5 Ways to Stay Successful as a Photographer During Quarantine
Being trapped at home with no clients can be frustrating, especially if photography is your main source of income. There are lots of ways to keep yourself motivated through the quarantine of COVID-19. Keep in mind, it is harder to make money from home, but it is possible using these 5 important strategies.
1) Keeping in Contact
You want to make sure you are still staying engaged through the internet and social media. Since everyone is at home, media is one of the only forms of communication between people. Post daily, constantly check up on others, comment on posts, let your audience know you are still there. The more you engage through social media, the more people will recognize you and your business. They may not contact you right away, but engaging with the community will make you appear hardworking to possible clients.
2)Get out and Shoot
Staying active as a photographer is key. Getting out multiple times a week to take pictures of anything will help keep in touch with your camera and sharpen your skills. No matter what level or type of photographer you are, getting out to shoot will benefit you in many ways.
3)Give Yourself Projects
This is probably my most important point because it enhances your creativity and causes you to think more about photography instead of just making money. Come up with a project to give yourself. For example, black & white, macro, and landscape. Get out of your comfort zone, do something you have never done before.
I went downtown last week in search of inspiration for my personal project. I wanted to capture the downtown life and how it has been affected by the virus. I walked around for around an hour searching for anything that caught my eye. After taking a few photos I thought were good examples of my project idea, a man came up to me and asked If I could take a few pictures of him. He was dressed up fashionably and mentioned he was working on becoming a model, so I said yes and I set him up in a few spots to take some photos. Taking his photos would benefit me in many ways. I would get to know him, as he may want more photos in the future. The photos turned out pretty well for a 3-minute shoot, and they were a good addition to my portfolio. The photos may have even been put in his modeling portfolio, so again it is a win-win. I linked the photos here to help with the story: DeAnthony
4)Shoot for cheap/free
Now that most everyone is isolated at home, they are much less motivated to try to get a photoshoot, especially since people are trying to conserve money. The solution to this is offering free or very cheap photoshoots. This keeps your clients engaged with you, while drawing in new clients wanting photos. Although it seems like a waste to do free photoshoots, it is a win-win for your business and your clients. Your clients get free photos that might be sent to family and friends, posted on social media, or maybe even framed. This is free advertising for you because now all of your audience is multiplied through one free shoot. You also gain a connection with the person/ group you shot, who may actually pay for a second shoot in the future.
5)Reach out
My final point is to contact friends and family to do free photoshoots. The benefit of this is you get to Improve your skills around people you are comfortable with. It is also an easy way to share photos through social media, showing your possible clients that you are still being active as a photographer, encouraging more people to ask for shoots.
In conclusion, making money while quarantined may not be easy, but it is possible if you interact and stay connected with your audience!