NCPAI Education

Its 10th March 2020 B.C (before Corona virus), I am on my flight back home from one of my incessant work related travels, almost exhausted because this work bound trip took me through 5 days, 3 cities and 7 shoots. I am wearing a mask, because the Novel Coronavirus word is just out, everyone is wearing a mask and it seems like the wise thing to do, and sanitizing my hands constantly. While doing so, I am thinking to myself, three more shoots back home in Goa and then I really need to take a break.  A good rejuvenating break. I think the Gods must have heard this one thought and taken it way too seriously, because by mid march I wrapped up my scheduled shoots and lo and behold- Lockdown!

The pandemic pushed the whole world in a state of uncertainty and curbing measures to limit the spread of the Novel corona virus, the work front suffered a relatively big setback. The instant shift has been an uncomfortable one. The looming uncertainty and novel revelations from the science world on the pandemic is revising the ‘new normal’ almost on a daily basis. But we humans eventually adapt and invent. It’s a continuous process.  For a newborn and child photographer, cleaning the photography studio, sanitizing the props, outfits, wraps has always been the norm, COVID 19 has notched up that process even more with few more Do’s and Don’ts. After all, the safety and comfort of our little clients has always been the priority for us baby photographers isn’t it?

Here are a few guidelines and measures that I hope will help us do better business enabling the new normal.

• Contact your client before the session to confirm they are well and have not been in contact with anyone that is sick or are living with covid frontline warriors. This applies to you as a photographer as well.
• Sanitize, Clean and disinfect your studio before and after each session. Including props, fabrics, couch, beds, curtains etc
• Ask your client to carry a separate set of clothes to be worn in the studio. Try not to wear the outside clothes inside.

• Wear a face mask that properly covers your nose and mouth.
• Regularly sanitize or wash hands with soap before, during and after the session.
• Keep an interval of 48 hours between your studio sessions
• Regularly and thoroughly sanitize your camera and lighting equipment.
• As much as possible and whenever possible, keep a distance from the baby while shooting.
• Instead of having a helper/spotter, having a parent do that will be great. thus reducing the number of people in the studio during the session.
• In India, we are inculcated with the habit of leaving our footwear outside before entering, still, insist and implement the same
• Use disposable wipes, napkins, plates, cups while catering to your client and insist on them carrying their own food.

While these are the safety and precautionary norms to be followed to ensure safety, these are a few ideas that help us to grow as a community as well as an individual.

• Follow and study the work of prominent photographers, or other photographers whose line of work interests you or intrigues you.
• Get your own work critiqued by other photographers in the community. This really helps and now is the time to improve and learn from your own work.
• Now is not the time to invest in new gear, but explore the potential of your own gear and what you have to its full.
• Be kind and considerate. Refer! The inflow of work may be less, but keeping in mind the gaps between sessions, the time taken to sanitize etc, if you do have a couple of extra inquiries, don’t overburden yourself, share the reference with another photographer instead whose work you can confidently recommend, share this growth opportunity.

Lastly, however overwhelming times may seem, Stay calm, Plan for better times, learn, Practice, check on your friends and peers. Normalizing a change can be scary and may take effort but keep in mind that things will get better. Try to follow all the guidelines and rules as best as you possibly can. Every little bit helps.