Welcome to this edition of [book spotlight]. Today, we uncover the layers of 'COVID Diary,' by Beth Galton (published by Fall Line Press). We'd love to read your comments below about these insights and ideas behind the artist's work.

In isolation, Beth Galton redefined the way she saw, captured, and created through her lens.

When the pandemic forced New York into lockdown, she found herself stuck in her apartment, cut off from the world. With her usual work on hold, she turned to photography—not for clients, but to process what was happening. The images she created were not planned; they came from the emotions of uncertainty, fear, and isolation.

She experimented with new ways of working, combined motion, layering, and unexpected materials, bringing together cold data and fragile botanicals. This approach helped her make sense of the crisis, capturing both its overwhelming scale and its personal impact. What started as a reaction to the moment became COVID DIARY, a visual record of an experience shared by millions.

The more Beth experimented, the more she realized she wasn’t just documenting the pandemic, she was transforming anxiety into art. COVID DIARY became her way of capturing what couldn’t be put into words.

Locked inside, Beth Galton turned her lens on the crisis unfolding around her.

The Book

COVID DIARY is a deeply personal and experimental photography project by Beth Galton, created in response to the uncertainty and isolation of the pandemic. Stuck in her New York apartment during lockdown, Galton turned to photography as a way to process fear, anxiety, and the overwhelming flood of information.

Combining motion, layering, and unconventional materials, she transformed cold COVID-19 data—charts, headlines, and statistics—into images filled with emotion. By juxtaposing these records with delicate botanicals, she sought to humanize the numbers, capturing both loss and resilience. The project evolved organically, shifting from a personal coping mechanism to a visual record of a global crisis.

Through COVID DIARY, Galton explores how art can make sense of chaos, turning anxiety into something tangible. (Fall Line Press, Amazon)

Overview of the project: What inspired you to create COVID DIARY, and what did you hope to express through your visual documentation of the pandemic?

When Covid hit NY, I became trapped in my home. My day was spent trying to order food, cleaning, cooking, speaking with friends and constantly looking at the news online. I was struck by the maps and charts that I saw that recorded where people were getting sick and dying. I had no idea what I would do with them but thought I had to screengrab them- they would show where Covid was and where it was moving, with the idea that it would give me some hope that things were getting better. We were told that we were going to be home for 2 weeks and as you know it didn’t happen. At that point I thought maybe I should explore these maps.

It began with the idea that I wanted to express how these maps and headlines made me feel.

Processing emotions through photography: You describe this book as both a diary and an art exhibit. How did the act of photographing help you navigate the uncertainty and anxiety of the pandemic?

My photos are always an expression of how I am feeling and what I am thinking about. I became bereft at the idea that these dots and lines on the graphs that I was capturing represented people who were getting sick and dying. By using motion in the final images, it helped to illustrate the anxiety and instability I was feeling.

Did you find that certain visual choices—like blurring or layering—helped you process those emotions in real time?

I am not a pre-planner like some photographers but tend to jump in and see what presents itself as I explore an idea. Once I discover a path forward, I then start to refine and apply more fully my thoughts and ideas. To be honest when I began shooting during Covid, putting motion was not intentional. It was an idea that I had explored in my series “Memory of Absence”. Intuitively, I gravitated to the idea of objects in motion and once I started down that route, it made perfect sense. I purposely set my subjects in motion, captured them, then rephotographed them static and combined the two. I wanted to be able to have some readability to the headline or chart yet still have it not static. I found this approach expressed my anxieties and fears that the world was spinning and out of control.

Balancing data and humanity: Your work juxtaposes botanical elements with pandemic data and ephemera. How did you develop this visual language to convey both the starkness and resilience of life during COVID-19?

I fell in love with botanicals as a child and studied natural sciences in school. Once I gravitated to photography, botanicals became my subject matter. They represent life, growth, aging and even death in my photographs. I turned once again to botanicals when I sought to humanize the cold graphs and charts. Each statistic was a human being, and the botanicals helped me to bridge that disconnect.

Was there a particular flower or plant that resonated with you most in this process—one that held deeper meaning in the context of the project?

When the lockdown occurred, it was the middle of March. Nothing in NY was blooming or alive so I was dependent on what I had saved, like some blue hydrangeas that were in a vase and any flowers that I could possibly have delivered with my food orders. I do not particularly have a deep connection with a particular botanical. I’m more interested in any plant material and the process of it aging.

Transition from commercial to personal work: As a seasoned commercial photographer, how did stepping away from client work and focusing on this deeply personal project impact your creative process?

I have always had my own personal practice even while shooting commercial jobs. When Covid hit, all my jobs postponed or disappeared. Ironically, the pandemic gave me the space and time to not worry about all the responsibilities that go with the commercial world and focus on expressing myself through this project.

Challenges of creating in isolation: Much of COVID DIARY was created within the confines of your New York apartment. How did this limitation shape your approach to composition, lighting, and subject matter?

