Photography in pandemic times

Let me first say that by no means am I making light of the current situation nor am I going to give opinions on how things are being handled or how to handle things other than please try not to panic, don’t hoard, practice social distancing and wash your hands properly and often!  What I do want to discuss is how this is effecting photography and give you some photography suggestions of what to do during this time.

This virus has put a major financial dent in many people with jobs, events, venues, etc. being closed or cancelled.  Sports photographers who make their living from covering sporting events have really been hit as have those who take photos at schools and concerts to name just two.  Portrait photographers that I know have seen their bookings grind to a halt and I myself have had upcoming events/openings that I was scheduled to cover postponed.

So what can you as a photographer be you pro or just learning do now?  In some cases even that has become limited as museums and their exhibits are now closed for awhile, more people are staying/working from home, other interesting places that drew photographers in have closed for the time being and other places are asking that you practice “social distancing” which is something some people have always done or been in favor of.  They are now saying “See! I told you it was a good thing to not be in a crowded place!”  Just inserting some humor there.

But what can you do?  I have a few suggestions that may help keep your photography skills going and assist you with your cabin fever should you be stuck at home.  My first suggestion is take your camera and go for a walk around your block, neighborhood, yard and try to look at them differently and see what you can come up with.  Also going to a local park is great for your physical and mental well being and if spring has come your way then there you go!

Spring Flowers

Another suggestion is to read any photo books you’ve been meaning to that have been stuck on shelves or on e-readers or to download a book to read from online or if your local library has such services.  Of course there is always going through your old photo files and finally getting around to editing some of those images from (insert trip here) and catch up on that or maybe try some new editing techniques on those files or old ones you’ve edited long ago.

YouTube is a wealth of information when it comes to photography topics.  You can watch tutorials on editing with just about any program, learn how to shoot any number of subjects or check out some photographers trips to places you’ve had on your bucket list.  Here are some of the YouTubers (is that even a word?) whom I’ve learned from and recommend.

Mark Smith – Amazing Bird Photographer

Fototripper – Landscape photography with a lot of humor

Stan Moniz – Landscape photography, astrophotography and reviews

Nick Page – Landscape photography

Brenda Petrella – Outdoor photography

Sean Tucker – Portraits, street photography and editing tips

Then there’s practicing on what you have at home.  You can drive your loved one/s crazy using them to work on your low key portrait skills or any other type of portraiture or try low key with still life photos like I did here.

Still life photography is always a good one as it only requires your imagination and what you have on hand at home.  And let’s not forget my favorite macro photography!  Even if you don’t have a macro lens, you can take what you have and see just how close up you can get to your subject which can be in your house, around your house, at a park, etc.

With the weather being warm in some places and warming up in others there is always going out into your yard and practicing photographing the moon at it’s different phases. Here is an old post of mine, La Luna, where I gave some tips and links on how to photograph and edit moon shots.

These are just a few ideas for photography when under restricted circumstances as many of us find ourselves in now.  Do you have any other suggestions?  How has this virus changed your photography if any? Let’s discuss it in the comments below.

Stay safe and healthy!

Teri 📷