Back in May we asked, how do we say thank you to our NHS, Care and Key Workers?
Portraits of Togetherness was our way, and we at SimplyGreatShots decided that we would say Thank you, by giving away 5 Free Photoshoots to the winners that we eventually drawn out of a hat, live on our Facebook page one June evening.
Amrita Purewall, was one of our five winners, and to us this wasn’t just about a photoshoot, we wanted others to know how she felt, her challenges during these times and how a photoshoot made her feel.
This is Amrita’s story…
Hello, my name is Amrita, and I’m a Biomedical Scientist working in the Virology and Covid Labs.
Working throughout the pandemic has been tough!
Our working pattern has completely changed to a 24 hour pattern to accommodate all the samples we are receiving. Going back to night shifts has been the hardest and also the lack of sleep!
But throughout this I’ve felt proud, knowing that my team and I are working hard to keep Coventry and Warwickshire safe by getting all the tests processed and getting to meet all the new volunteers who have been helping us has been lovely. There’s been a real team spirit, despite how hard it has been at times.
My biggest challenge throughout this pandemic has been not being able to see my family. This has been the longest amount of time it’s ever been without being able to see them, and knowing that I work in the Covid lab also, I didn’t want to risk passing anything on to them, so I have been extra cautious.
I found out about Portraits of Togetherness through my Mum, who saw the competition in the Coventry Evening Telegraph, and I got onto the SimplyGreatShots Facebook page straightaway!
Through all the tough nights and long hour’s I had been doing at the hospital, I really just felt like I needed a pick-me-up, a little treat for myself.
When I found out I’d won a few weeks later, I was so happy! I knew which outfit I wanted to wear, and started getting everything together, including the accessories, what hairstyle I wanted and my make-up look.
I had done some shoots before so I was excited about getting to do another one, and I loved the location – Coombe Abbey Country Park. Its somewhere I’ve been visiting since childhood, and always has good memories!
I arrived there on the day of the shoot, and much to our dismay, it was tipping it down with rain! We decided we would wait until the rain stopped, and luckily after a huge downpour, the sun started shining through. When I met Carl and Monima, I felt very at ease, and throughout the whole shoot I felt very comfortable, and really enjoyed doing different poses in the different settings throughout the park. They gave me encouragement, and showed me some poses which would look good, and with their help I gave it a go and couldn’t be happier with the shots we got.
I can’t wait to do a shoot with Carl and Monima again, I want to give them a huge thank you for hosting this opportunity for us NHS workers.
