Being in Taipei as the pandemic hit

Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S. and closed down international borders, I visited Taipei. It feels like it was so long ago. We initially centered the trip around one of my best friend’s weddings, but they postponed the wedding. We all decided to visit anyway.

It was a weird time to be traveling. As I left, people at home asked me if I wanted to take the risk of going to Asia, where the pandemic was strongest. When I finally returned, the roles had switched, and the U.S. was suffering. It was late February, and the prevailing news at the time was still linking the virus to Wuhan. There was this feeling that the problem was worst in China, and there was very little being written about how it would soon take over the whole globe.

Given that, it was astonishing to see how seriously Taiwan was taking COVID-19, an approach no doubt heavily influenced by previous pandemics that have hit Asia. The strong precautions combined with the still relatively normal day-to-day life we saw in Taiwan is a stark contrast to life here in the U.S. eight months later.

We did a lot of walking around Taipei, giving me a chance to take the Leica Q out for a spin. Unfortunately, it developed a misalignment between the lens and the sensor. So, some photos have a tilt-shift-like blur on the edges.

I’ve tried weaving a narrative purely through sequencing the photographs. I hope you enjoy it.

Leica Q · 28mm · f/10 · 1/80 · ISO 100

Leica Q · 28mm · f/6.3 · 1/200 · ISO 100

Leica Q · 28mm · f/6.3 · 1/2000 · ISO 2500

Leica Q · 28mm · f/3.2 · 1/1000 · ISO 100

Leica Q · 28mm · f/10 · 1/60 · ISO 125

Leica Q · 28mm · f/3.5 · 1/640 · ISO 100

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.7 · 1/1250 · ISO 100

Leica Q · 28mm · f/5 · 1/400 · ISO 100

Leica Q · 28mm · f/13 · 1/30 · ISO 1250

Leica Q · 28mm · f/8 · 1/60 · ISO 200

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.7 · 1/5000 · ISO 100

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.7 · 1/400 · ISO 100

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.8 · 1/320 · ISO 100

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.7 · 1/400 · ISO 100

Leica Q · 28mm · f/2.5 · 1/60 · ISO 500

Leica Q · 28mm · f/5 · 1/60 · ISO 800

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.7 · 1/60 · ISO 1000

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.7 · 1/60 · ISO 200

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.7 · 1/60 · ISO 100

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.7 · 1/60 · ISO 400

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.7 · 1/60 · ISO 1250

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.7 · 1/60 · ISO 320

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.7 · 1/60 · ISO 400

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.7 · 1/60 · ISO 200

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.7 · 1/60 · ISO 320

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.8 · 1/125 · ISO 100

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.8 · 1/200 · ISO 100

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.7 · 1/125 · ISO 100

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.7 · 1/160 · ISO 100

Leica Q · 28mm · f/2.8 · 1/60 · ISO 640

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.7 · 1/250 · ISO 100

Leica Q · 28mm · f/10 · 1/60 · ISO 1250

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.7 · 1/60 · ISO 400

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.7 · 1/15 · ISO 100

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.7 · 1/60 · ISO 1250

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.7 · 1/15 · ISO 500

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.7 · 1/60 · ISO 1000

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.7 · 1/15 · ISO 200

Leica Q · 28mm · f/1.7 · 1/60 · ISO 2000

iPhone 11 Pro · 52mm · f/2 · 1/120 · ISO 32

iPhone 11 Pro · 26mm · f/1.8 · 1/30 · ISO 1000

Thanks to Q for reading drafts of this.