).
I was very confused but we connected and the rest was history.
Every step of the way has felt correct, fiercely vulnerable, and it’s the best relationship I’ve ever had. He allows me to be myself, encourages me to pursue my hearts desires, and has shown up for me as I’m constantly triggered by past trauma but I’m doing the work and loves me through it with unwavering support.”

@afpirozzi / @janelloves

JONZU (HE/HIM) & ZACHARY (HE/HIM)

“Zach and I met in October of 2020 during a mutual friend’s get together. My best friend and I spotted Zach and made a bet on who would get the guy. After a few shots and an improv kiss, I won and months later here we are. The pandemic gave us an opportunity to get to know one another better. Neither of us were out trying to meet and date a ton of people, since we were trying to minimize the risk of contracting the virus. So, we really got to know and invest in one another. ”

@jonzu / @zacharyzane_

TA’LOR (THEY/THEM ) & SIMBAA (HE/HIM)

“We met through friends in May of 2018 and reconnected in June of 2019. We’ve come to the realize that truly living in the moment with each other is one of the most important aspects of our relationship. Because we don’t know what life will be like after we’ve reached our new normal, so just taking in every moment with each other now is something that’s savoring our relationship.”

@moseiimose / @simbaaisking

OSKAR (VU,THEY) &  ALEXA (THEY,THEM)

“We met on Tinder mid-late January of 2018. Alexa is my life partner; the one I want to grow old with, the one I want to live many lives with, a companion, a teacher, an eager learner, a dear friend. We have something unique and special to me and they’re truly an important presence. ”

@dammit_oskar / @totolibre