Portraits of people in lockdown with their faces illuminated by their screens

From staying all day in our pyjamas and never leaving the house to reaching for the booze or fast food too many times, it's a familiar scene of 2020 and one that Robert's sombre photographs highlight. Called The Lockdown Diaries, the images (captured whilst adhering to social distancing measures) feature different characters who seek comfort from their smartphones; the glare of their screens illuminating their faces in the depressing dark. On the toilet, sat on the sofa or in bed at night, these addictive devices offer some comfort and are the only connection they have with the outside world.

"When I started to shoot this series some months ago it was for totally different reasons," Robert tells Creative Boom. "But with Covid-19, the situation changed dramatically. Everyone I talk to these days tells me the same story: 'I'm home, hanging on my phone or watching TV'. More than ever the smartphone and internet have become the key to the world because it is the only way to stay connected right now."

Based in Munich, Robert started as an apprentice typesetter, studied printing technologies at college after that, and finally studied design and photography. Today, he works at a design consultancy and as a freelance photographer.

Other projects we've shared from Robert over the years usually centre around swimming pools, bowling alleys or aerial views – focusing on abstraction, lines and patterns. It wasn't until 2014 that Robert shot his first portrait project. The Lockdown Diaries is his biggest portrait series to date.