SHOPPER

Standing on Whitstable’s High Street with camera in hand, I waited for something to surface. This was lockdown; empty pavements, shuttered shops, and a stillness where everyday life once moved freely. Amid that quiet, a small act of resilience revealed itself. A shopkeeper, undeterred by the new rules, had pulled her counter forward to the open doorway of her store, standing watch over the street as if business might resume at any moment. In the distance, a man approached. As he drew closer, her stance shifted slightly, a flicker of expectation passing across her face. When he reached the doorway, his attention turned briefly toward me. He met the camera with an exaggerated smile, a knowing gesture in an otherwise improbable scene, before continuing on his way without slowing.