Minimizing Risk: Family Photos in the Age of Covid
I’m about to be one of those people who says “it’s been a weird couple of years,” like you don’t know that already. Covid has hit us all, but hit us all differently. We’re on a spectrum between extra cautious and cabin-fever-let-me-out mode. And at least for me, I slide up and down the spectrum constantly. Even hourly sometimes. This kind of mental gymnastics can make planning for family photos (among other things) a real challenge.
The conundrum of planning for a family photo session is that you’re not likely to book a session for tomorrow. And sometimes even when you have something scheduled for tomorrow, your plans get derailed at 6pm the night before with an email from school that starts with “we regret to inform you…”
And the uncertainty of who may be unknowingly positive is rampant these days as well. So, as a careful, occasionally paranoid, but overall intelligent parent who also wants photos of your family, how can you minimize your risk when planning for family photos right now?
One way is to plan to be outside. Yes, even in winter. This family chose to embrace the winter look and wear coats through the majority of their session, and I love the pop of color their toddler’s coat offered for our cloudy winter day photos. Plus, so much awesome texture in the fleece, wool, and woven outer wear. You can really see it in this black and white image:
If you still want/need to be indoors (newborn sessions, for example, are not typically held outside for 90 minutes), you can know that I’m masked inside your home and will take care not to get too close, in order to minimize our contact. I also wash my hands as my first action inside your home, even though I go to great lengths not to touch anyone.
Another way you can minimize your family photo loss risk is by making sure your chosen photographer has a contract that covers contingencies related to illness and cancellations. My contracts, in the Before Times, listed a penalty for anyone who canceled less than 3 days before a session, because I needed to make sure my calendar was pretty solid. That’s not really fair or realistic for anyone now, so I’ve removed that stipulation from my contracts. If you (or I) need to cancel last minute, we’ll find a new date that works for both of us after the illness or emergency has cleared.
Overall, clear communication about our needs will really help us as we attempt to make best-laid plans that may or may not happen when we want and expect them to. Clear communication, and lots and lots of grace.
If you’ve been hesitant to plan a family photo session because of all the Covid unknowns, consider the ways you can mitigate risk, and breathe easy knowing that we can reschedule if we need to. Want to talk through it but aren’t quite ready to book? Schedule a (non-salesy) call with me and let’s talk through your concerns so you can make an informed decision for you and your family’s photos.