Working in the commercial world as a still life photographer I have always dealt with limitations and how best to work around them. To be honest, working in my home without any assistants brought me back to basics and what I have always loved about taking a photo. I used my window as my lighting and experimented and improvised to find images that spoke to me. When my tripod didn’t go high enough, I used my 3 side tables to get it a bit higher. A sheet became fill, pieces paper hung with kitchen string. It was refreshing and exciting to invent my own way of working after years of being in a studio. Nothing was precious and invention became exciting.

Artistic techniques and experimentation: Your images blend documentary and still-life photography. What techniques or materials did you experiment with during this period, and what discoveries did you make?

I first printed the screen grabs on regular printer paper and did not like the results. I then moved onto glassine paper and really liked the transparent quality to the print. I’d hang and distress it then add botanicals that I have collected and saved to the composition. My building was under construction, and I would wander upstairs looking for bits of metal and any dried botanical material I could add into the photographs.

I am really a low-tech person not particularly well versed in photoshop but have always managed to do what is necessary. This project allowed me to explore and play with the program, combining and manipulating multiple images together. It was super exciting to be able to experiment in this way. I had no rules, I just played until I found something that spoke to me.

Did working with these textures and layers change how you think about photography as a medium?

These unconventional materials are actually a natural extension of my food and still life background. I love shooting objects, manipulating and staging them to convey whatever I am thinking or asked to convey in the commercial world. If anything, I think they are moving me more towards the idea of collages and creating constructions to tell a story.

The power of photography in collective memory: How do you see COVID DIARY functioning as both a personal reflection and a broader historical document of this unprecedented time?

While the images I created are intensely personal to my experience during this time, I was acutely aware that we were all facing similar struggles and uncertainty. Everyone responded in their own way to what was essentially a universal, existential event. COVID DIARY hopefully allows readers to see where our lives and responses overlapped or diverged.

Audience engagement and interpretation: What do you hope viewers take away from COVID DIARY? Do you see it as an invitation for others to reflect on their own pandemic experiences?

The first year of the COVID pandemic holds difficult memories for many people. It was so isolating, which added to the trauma. I hope this book encourages people to interact with the subject matter in a way that eases this trauma, by encountering other stories, be they similar or different.

Advice for photographers documenting personal experiences: For photographers looking to turn personal struggles or life-changing events into meaningful visual projects, what lessons from COVID DIARY would you share to guide them?

This is the second time I’ve created a body of work in response to an event in my life. The first was a series called ‘Memory of Absence’ in response to my mother and father’s passing. Covid Diary taps into many of the same emotions and need to express them creatively and visually. If I have any lessons to be learned, don’t be afraid to tap into all those emotions and utilize them in your imagery. My experience with both series was that they were not initially understood or warmly received, and I found that I had to continue to push the idea till they became more clear to both myself and the viewer. It was a real learning experience which force me to push through my doubts and insecurities enabling me to create a body of work.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on these insights and the ideas behind the artist’s work. Don't forget to subscribe to receive news about latest posts and giveaway winners.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on these insights and the ideas behind the artist’s work.

Don't forget to subscribe to receive news about latest posts and giveaway winners.

To discover more about this intriguing body of work and how you can acquire your own copy, you can find and purchase the book here. (Fall Line Press, Amazon)

Beth Galton

Beth Galton is a New York-based photographer known for her distinctive approach to still life and documentary photography. With a background in natural sciences, she brings a deep understanding of form, texture, and composition to her work. Over the course of her career, she has built a reputation for capturing food, botanicals, and objects with striking detail and emotion.

Her commercial work has been widely published, but her personal projects explore deeper, more conceptual themes. COVID DIARY, her most personal work to date, emerged from the isolation of the pandemic, transforming data, anxiety, and uncertainty into layered, evocative images. Using movement, transparency, and found materials, she created a visual language that bridges cold statistics with human emotion.

Galton’s work has been recognized by numerous industry awards, and she continues to push the boundaries of still life photography by blending traditional techniques with experimental processes. (bethgalton.com, bethgaltonfineart.com, Instagram)

About Fall Line Press,

Fall Line Press, an independent photography book publisher based in Atlanta, Georgia, is renowned for its commitment to producing high-quality, limited edition photobooks. Established by William Boling and Michael David Murphy, the press seeks to support photographers and the art community through thoughtfully designed and compelling publications. Operating from a bookstore and reading room in Atlanta, Fall Line Press not only publishes photobooks but also provides a physical space for artists and art enthusiasts to connect. This venue hosts various events, including artist talks and book signings, fostering a community around the photobook art form.

Fall Line Press publishes approximately four books per year, carefully selecting projects that demonstrate artistic merit and potential impact. The selection process is informal and often rooted in personal connections and portfolio reviews, allowing the press to stay true to its mission of publishing work that deeply resonates with its team. Notable projects from Fall Line Press include “Sweetheart Roller Skating Rink” by Bill Yates, a book that quickly gained international attention, and titles like “EDGE” by David Ricci and “From Yonder Wooded Hill” by Riley Goodman. These publications highlight the press’s dedication to showcasing diverse and innovative photographic expressions. (Website, Instagram)

Published by Fall Line Press

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