Tips to Help Photographers Stay Busy While Social Distancing

Adjusting to a social distancing way of life will look different for everyone and you should do what feels right for you.

You are absolutely entitled to sit on the couch and watch a full series in a day without feeling guilty, eat the entire party size bag of chips as a snack, and stay in sweats from morning ‘til night.

But if you want a few alternatives, we’ve got you covered.

For the photographer looking for things to do while staying home, we’ve put together a list of ideas to stay productive and help make things feel a little more normal.

1. Before you do anything, wash your hands.

2. Do some (work-related) housekeeping.

If you’re in business, connect with your lawyer about any legal items that need to be addressed such as contracts, insurance options, payments, etc.

3. Do the things you’ve been putting off.

• Learn technical skills – If you’re like me, there’s probably a few things you’ve been waiting for just the right time for (aka procrastinating), like mastering off camera flash techniques, improving your Photoshop editing skills, or fully grasping how to shoot in Kelvin. Take advantage of some downtime and hone your craft.

• Spruce up your website – When was the last time you updated your portfolio? It might make you cringe to sift through and pick your favorite images to showcase, but it will surely pay off to highlight your best work and keep it up to date.
• Work on marketing and content – Get the creative juices flowing for ways to show up and get your stuff out there. Take this time to concentrate on who you want to market to and crafting your messaging.
• Clean and organize your gear – You’ve probably wiped down everything else in your house, so why not apply that to your camera equipment too?

4. Keep taking pictures.

• Think outside the box – Get creative with things around the house, play with perspective, and challenge yourself to make every day, ordinary items something more fun and interesting.

If you’re looking for some inspiration in this department, I would highly recommend checking out @jordi.koalitic on Instagram for some amazing photos and equally great behind-the-scenes videos.

• Take a selfie – Dust off the tripod and have an excuse to get done up. Get yourself an updated headshot, even it’s just to update your main Facebook picture that’s 3 years old.
• Photograph roommates – Whether you share your home with a significant other, parents, kids, or pets, snag a few photos of them. You can even take this time to try out some new prompts to help get your newfound model more engaged.

5. Network.

The thing to remember is that we’re all in this together. Even though we might not be able to all be in the same room, there is still so much support to be found in online communities.

Check for Facebook groups and associations that are in your area or more general ones. There are always ways to connect.

6. Spend time with loved ones.

While it’s good to be productive, you’ll probably need a break and crave some social interaction. Spend quality time face-to-face with those at home or via video chats with those farther away.

Unsure which video chat app to use? TechCrunch has a nice breakdown of the best tool for your needs.

Remember, you can help save lives just by staying at home.

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Author Kim Garrison is a product manager at Cision. She also is a snowboarder, photographer, and Washington Capitals fan.