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Despite what the guidelines from the government say, the law actually states that you can leave home for any reasonable excuse one of which is to work, there is no mention of essential work (the law also makes no mention of not travelling to take exercise).
Strictly speaking as a professional landscape photographer I would be within my rights to continue to work and I could easily go out at sunrise to a remote location for a couple of hours and return home without seeing a soul BUT that isn't in the spirit of what this lockdown is trying to achieve, this isn't the time to be looking for loopholes imo. That said if I don't qualify for the self employed grant then I may not have a choice!
I admire you for following the spirit of the guidelines, I think it's the best we can do at the moment. However, don't forget, in Wales the guidelines
are law, as it's a different Government there and they've worded things differently. So it's not quite as clear cut is it might seem, despite us perhaps thinking UK will mean the whole of mainland Britain.
To be totally frank, I wish things in England were clearer, and I firmly believe that the overriding message should be: 'Every time you leave home, for whatever reason, then you risk contracting or spreading the virus'.
After all, this is real, it's not a game, we can't rewind and have another 'go' if we get it wrong! Please, everyone, protect yourselves, your loved ones, and even if you personally don't give a damn then please don't put others at risk from your actions. You only have to watch the news to hear of the death of medical staff (young and old) to see the consequences. Please never take your pleasure at anyone else's expense.
I think that’s the main issue with our ‘lockdown’. It isn’t a lockdown like other countries are experiencing. It’s a ‘lockdown lite’. Like you say part of it relies on the public taking it upon themselves to do what’s right. Seeing we are 2-3 weeks behind most countries I see us (hopefully) learning from what works in other countries as they manage their exit from lockdown.
With sunrise now being quite early it would be easy to get and back before most were even out of bed. For a pro I can understanding if they did that but us hobbyists should stay well away until things get better.
I kind of expect that it will be possible to get out in a month or two when restrictions are eased as we can’t stay like this forever.
I can't 'half like' this post (I agree with your general message), so thought I'd comment while I was replying to the one above. In answer to the 'What harm can it do if I go on my own, as I won't come into contact with others' type question. Eventually, you'll be in a vehicle that breaks down, or has a flat tire. So what then? With modern vehicles there's very little chance of you analysing or repairing an immobilising fault at the roadside. Do you know where the jack is to change a wheel? Will you be able to undo the wheel nuts with the often rather flimsy wheel brace provided? Does your vehicle actually have a spare wheel, as many don't these days?
So there you are, in an immobilised vehicle having to call a breakdown service. Do you have the virus and not yet know it? Does the person from the breakdown service carry the virus, or perhaps the people at the garage... if you can find a garage that will currently repair the vehicles of 'non essential workers'?
Worse still, a road traffic collision. Do those attending and sorting out the incident have the virus, and how close might they have to get to you if it's a serious collision?
Yes, it might never happen. But I imagine most gamblers work on a similar principle of thinking that the odds are stacked in their favour because they believe they know best. How many rich professional gamblers do you know? I've met a few long-established rich bookmakers in my time though!
As you say, let's see what the guidelines are in a month or so, and in the meantime, let's thank our lucky stars we've got the internet, with forums like this, YouTube for photography tips, ideas, and equipment tests and reviews, and TVs with umpteen channels, on demand viewing, etc.
I think we've probably forgotten just how fortunate we really are compared with previous generations. At least we're not being forced to fight a war in gas-ridden trenches, or having bombs rain down on us and our loved ones, destroying our homes and belongings, or not know what's actually causing the illness and deaths so we can avoid it. So come on everyone, let's straighten up and fly right, we can do this.
