How does a photographer capture the effects of a pandemic in a particular place? The Las Vegas Strip, in a city where I come from, is now seen as never before: empty in the middle of the day. But an empty street does not "read" virus unless the viewer knows the context. Other photographers I know, such as in New York City, Paris and Tokyo, roam the streets photographing masked people hurrying home or headed to work. The impact of the virus also differs from place to place. Yet, regardless of where in the world we are talking about, the smell of death is getting stronger. The human spirit, our own emotional survival, is being strained. No single picture can capture the anxiety, the suffering, and the isolation of people today. A context of images, related by an idea, is a place to start. So while I can still walk around freely, I have been photographing the mood of the town. Only in the late afternoon because that light best describes how people feel right now.

In December 2019, I went to Beijing, China, on my way to Los Angeles. We hadn't heard much about COVID-19 then. In late-January 2020, I returned home to Siem Reap, Cambodia, as the virus was beginning to go global. When I arrived in Asia, I passed through a very crowded Osaka, Japan airport. Almost everyone wore a mask. In Asia. everyone knew of the virus by then and people were taking the proper precutions. During my six-hour layover, I found a bar where I could sit alone, sipping Sapporo draft Beer while I waited for my departure.

As of this writing, Europe is overrun with illness and death. My youngest son lives in Rome. I worry about him. My oldest son Fred and his family, live in Las Vegas. I worry about them. I live in Siem Reap. For now, I am saddened. The Khmer people are suffering from a loss of income and deep feelings of uncertainty. Many Khmer have fears and anxieties about death often associated with superstitions. You wouldn't know either by speaking with them and watching their expressions. I know they are not unique. Most people on the planet share in those same fears. But this is where I live.

These photographs were made over a few days. We are expecting any day now for the government to issue a nationwide state of emergency. What that will entail, who the fuck knows. Like America, leaders here are mercurial. That apprehension you can see on the faces of many people. Everywhere.

Fred Sigman, March 2020