How To Get Back To Work After The Coronavirus Pandemic

It's been a tough couple of months, hasn't it? Not only have almost all of us photographers had to down tools, and wait patiently, we still don't have a clue what our world will look like once this is all over. 

I've, personally, struggled with not being able to shoot. I've tried various things (virtual Facetime shoots which I only liked for a day or two, and still life photography, which I hated). I've truly missed the creative process of creating images, and I can't wait to get back to it. 

But with so much having changed, and so many of us having lost out on work, what can we do to get the ball rolling again once the lockdowns begin to lift?
It's all going to come down to marketing. 

Reach Out To Your Immediate Circle

I teach about this a lot in my course "Your First Fashion Photography Client," but reaching out to your immediate family and friends, and asking them for help is really key. So many people under estimate how many people your family and friends might know, even without realising it. 

When I decided to seriously start shooting in London last year, I didn't know many people in the industry who were based in the city. So I actually went through my contact list on my phone, and asked myself: "Who do I know who might know someone in London that could help me by introducing me to someone?" Quite quickly, I had a really decent list. I emailed them all, explaining that I was going to be shooting in London, and did they know anyone in the fashion industry who might be able to help me, or even just meet me for a coffee. LOADS of them got back to me with help, and it was an incredible starting point. 

Pitching to Brands and Magazines

You knew this was coming, but it wouldn't be me if I didn't encourage you to pitch yourself to brands. In fact, if you were ever going to start reaching out to people, NOW is the time to do so. Brands will have been starved of photography for months. They will be in desperate need of new imagery and content for their websites and social channels. 

They may not yet know how they'll go about shooting those images, or even when those shoots will happen. But when they do, you damn well want to be considered for those shoots! 

If you've never pitched anything before, I promise that it's much less daunting that you think. It's also industry practice, so brands and magazines expect it. They want you to approach them.

The good news is I've decided to reopen my "Pitching With Confidence" course earlier than planned, because I know how much you'll all be needing it right now. I'm also going to be doing a "live version" of the course this time, meaning that for four weeks, there will be one on one time with me via Zoom calls, where I'll teach you the in's and out's of the course, and be on hand to answer any questions you have. Doors to the course will be opening on May 18th, so if you're interested, get that date in your diary!

Create Content

As soon as you can and it's safe and legal to do so, get out there and CREATE. If you're anything like me, you'll be chomping at the bit to do that anyway. You'll probably have dozens of concepts sitting there, waiting to be brought to life. I certainly do! 

Well, once the lockdowns lift, it'll be more important than ever for you to be actively creating imagery, collaborating with make up artists, hair stylists, stylists and anyone else you can think of. 

The reason for that is that these are the people who spread the word about you. Collaboration is SO important in our industry. Make  up artists will speak to producers and drop your name. Hair stylists will share your images on Instagram and tag you. Collaboration in this form is one of the quickest ways to get your name out there and get seen... so don't hold back. If you're safe and healthy, shoot, shoot, shoot. 

Get Published

Once you've shot, absolutely send your work to publications. Pitch ideas to magazines ahead of time, or if you can't do that, shoot first and then submit. Getting your work published in magazines (print or digital) will really boost your credibility, and spread your name out into the industry.