The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown all of us into a sea of uncertainty. Unfortunately, the events industry – including professional photography, in so far as it deals with people – has been badly hit. All photographers had to stop shooting for the first few months of the lockdown, but I made a personal decision not to shoot until December, for our Christmas sessions. Even after that, I still decided not to accept bookings so as not to contribute to the possible surge brought about by the holiday season. I honestly thought things would be a lot better by now, but they’re not – even if events and photography shoots are allowed on a limited basis, the risk of contracting the virus is still very much present.
Given this, and with the uncertainty of when we’re going back to the “old normal”, I’ve decided to come up with the following guidelines in my photography work this year. Of course, if the virus is suddenly miraculously wiped out one day and there is no need to quarantine, these rules will change. But in the meantime, these measures need to be observed:
No event coverage for now. I’ve decided not to shoot events/parties for now. A lot of my work in the previous years involved birthdays, baptisms, anniversaries and a few weddings, so this is really difficult to let go. Most events are done indoors, and there’s a risk of getting the virus in poorly ventilated areas. Even with outdoor events, social distancing might not be easily observed. Also, it’s hard to keep up with the national/regional/local/agency rules that keep on changing and may even be inconsistent. Even venues follow different rules. But, I know a lot of good photographers who still shoot events. I can refer you to them if you’d like.
I’m only accepting limited portrait sessions for now. Family shoots, prenups, pre-debut sessions, pre-birthday portraits, personal brand photography, and other shoots are much easier to manage than full-blown events, especially in terms of contract tracing. The period of exposure to other people is shorter as well, and it’s much easier to reschedule if needed. I would like to be as flexible as possible with the schedule. I’m willing to reschedule sessions (at no extra cost) in case any of the clients and/or the photographer/s feel any COVID-19 symptoms, or need to be quarantined due to prior exposure. I also want to give clients the flexibility to reschedule in case they do not feel safe about pushing through with the shoot (even if they don’t need to quarantine). Also, as much as possible, I’ll be accepting one shoot a week only.
Outdoor locations are preferred, but I’m also open to doing indoor shoots. For photoshoot locations, I would suggest public parks, playgrounds, and restaurants with outdoor areas, but it’s quite challenging to find a venue now that would accept minors/senior citizens. Public parks and restaurants have different rules on the persons they will accommodate, and most of them require prior reservation. I would recommend in-home shoots so my clients can feel safe – if there’s a garden space or backyard, that would be great. I can also do indoor shoots, but I hope we can still strictly follow distancing. If the clients have a specific venue in mind, all permits/reservations should be arranged by them. I’ll probably come up with a list of recommended venues once I start shooting this year.
All output will be digital, but the clients may order prints and albums at an extra cost. My pre-pandemic photo packages include a flash drive (with digital files) and prints. I’ll still be sending a flash drive with all the digital files. If the clients need prints and/or albums, they will need to pay extra fees. All products will be sent through courier, like before.
I’ll be updating these guidelines from time to time, depending on the COVID-19 situation. If you have any suggestions on how I can improve my photography process during this pandemic, please message me. Thank you all and I hope to see you soon!
