CREATIVE APPROACHES TO WORKING THROUGH THE QUARANTINE

As most of the country is seeing the numbers falling back into a more manageable condition, we are seeing evidence of the impending reopening of the economy.

Most states are looking at doing it in stages, and with controls in place to prevent a re-occurrence of the infection rates.

This is good news to us freelancers, although a lot of us may be going back at the tail-end of this thing.

Or not. A lot of moving parts – and it remains to be seen whether we can indeed control our own environments.

Studios with small staffs and small teams of clients may be operational sooner than later. Keeping groups smaller than 50 should be fairly easy to do.

Freelancers may be able to shoot small groups of models and such, although the ‘hair and makeup’ sort of thing may be a few weeks off… we just really don’t know.

If you have a home-based studio, you may already be getting work. Many of the photographers I know are shooting in their basements or living rooms. The product is delivered, they art direct over Skype or Zoom, and viola… work!

(Heather Elder has put together a PDF for her clients (login needed) of photographers they can use for getting stuff done at home – legally. You can see the branding on her home page.)

Ads have to be shot for the re-opening – whether for retailers, wholesalers, or services. Being seen, being engaged is what will help them re-start their own businesses.

Although I do not think it will restart as fast as some people may believe, it will restart. 

And I hope you all do your part in helping small businesses get on their feet.

We were classified as non-essential during the pandemic’s quarantine, but now we may be really essential to that small deli or gift shop that needs to attract some hard-won attention.

I will be doing my part to help a few businesses in my area that were especially hard hit by the immediate shutdown.

It’s my turn to help out, my turn to be on the front lines and provide the support we all got from first responders, grocery workers, and medical personnel.

I cannot save lives, but I can do a killer food shot or create a strong website to sell their wares.

The business will be there when I help the business get there.

The pandemic lowered my expected numbers of enrollees for Project 52, so I must deal with those changes as well as revamp the program. I am adding advanced retouching skills, shooting in layers, and much more advanced lighting and production values to the assignments. I feel I can push harder and faster and get photographers up to speed quickly with the number of resources I now have at my fingertips.

We are also building a new product to help the P52 photographers compete in the marketplace. There is a great demand for the kind of work they do, and connecting them with brands all over the world will be a huge part of the new program. This new facet (company?) starts on July 1, but we will be putting all of it together during the months of May and June.

Lots more coming on that front.

We are entering week six of ‘stay at home’ here at the Giannatti compound. My wife and I take long walks every morning, and we are busy with small projects all around the house. I am learning something new EVERY day and working on both of my books simultaneously (one fiction one not… at least that is easier… heh).

The free workshop I offered at Lighting Essentials is really a blast. We are doing food this week, and the new assignment will be one of extreme creativity while shooting something completely unexpected. This one will push the envelope a bit.

I will continue the workshop until everyone is out of quarantine and busy working. We may continue it using the Twenty Five Creative Prompts I did in December… that may be fun as well.

I don’t know about you all, but with all that I needed to do when this hit and the pile of stuff still to do… I am as busy as I ever was. Still up at 5:30, still tired at the end of the day. 

There is simply so much cool stuff that is there to be done.

OK, now on to five links I think you will enjoy:

If you are a nature or landscape shooter involved in outdoor brands, you may be interested in Andy Anderson’s new podcast. He takes a ‘big-tent’ approach to the challenges of the world, and he and fellow podcaster Bill Roden are outdoor enthusiasts as well as experienced marketers. Environment, creativity, and even marketing for creatives. You’ll find it smart and interesting. The podcast.

If you have been following the tempest over Mashable’s usage of an image on Instagram, you may find this interesting post from ASMP discussing their viewpoints and some ideas that you may use to protect your images. (BTW, putting them on Instagram is NOT one of those ways.) ASMP Response to Instagram Ruling And What You Can Do Today (New FAQ)

Austin Kleon says we should be making a lot of bad art. He’s right, you know.

If you are not following Ben Horne on Youtube, you are missing a well-shot Vlog on making images of our environment with a large format camera. This is an interview segment… take a few moments to watch.

One of my one-on-one mentees, Judy Doherty, has been included in Heather Elder’s “Work from home” idea. Here are a few shots of her new at-home studio.

Be proactive and let your clients know there are ways to shoot with you and keep your social distancing.