Interview with Amanda Polzin, May 26, 2020

Partial Transcript: [John]: Uh Amanda, to start, where and when were you born?

Segment Synopsis: Polzin briefly goes over her background information, from where she was born to her husband's job.

Keywords: Background; Information

Subjects: 1980s; Career; Milwaukee, WI

Partial Transcript: [John]: Um, and you are a photographer, correct?

Segment Synopsis: Polzin answers how her job as a photographer has changed due to the pandemic, to which she responds that her work has not really changed, but her subjects have. As a landscape and architecture photographer, most of the streets are empty, leading to her subjects being a "blank slate". She also goes through her process as a photographer, either going to where things are happening, like the protests, or just driving around seeing what she can find.

Keywords: Architecture Photography; COVID; Landscape Photography; Pandemic Response

Subjects: 2020; 2020s; COVID-19 Pandemic; Career; Pandemic; Photography

Partial Transcript: [John]: Um, how has COVID-19, um, changed your family life?

Segment Synopsis: Polzin talks about how COVID affects her family life, and while she says her day to day with her husband was not drastically altered, due to having some family with pre-existing health issues, she has not been able to visit close family members.

Keywords: COVID; Family; Family Life; Pandemic Response

Subjects: 2020; 2020s; COVID-19 Pandemic; Pandemic

Partial Transcript: [John]: Um, what is your earliest memory of COVID? Like when did you first learn of it? Do you, do you remember?

Segment Synopsis: Polzin describes her earliest memory of COVID, where she explains that due to her other job in the food industry (other than photography), their international vendors were affected, but there was no expectation that such a virus would reach the US. Because of that expectation, she put little stock into thinking about how her photography would be changed until about March.

Keywords: COVID; Job; Pandemic Response

Subjects: 2020; 2020s; COVID-19 Pandemic; Career; Pandemic

Partial Transcript: [John]: Sure, um, so, do you have um, and obviously were in-have an audio space right now. But, um, do you have a, I don't know if favorite is the right word, but a-a photograph that you've taken during this that you're particularly drawn to?

Segment Synopsis: Polzin talks through the photos that hshe has taken during th pandemic that she was particularly drawn to. She mentions the pictures of the protests and those that depict the "empty city", commenting that with those she is knowingly taking part in capturing history, something she claims not to have experienced before.

Keywords: Architecture Photography; COVID; Landscape Photography; Pandemic Response; Picture

Subjects: 2020; 2020s; COVID-19 Pandemic; Career; Pandemic; Photography

Partial Transcript: [John]: Sure, and-and I'm guessing, y'know, you have your eye on news events and how, y'know things that are progressing too, um is that something how you, is that how you choose how you go?

Segment Synopsis: Polzin goes more into her process, touching on the fact that she primarily goes to places based on where she has not been before, but occasionally news stories influence where she wants to "get"

Keywords: Architecture Photography; Facebook; Landscape Photography; News; Process

Subjects: Geography; Location; Photography

Partial Transcript: [John]: Ok, a couple of wrap-up questions, um, what do you value most during this time?

Segment Synopsis: Polzin describes what she values most during "this time", claiming her family, as they have been able to connect with each other, although not in person. She claims that society was lucky to have the technology it did during the pandemic, as it has allowed for a virtual network of people in all aspects to continue on with life.

Keywords: COVID; Family; Pandemic Response; Technology; Values

Subjects: 2020; 2020s; COVID-19 Pandemic; Pandemic

Partial Transcript: [John]: Yeah, um, if you-so we at the Historical Society we put on exhibits, we tell stories though objects. Um, if you had to choose one object that defined your life during COVID-19, what would it be?

Segment Synopsis: Polzin identifies the object that describes her life during COVID-19, logically choosing her camera. She explains that she not only used it significantly during the pandemic, but it was a major impetus for her leaving the house, for which she was thankful.

Keywords: COVID; Pandemic Response

Subjects: 2020; 2020s; COVID-19 Pandemic; Pandemic

Partial Transcript: [John]: Um, anything else that you'd like to say? I guess that's the last question.

Segment Synopsis: Polzin gives her final thoughts on the pandemic, citing again that the city was very "empty" while she worked, but that the city and people of Milwaukee generally have done a good job of reacting to the pandemic, like going outside more and placing value where it truly matters.

Keywords: COVID; Family; Isolation; Pandemic Response; Urban Photography; Values

Subjects: 2020; 2020s; COVID-19 Pandemic; Milwaukee, WI; Pandemic; Photography