Caring, award-winning family portrait and lifestyle photographer, offering studio or location photography at an affordable price.
*Updated September 2020 with new measures*
*This article has been updated to reflect July studio opening.*
So as it stands as I publish this, on May 23rd, we are planning on partially reopening from June 1st, conducting only outdoor shoots, like many other UK photographers.
It’s a bit nerve-wracking, isn’t it??
We’ve been so frustrated and scared in lockdown for what feels like 3 million weeks, and now we’re going to be venturing out...together! Needless to say, as parents and responsible business owners, we’re taking this very seriously and have a range of measures in place to make it safe for both of us.
First off, we’ll be sending all of our paperwork digitally - from permission requests to receipts, it’s going to be through your email address.
Payments will also be digital, whether that be by BACS, PayPal (invoices available) or our credit / debit card machine. Anti-bac wipes will be available for the machine should you want / need to use your pin number.
More importantly, and sadly for us, we will be keeping our distance throughout the photo shoot. This makes us sad cos we just love interacting with you all! In the studio, I aim to shoot mainly from the entrance, or just inside the room - avoiding touching your littles (or cakes during smashes). As normal, I will be frequently washing / sanitising my hands, and will be wearing PPE.
I’ll also make sure there’s a small cleaning station available at all times, with hand sanitiser, wipes and disinfectant should you need it. However, I also recommend coming prepared with anything additional you may need.
When we meet at the location, we’ll have a brief distanced chat just to run over poses and instructions, but otherwise any props will already be cleaned and set up for you. Our range of lenses allow us to shoot from quite a distance so, at this point, I’ll get into position and basically yell at you as kindly as possible!
There will likely be times where you’ll have to maybe move a prop, or bring your child back into the camera frame, as I wont be able to do this myself. You may also have to do crazy things and jump about to make them laugh but don’t worry, I will also be doing this!
I’m sure we’ll all agree we’ll happily see the back of Covid-19 sooner rather than later but, in reality, we just don’t know.
We will be keeping up to date with any changes to the government’s plan and will adapt as and when this happens.
Take a look at our changes in this graphic, and feel free to make any requests should you be visiting us.
We hope that these measures make you feel safer in visiting us in these strange and scary times. Get in touch to discuss any requests or concerns you may have about using our photography services in the future.
Stay safe. Rachel x
Since initially writing this article, it has been confirmed that studios can reopen from July and thankfully we are able to socially distance in our own.
If you're planning on a family session, I may suggest an outdoor shoot instead or request that your party waits in another room while I change up the studio. This may feel a little odd since our studio is in our home, but it is to ensure we keep as much distance as we can.
I aim to have the studio set up in advance for the various themes of the shoot as much as I can as I will also be capping the length of shoots, instead offering a refund or reschedule if I am unable to achieve everything quick enough.
I will also be limiting the number of sessions I book in each month to allow for additional time needed for deep cleaning, so if you have something in mind, I recommend enquiring early.
When it comes to newborn and baby shoots, the situation is different: there are going to be instances, particularly with newborns, where distancing isn't going to be possible. Once baby is able to sit unaided, during cake smashes for example, I will be asking parents to position their child to allow me to distance.
However, baby shoots are typically very hands-on, from wrapping, soothing, finishing touches to the setup and more... but I am committed to minimising this as much as possible, keeping a distance where I can and cleaning or sanitising my hands repeatedly through the session, as well as wearing my mask.
We now have a disinfecting fog machine, which will be run prior and intermitedly during your time with us, that kills over 99% of bacteria and viruses, ensuring the air is clean. The fog is natural, safe and is not harmful for children / cakes. I will also ventilate the studio where possible and an outdoor shoot is also an option, but please bear in mind that as babies tend to be stripped down for these shoots, it would need to be a warm day.
I'm sure there will be things that we haven't thought about, and we'll learn along the way, but I will do my very best to keep us safe. Don't hesitate to ask any questions or make any additional requests regarding your safety.