How Covid-19 affected my life and Photography business.
This year was supposed to be my year. Isn’t that how we all start the year off in hopes of making us feel better about the upcoming year not really knowing what is going to happen. Speaking positivity is something that everyone tries to do when starting anything new. Well 2020 was going to be my year. The year for more travel with my family for fun and not just work, the year for more branding and portrait photography and a little less weddings and more speaking engagements and education for other photographers. This was going to be my year for sure. Well Corona had plans and it did not care about mine so this is what actually happened.
My personal life. I became a full time teacher for 7th grade, 2nd grade and Pre-K. I became a better listener and communicator, I became a hair stylist, nail technician and sous chef because my boyfriend does all the cooking. I took a virtual photography workshop, had many interviews on Instagram, I watched youtube videos on editing photos and learned new techniques, I worked on personal projects with my kids and did a little self care as well. I learned to love being alone again and understanding that we do not need to spend everyday with someone in order to be whole. How did I do that during a quarantine in a 5 person household? I moved and got a bigger place. I always had a moving date of April but this pandemic just made it very necessary and difficult. I moved from my post divorce “transition apartment” and moved into a large home in a completely different area where my family and I are now able to be in our separate rooms and not hear the other person sneeze. I increased my credit score, remodeled my new office and caught up on all of my TV shows and naps. I am feeling great. Now that I’m all rested I’m ready for life to go back to normal. I want my kids to travel with me, and oh my God go back to school! Lol
As you can see from the pictures they love their electronics so I got them blue light glasses from CalmOptics so they can do school work online and play their education and fun games online and not worry about headaches and eyestrain.
My biggest fear. I was so worried my children and I would get this Coronavirus and either I would have to watch my child slip away of my children would be without a mother. I then thought about my boyfriend and how he has been such an amazing person to have in my life and I was scared to lose him. I immediately went into lock down mode and we haven’t been around people since March 13th 2020. My job as a parent is to keep them safe by any means and that’s just what I plan to do.
I panicked when it came to business big time because I am a wedding photographer and without people getting married I do not make money. I had 8 weddings scheduled for the month of April and May that were moved to different dates and some for later this year that were just cancelled all together. Apparently being locked in the house with your significant other did not bring everyone else closer it just made things harder and some of my couples wont make it though the quarantine a couple. I was scared and worried that this small business owner would fail after 8 long years of hard work and so much time spent on this company and building a second company and I could not imagine going back to the phone scripts and customer service call centers. My worst fear was starting to come to life. Ummmmm NOPE not me! I refuse to answer the phone for some big corporation again and punch a clock. HELL NO! I love my freedom and this virus isn’t going to take my dreams away.
Last Year. I prepped for the Coronavirus and didn’t even know it. I know that is weird to say but last year I put so many things in place to keep my business thriving and had no clue until everything took a turn for the worse.
1. My payment plans with my clients are different than they used to be. It is easier for my clients to pay me for the services that I offer and I make sure they can change and alter things when needed. My services are customizable to make things easy when life changes and things get hard. So my clients are still able to make payments.
2. I began offering educational services to other photographers which allowed me to get in front of the right audiences and make a name for myself among photographers.
3. I also started to dip into the world of portrait photography for Brands and Entrepreneurs in Atlanta which was something that was always fun for me and now I knew just how to incorporate that into my website and my social media pages.
Life now. Now that we are just now getting back to some normal things in life. We aren’t completely terrified to leave our homes and can go out to the grocery store and feel safe while shopping (I saw toilet paper on the shelves) and some things are starting to open back up again I can get back to work outside of the house in the most careful way possible. I am shooting small branding sessions at a distance of 6ft or more to catch up on session that were cancelled and pushed back to later in the year. I am also shooting new sessions in order to generate income for my family where the payments I already had set up will fall short.
Photoshoots look different and feel different. I don’t hug my clients when I greet them. I sanitize my hands after everything I touch that isn’t on my body already. I am directing my clients from a distance and I wear a mask during our photoshoots. I return home and immediately wash my hands drop my bags in the office and spray that down then head to the shower and get clean so that I can hug my children. In a way it makes me happy to be able to still do what I love. I’m also sad for the photographers and entrepreneurs who aren’t as lucky and won’t come out of this still be able to pursue their dreams.
Covid-19 has effected us all in one way or another. I am truly blessed to be able to say that I am going to be a wedding and portrait photographer when all of this is over. I’m praying for you all to find the drive to push through this and make it out on the other side.
Thank you for reading.