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A photographer, who went in search of "strength, inspiration and resilience" after her father unexpectedly passed away, has highlighted the hidden world of key workers in a celebratory series of local portraits.
Dasa Wharton started work on her “Portraits of Jersey in Covid-19” project in April.
The Czech-born photographer normally focuses on dance and ballet photography.
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She has worked for the English National Ballet, Ardani Artists, Czech National Ballet, artists from the Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and others.
Dasa's work has been featured in numerous newspapers and magazines, and she is the official ballet photographer for a distinguished international blog Gramilano.
For the last several years, in addition to her freelance work, she has been supporting the Jersey Child Care Trust (JCCT) through her photographic work.
But Dasa's latest project saw her turn in a very different direction.
Video: Dasa has been supporting the Jersey Child Care Trust.
The inspiration for 'Portraits of Jersey in Covid-19' came unexpectedly, after Dasa’s father died in Prague at the beginning of April.
Unable to travel to Prague to support and grieve with her mother, Dasa picked up her camera and started searching for strength, inspiration and resilience.
Dasa says she found all of these qualities in the people she photographed.
Through her work, she aims to highlight the often unseen world of key and essential workers, and celebrate the strength and determination of those people, who have kept Jersey going through these unprecedented times.
Pictured: Dasa has so far photographed over 30 key and essential workers.
So far, Dasa has photographed over 30 people, including several doctors and nurses in the Jersey General Hospital, as well as the Lieutenant-Governor Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton and Lady Dalton.
“Creating a visual record of our community during this difficult time is a fantastic project and one which will mean a great deal to so many who will reflect back on this time,” Emelita Robbins, CEO of Jersey Hospice Care, commented.
When the project is completed, the collection of images will become part of the ‘Island Lockdown’ collection at the Société Jersiaise Photographic Archive, which aims to document the period for future generations.
Pictured: Dasa is planning an outdoor exhibition with her portraits.
Dasa is also planning to bring her images into an open public space, creating an outdoor exhibition which would be accessible to the whole community.
She is in discussions with a number of people and looking for corporate, or private, partners to take this project to the next stage.
“In my life before covid-19, I spent lots of time travelling and photographing some of the best ballet dancers in the world,” Dasa said. “Now, when this part of my work has been put on pause, I had a chance to take a look at what’s happening closer to home.
“There are so many interesting and inspiring people in Jersey and I want to record, celebrate and share their work and their stories through my images.”
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