Now What? My business is closed. My first three weeks being a Newborn Photographer during COVID-19 | Framingham, MA
In March 2020 my baby photography business was shut down due to COVID-19. It stinks. There’s not too much more to say, but I have had a whirl of emotions over the last 3 weeks and I jotted them down.
I think we can all agree that the world we are living in today is vastly different than than the world was just 2 months ago. If someone told me in January that, in April (traditionally one of my biggest months), I would be sitting in an empty studio with no sessions, I would have never believed it. If I was told that my children would be doing internet-based school and my husband would be working from home, I wouldn’t have never believed that either. Yet, here I am. And, here we are.
The first emotion that I experienced after my “non-essential business” closed was sadness and loss. It was very hard for me to accept that I had to stop the sessions. I love what I do. I love working with new families and photographing gorgeous babies. I cried a lot the first week (and I’m not really a crier).
As my sadness subsided and I began to accept my temporarily-empty studio, another emotion crept in: FEAR. Fear about money. I am solely responsible for the rent, utilities, insurance, and software subscriptions that keep my studio running day to day. My photography income supports my family. The bills haven’t stopped, but my income is zero. Zero. Seriously…zilch. Like so many others, I wonder how long will this last and how long can I financially maintain? Right now, there is no answer how long my business will be closed, but there is a very concrete answer to how long I can survive financially….it’s simple math and basic subtraction from my bank account. For now, I am ok. I planned for a lull, but obviously there is an end to the savings.
Now, three weeks in, my emotions are calm, but I have questions: When will my studio open again? When can I get back to normal? Or the bigger question: What is the new normal? Of course, I know, there is no answer now. The only thing to be done is take action where I can and accept the change.
Here is the actionable steps I have decided for myself: I will welcome this time and will make the most of it. I will get creative and learn new skills. My studio will evolve to a new post-Covid studio and post-Covid lifestyle (whatever that may be). I will enjoy this time with my family. I will be a supportive mom and wife. I will let my sadness and fear rest.
I take comfort in this: I am not being alone during this crisis. We are not being alone during this crisis. COVID-19 is not industry specific or even country specific. The entire world is in flux. We all have our individual experiences, but strangely and wonderfully, we are all together. We will all get through this together. It will be ok.
Helpful Links:
Professional Photographers of America Small Business support and information: https://www.ppa.com/inittogether
CDC Information Link: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html