Doorstep portraits from Ipswich street offer glimpse into life in lockdown

%image(15163671, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Heather and Phil were enjoying a three-mile run around local fields and roads. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

Despite the challenges of living in lockdown, the semi-professional photographer and keen runner was eager to discover how government restrictions to prevent the spread of coronavirus earlier this year had changed some people’s habits for the better.

Setting up his photographic equipment outside his home in Picton Avenue, he pictured people as they passed by on their daily exercise - some walking, others jogging.

%image(15163671, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Heather and Phil were enjoying a three-mile run around local fields and roads. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

They include many dog walkers, several couples and one person on a bike - but all images, Mr King believes, show the benefits exercise has given people during the lockdown.

MORE: ‘Lovely experience’ - doorstep portraits show village life in lockdown

%image(15163673, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Cad runs for her exercise, although she had a bike with her here. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

“It was the one thing people were allowed to go out and do,” he said.

“There was not the opportunity to do team sports or exercise classes, so people were finding new ways of exercising.”

%image(15163674, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Faye and her children were undertaking an hour's walk across the fields. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

He said running, walking and cycling had “become more of a feature of life for some of us during the coronavirus pandemic” and added: “We’ve discovered new areas to explore, fields and paths, streets and countryside that we might not have otherwise found.

MORE: ‘Glimpse into people’s lives’ - photographer captures lockdown life in doorstep portraits

%image(15163675, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Verity has a dog-walking business and walks up to 18 dogs per day in the fields. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

“We’ve enjoyed more of nature - noticed the birds more, or smelt the flowers afresh or seen the stars more clearly. And we’ve been able to help ourselves keep active and fit during this period.

“I’m a semi-professional photographer and I’m also runner, so I thought: ‘Why don’t I do a project where I capture portraits of people exercising?’

%image(15163676, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

“All were taken from my driveway, with some photographic kit set up in my front garden.

“It was nice chatting to people about the exercise they were doing. Some were out for a short walk, some were exercising regularly. Quite a few had discovered fields near to where they live for the first time.

%image(15163677, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Jamie and Roxy were enjoying a walk in the fields. Jamie had initially thought of going elsewhere, but Roxy had other ideas! Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

“It was nice to hear people discovering new bits of their neighbourhood.”

On his website, Mr King added that his “Active Ipswich” gallery “aims to capture a small part of Ipswich life, and to encourage us all in our daily exercise”.

%image(15163679, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Ryan and Harley the dog were walking in the local fields. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163680, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Here, Philip is pictured in his running gear. He says running around local fields or Christchurch Park is "a great time to get away from it all and keep fit". Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163671, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Heather and Phil were enjoying a three-mile run around local fields and roads. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163670, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Tom, Peta, Teddy and Julie were having a walk through the local fields which they discovered during the lockdown period. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163670, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Tom, Peta, Teddy and Julie were having a walk through the local fields which they discovered during the lockdown period. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163670, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Tom, Peta, Teddy and Julie were having a walk through the local fields which they discovered during the lockdown period. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163682, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Jim was walking around local fields, which he'd found for the first time during the lockdown period. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163682, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Jim was walking around local fields, which he'd found for the first time during the lockdown period. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163683, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Greg swims regularly with a group at Felixstowe, but is pictured here walking Roxy in the fields. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163683, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Greg swims regularly with a group at Felixstowe, but is pictured here walking Roxy in the fields. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163683, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Greg swims regularly with a group at Felixstowe, but is pictured here walking Roxy in the fields. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163683, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Greg swims regularly with a group at Felixstowe, but is pictured here walking Roxy in the fields. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163685, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Sally usually walks in the mornings, but is pictured here walking during an early evening after spending the afternoon gardening. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163685, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Sally usually walks in the mornings, but is pictured here walking during an early evening after spending the afternoon gardening. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163685, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Sally usually walks in the mornings, but is pictured here walking during an early evening after spending the afternoon gardening. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163687, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Mike was out with Dexter. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163688, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Jeff spends an hour walking the fields in the morning, and then walks in Christchurch Park in the afternoon - when he tries to spot Mabel the owl. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163689, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Paulene alternates walking with gardening. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163691, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Chris regularly walks dog Redge for 5km to 6km in the fields. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163693, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Mike gardens regularly and is also a photographer. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163694, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Paul enjoys running regularly. He was out with his wife, having discovered nearby fields during the lockdown period for the first time. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163696, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Bonnie was out for a 3km run around the fields early in the morning, to avoid the heat of the day. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163698, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Natasha was walking Woody. She regularly goes for a walk before work. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163700, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Rikta, with Tashi the dog, were out for a walk before Rikta went to play tennis. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163701, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Tracy was out walking a very well-behaved group of four-legged friends. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163702, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Cheryl was walking Marney in the fields - but has set up a Gruffalo trail with lots of Gruffalo characters for people to spot in her own street. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163703, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Stuart and Leo were out for a morning walk, using the local fields or sometimes Christchurch Park. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163704, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. David and Jasper regularly walk five miles or so in the fields or in Christchurch Park. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163705, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Andrew and Sandy were doing a four-mile walk through the fields, endeavouring to each 10,000 steps on their Fitbits.Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163706, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Caroline was out for a socially-distanced walk with her friend Liz. They have been regular walking partners for many years, giving them a chance for exercise and a catch-up. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163707, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. Steve was out walking in the local fields, but sometimes runs as well. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")

%image(15163708, type="article-full", alt="Philip King took photos of people in Ipswich exercising during the coronavirus lockdown. David Vincent was out for a run through the local fields and roads. Picture: PHILIP JC KING")