JPG: Stories: Photo Essay: In These Hard Times

In These Hard Times

By Christopher Paquette

22 Oct 2009

I have been a self employed contractor for the past twenty years; designing and building kitchens and bathrooms. My business revenue dropped considerably starting in late 2007 and continued to decline throughout 2008. In the past twenty years I have seen several economic downturns, but always managed to make it through the down cycle. This recent recession was quite different, and every contractor I know was in the same situation. People just stopped spending money on non essential home improvements. Towards the end of 2008 I was seriously considering a career change or a part time job.

In January 2009 I was lucky enough to find a part time job as a Lab Courier for a major hospital. This means driving around in my car picking up various specimens and cultures and bringing them back to the lab for testing.

I have had to endure the snickers and laughter of a few friends when I explain that essentially what I do every afternoon is drive around picking up urine, feces, and blood samples from doctor's offices and nursing homes. In recent weeks I have hand delivered quite a few cultures to be tested for the H1N1 Virus. I laugh along with the jokes and try to ignore what's in the back seat of my car, although I have become a fanatical user of hand sanitizer!

I spend about seven hours in my car every afternoon driving approximately 100 miles each day. My route changes from day to day, but more or less follows a general circular pattern around the Philadelphia suburbs. What a wonderful opportunity for a photographer! I am able to spend my afternoons observing the constantly changing landscapes along my route. I always bring my camera bag with me just in case a photograph presents itself.

One of the most striking and reoccurring images I see every day are the overwhelming number of empty retail buildings. "For Rent" and "For Lease" signs seem to be everywhere I look. So many automobile dealerships have closed down. Each of the images in this series are of buildings I pass by every day on my driving route. The impact of the current recession is clearly evident along every mile I drive. What is not as obvious is the fact that each of these empty buildings represents dozens or hundreds of lost jobs. People who are out there fighting for economic survival.