There really isn’t a price tag that you can put on personal safety. This is why I really spared no expense when it came to getting my studio ready to accept newborn and maternity photography clients in this post-COVID world in which we are living. Certainly, the quarantine and shelter-in-place directive changed the way we all operate in this world, so in no way am I saying that I’m unique in that respect.
With that said, like most other businesses in the Bay Area, my own company took a financial hit as a result of the pandemic. It changed the way my day-to-day operations go. In my previous post, I touched on the types of changes that I had to make in order to remain operational. Of these, sanitation gear, PPE, and additional cleaning supplies are amongst the necessary things in which I’ve invested. Therefore, of course, my expenses have gone up.
Beyond that, at the beginning of quarantine, I went a while between photoshoots due to the lockdown. Once I was able to finally get back into shooting, the way that I did business also dramatically changed. Where I once could schedule 2-3 shoots in one day, I now can only safely conduct one shoot per day in my studio. So while I’d completely optimized my studio for maternity, newborn, and family sessions, my use of the space is now limited.
Basically what this means for me as a professional in the Bay Area is that my costs went up while my profits went down. Unfortunately I’ve seen this happen to far too many businesses in this area and some other companies didn’t survive. So don’t get me wrong, I am super grateful that I still get to do what I love the most; which, again, is capturing the most precious maternity, newborn, and family photographs for my clients.
It humbles me to be in service to families in this way and it helps to dampen the sting of the financial challenges that my company faced post-COVID. Being able to still operate a fully functioning studio for newborn, maternity, and family photography is the biggest blessing that I carry forward with me. So, if you happen to be looking for someone to do your shoot who takes your health and safety seriously and you’re located in the Bay Area, CA, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me! And don’t forget to follow my Instagram page to see the latest newborn, family, and maternity photography updates!
