COVID-19 Outbreak- What it Means for Professional Photographers

The outbreak of COVID-19 as a pandemic has taken its toll on industries at large and the photography business is no exception. Professional photographers are faced with many challenges. Cancellation of events, shutdown of studios, no work for freelancers and the challenges of delivery of products and services were some of the immediate effects the lockdown had on them.

The current situation has left professional photographers with adverse repercussions on their business. The future is quite uncertain. Many photographers had resorted to distance photography of models and actors over video calls, but this concept is not all-pervasive. Nevertheless, distance photography is taking its roots at some levels.

Some of the major challenges faced by professional photographers during the lockdown and also for the subsequent phases of ‘Unlock’ are as follows:

Studios were forced to keep the shutters down due to lockdown:

The imposed restrictions affected professional photographers. Clients for the same reason were compelled to postpone their event indefinitely. Nobody had thought of such a scenario. The entire world came to a standstill. The current situation appears bleak and nebulous, with a gloomy uncertainty regarding when it will normalize.

Pre-booked events were cancelled:

A catch-22 situation arose with the deal struck, advances received, the venue booked, equipment and gadgets finalized, out of nowhere suddenly you were (and still are), staring at a deep abyss of peril without any hope of revival soon.

With the number of COVID-19 cases spiralling in India and the death toll rising, its ramifications can be felt by India's event industry. Multiple events, including sporting events, have been cancelled. The organizers are not willing to take even zero percent risk. Many fashion events and concerts have been annulled.

Freelance professional photographers remain idle:

Photographers can't do what reporters can. They can't work on the phone because they have to be where the action is and the fact is there is no action. You can use the longer version of your lenses to shoot from a safe distance if that serves your clients’ purpose.

If you have specialized in wedding photography, you’re already feeling the pinch due to the pandemic. It is mandatory now to maintain social distancing and for many, work from home is the only option. Large social gatherings are prohibited leaving no room for the professional photographers, let alone freelancers. If you rely mainly on large-scale events for your survival, the news coming in every day is disheartening.

Delay in receipt of payment against pre-COVID invoices:

There is only one way to follow up just a day after the payment is due. If the client is not flushed with cash chances are, they will use the pandemic as an excuse that has caused them financial hardship, to delay or completely avoid payment. You have no voice to deny what he is pleading because the problem is pretty obvious.

Cash Crunch:

A survey conducted by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry says 33% of start-ups are complaining that clients are keeping their investment decisions on hold, while many have cancelled deals. This tells all about the cash crunch in the market which has had a ripple effect across sectors, including show business and events industry.

Renegotiation on Rates (reduction in rates) for upcoming seasons:

It’s like rubbing salt to injury. The photographers are finding themselves at the receiving end. Their clients press for a slash on the rates with hardly any margins left.

Dwindling scope of work:

For photographers, the current restrictions are forcing them to find fresh ways to adapt to a new normal. Being confined at home, jobless and hopeless some of them have begun shooting silhouettes of sunsets, family photo-shoots in the neighbourhood and shooting birds through their lens. They have got to keep their sanity and keep breathing life into the very core of their existence through such never-before novelties. It sounds facetious but you’ve to face this dark side of life.

To sum up, here is a list of fallouts in the photography business due to COVID-19 outbreak:

• Investment on the latest gadgets and expansion have to wait
• Mandatory, drastic reduction in the number of invitees to wedding ceremonies leaves little scope for a sizeable number of shoots
• The strain on the budget is impacting the size of the team but it may not be easy to let your associates go. You need them when the sun appears after days of darkness.
• No way to put the fixed cost on hold. There are salaries to pay, rents to settle, and save for future taxes and liabilities.
• The quality is bound to tank with the shift from a digital platform to virtual photography
• Large budget events and shoots are postponed till eternity
• No new projects coming up