As days go by and they seem longer than before, all of us are waiting for this dreadful pandemic to come to an end. Although the ongoing pandemic has affected practically everything, let’s look at how COVID-19 has affected photography.
Given that photography is a challenging enough field to work in, it’s a shame something like this can happen and significantly impact so many people’s lives.
The negative results from this pandemic are difficult to ignore, but there will be a form of a silver lining for this. This outlook may be strictly for the optimists who usually feel this way, but it’s all we have at the moment. It’s better to look at what can happen in the future in a positive light than a negative one.
Pandemic Photography
Like photographers have throughout history, they’ve adapted to their surroundings for their photography. Empty streets, hospital workers, at-home shots, and countless other works are examples of a photographer existing through a pandemic.
Considering photography in any shape, be it a phone or a professional camera, is the modern way of documenting history, today’s photos will be looked back on for years to come. Similar to how we look at photos throughout the 20th century, that same notion will be applied to pandemic photography.
Fewer and Delayed Gigs
From a dejected standpoint, photographers have certainly lost a great deal of work from this. Outside of just photography, it’s safe to say most people have taken some form of a pay cut during this.
Although people have more free time than average nowadays, that time isn’t going to pay the bills as sorrowful as that is. Luckily, like anything else, this pandemic will eventually come to an end, which will cause photographers to get more work and work their delayed gigs.
Shift to Online
A bright spot of photography is the shift to online. Similar to other endeavors during this pandemic, many photographers have branched into the online sector for their photography. Photography blogs, tutorials, zoom sessions, portfolios, and countless other works are great examples of how photographers are switching to online platforms.
Most photography businesses already had a primary online focus with gear sales, software, news, etc. because of the modern appeal for the internet. Luckily enough for that, many businesses can maintain a good chunk of their sales with their online resources. At this point, I’m sure many of them are looking to expand their online platforms and cut down on any physical entities they might have.
Closed Businesses and End of Photography Careers
Although the online focus is undoubtedly a good aspect of this, countless businesses and photographers have chosen to end their careers. Whether it’s a realization this profession isn’t for them anymore, or they’re not making ends meet, it’s a dismal tale either way.
Hopefully, any photography business or photographer who chooses to leave this particular field can utilize it to discover what they want to do moving forward. At the very least, they’ll be able to get a plan for their respective future.
New Businesses and New Photographers
It’s undoubtedly true how real the negative impact of COVID-19 is on businesses and photographers. Still, this pandemic can potentially spring up new photographers and new businesses. Since many of us have more free time than usual, people are going to take risks with specific fields they’ve wanted to do.
Whether it’s a person picking up a camera for the first time, or a photographer beginning a new business, new forms in the field will erupt. It’s a shame how many people and businesses are suffering from the pandemic. Still, it’s important to note how many new forms in either scenario will emerge from it.
Conclusion
If you find yourself having a tough time during this pandemic, you’re not alone. Try your absolute best to make it through this and keep moving forward by having new ideas, passions, and goals to achieve.
For more articles, videos, and other information surrounding photography, follow Anthony Morganti on YouTube and Instagram.
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