The first time I saw Maya was when she flew past me at high speed on 8 wheels as I walked down Brushfields Street in Spitalfields, and there was definitely no stopping her for a picture and a few words. Fortunately after a quick tour, scouting the area for the next portrait, I saw her again, this time stationary, as she was packing her skates away, getting ready to jump on her bike to ride home. 

"I only just started skating a month before lockdown started, thanks to a friend who said I should give it a go. From the first time I put on the skates, I really loved it, and I have been out here almost everyday since. It’s been really nice to have time just for me, to do things like this. Normally I’m pretty sociable and have lots of friends, but as much as I love my friends and the socialising, I was tired all the time. I'd be meeting friends and going out everyday, I’d never stop and I’d never have time to myself. During lockdown it felt good not having that pressure to go out and socalise, and to be able to just stop and stay at home." 
She also said it was the longest time she had spent with her brother in a long while.

“Since he left for Uni in Newcastle we have hardly seen each other, so it’s been amazing to both be at home together all this time, and to really bond again."

It wasn’t all good times though and Maya spent two weeks early on confined to her bedroom. 

“I was bad. I was really rough. My boyfriend definitely had coronavirus and soon after that I got ill too. I couldn’t move from my bed for a few days and felt so sick. I didn’t go near my family for the whole time, and that wasn’t easy, but I did get used to everyone at home waiting on me. Breakfast , Lunch and dinner cooked for me and left on a tray outside my bedroom door. I really got used to that. I felt like a princess for two weeks.

Read more about the project, portraits and words at London-Rebooted - Portraits of London or follow on instagram  @nathanclarkephotography where the new portraits are posted first.

London Rebooted - Portrait Photography Project.

Images Copyright of London Photographer Nathan Clarke | For any image use or enquiries contact me at nathan@nathanclarkephotography.co.uk