MADISON, Wis.— A Madison trauma and life support nurse is grateful he could use his eye for taking candid photos in the UW Health COVID-19 wings.

What You Need To Know

  • UW Health trauma & life support nurse Luke Davis blended his passion for nursing and photography during the COVID-19 pandemic

  • Davis hoped by taking candid, raw and real portraits during his fellow hospital workers' shifts would give a new understanding of the frontline work

  • He took more than 200 pictures of co-workers over four months

  • Davis hopes other hospital systems document their COVID-19 wings with similar projects

Luke Davis captured more than 200 still images of his colleagues in their rawest and most genuine moments.

"I thought, like, people need to see this— this is the look. These are the faces of the pandemic; these are the people that are working behind these closed doors and they need to be. People need to see that," Davis said.

The passion project developed over four long and hard months. 

"I think it is cathartic for sure. Just seeing them on my computer screen just staring back at me with all that emotion, and I can't help but think to myself just so thankful I am and how grateful I am to have them as my colleague," Davis said.

His goal is to preserve the faces of personal risk and physical heartache. His work is ensuring a singular moment in history will live on. 

But these defining photographs are more intimate than what will be in textbooks one day. 

"I always said it's from a point of honor, I just want to get your picture so that I can, I can show the world what you look like," 

Davis hopes other Wisconsin hospital systems consider doing something similar to document the experience. If you want to see more of the passion project, click here.