Well, if that isn’t the most surreal blog post title I’ve ever written. Part of me is still in disbelief of everything that has happened and changed over the past four months.
After taking a 3-month hiatus from photography sessions due to the pandemic, I started up again in early June. There’s no small amount of anxiety leading up to each one. Part of me loves working again, the other part is terrified that I or my family will get sick or that I will make another family sick.
There are periods of every day where I have to take deep breaths to stem off sudden pressure in my chest and the rushing beat of my heart. I spent a large part of my three-month hiatus exercising to try to stay in a healthy state-of-mind. I owe much of my sanity to Megan Lamb of Beyond Zen Wellness for her amazing yoga and pilates classes and my friend, Meghan, for going on socially-distanced jogs with me.
Photo session changes for 2020
Now that I’m back to business (again), I’ve instituted the following safety protocols to keep all of us safe doing photography sessions during a pandemic:
- All of my family and maternity sessions are taking place outdoors. I’m doing all of my sessions primarily with my 200mm telephoto lens. This lens won’t even allow me to focus if I’m closer than 6 feet.
- When I need to switch to a wider lens and get closer, I wear a mask. I bought some cute Sesame Street and other kid-friendly masks from Maskclub.com.
- I ask that you keep your children away from me during the sessions. I know it’s hard. I’m a pretty playful person and kids tend to want to hold my hand and hug me. I miss the hugs SO much!
- I’m no longer touching/adjusting/styling your hair or clothes for portraits. I’ll direct you or someone else from your family to fix whatever needs fixing.
- Only one adult is allowed to come into my home studio for newborn sessions, and that adult must wear a mask. We’ll do all of the family photos, including sibling photos outdoors.
- Only babies will be photographed in the studio. Please keep your mask on while inside my home. Please don’t pressure me to take studio portraits of you or your family in the studio. It puts me in an awkward position of trying to offer the best possible customer service and feeling like we’re taking unnecessary risks.
- I wear a mask and gloves for the studio sessions.
- I sanitize and clean everything once the studio session ends. I have lots of Lysol, antibacterial wipes, a UV sanitizer, and antibacterial floor cleaner.
- Parents must take temps of everyone prior to their sessions and text me that morning to confirm no one has a temp of 99 or above.
- I’ve waived all cancellation window requirements for 2020. You can cancel your session at any time up to the minute your session begins for a full refund of your session fee. No penalty, no hard feelings.
- You can reschedule your session for 2021 at any time up to the minute your session begins without penalty or any hard feelings.
- By proceeding with your session, you release me and my business from any liability associated with possible COVID-19 exposure.
- I reserve the right to close my home studio again if Virginia cases start spiking again. I believe that photos are priceless, but your lives and my family’s lives are more so.
And with that, my heart is racing again. This is such a scary time to own your own business. It’s a scary time, period.
With all that said, I’ve loved working again and creating beautiful images for your families. Once your session begins, I relax and have as much fun as possible, while staying as far away from you as possible. I’m already flagging some photos for competitions!
COVID-19 photo sessions
Here are the highlights from the sessions I’ve done over the past 5 weeks while implementing all of the above standards. They’re ready to be pinned to your Pinterest boards for future photo session inspiration!
Check out more of my Pinterest boards!
I’m currently scheduling 2021 sessions through August 2021. Schedule your session today! I’m hopeful we’ll have a treatment and vaccine next year so we don’t need to worry about doing your photography session during a pandemic.
Finally, please wear a mask in public. It’s proven to help keep you and others healthy. The flatter the curve, the more likely small businesses like mine can stay in business. Thank you!
