I have been doing food and product photography for over 10 years. I am not a big studio with employees. I am a freelancer and contract assistants and food stylists as I need them.
The most important thing to my business, and to me personally, is my clients. Their satisfaction, as well as their well being, are my entire business. So, this virus and social distancing has really taken a toll on my life as well as my business. As a retired teacher, I do not depend on my photography business as my main source of income. I am not at financial risk right now as so many are. They are suffering. I am not. For that I am thankful. But, as it relates to my photography business, I am basically shut down and hoping for it to return in a couple of months.
When the threat of the pandemic came in Early March, my wife and I decided that if we were to be locked down, we would rather be in Florida with the warmer weather. So, we drove down to Florida and plan on being here until it is safe enough to drive back up north.
I set up a studio in Florida but, I imagine that my clients, if they are still working, do not want to ship their products to me as that becomes an additional expense for them. I certainly understand that, times are tough everywhere. I just hope that this is a temporary situation. My fear is that some of them might find other sources for their imagery as they are reluctant to use me at a distance.
I don’t know if my clients are working or not. Many of them are in the food industry so they might be. Either way, I hope that they are well and don’t feel that I have abandoned them. I have not. I am just a UPS or FedEx delivery away.
I have ended my Microsoft (Bing) and Google ads due to the pandemic. I will not be meeting with any new clients, working with clients at the studio or even work with an assistant or a food stylist. I don’t imagine that I will be getting any new client inquiries at this time. I only hope that after all this is over, that I don’t have to start my business over from scratch.
If you need product photography and you have a product that could be shipped and then wiped down with a Clorox wipe, I am here and happy to help you with your photographic needs.
On a side note: There is a cafe at the clubhouse in my community which of course, is closed. However, they are still preparing meals and delivering them to the residents. This keeps the residents fed and the cafe employees working. A great idea for everyone. (And the food is excellent.) As a thank you, I have been photographing the meals that they sent us for dinner. These are not specifically prepared for the camera. They come in a plastic container and often squeezed in there. But, the idea that they are still working for us was very impressive and I shot these images as a gift for the cafe.
That’s what I said when I went out to the driveway to help my client bring in their products.
The workshop will take place on May 5, 2020, at 11 am Central Time (that’s Noon Eastern Time) and will take you from start to finish. A question and answer period following the presented material.
Photography by Jerry, LLC 