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in destination weddings and pre-wedding shoots. As the pandemic led to travel restrictions, Tan was unable to travel overseas to shoot. Finding a level of acceptance of the predicament has helped him get through it. He adapted by focusing on two markets: high-end portraits and real estate. He also offered online Photoshop courses. “One of the main lessons learnt is to adapt to changing circumstances quickly, rather than staying put and waiting for the situation to return to normal,” he says.
Tao also had a large overseas clientele before the pandemic hit. His advice is to not hold on to a too-narrow focus with regards to what clients you will work with. “Don't put all your eggs in the same basket. I had a large international client base pre-COVID, and of course, all overseas bookings are all cancelled”. He also chose to branch out globally by offering photography courses online, along with widening the scope of services to his wedding clients. “We started offering combined videography and photography services to our clients, and so far, it’s worked out great”.
Middleton shares Tao’s view of keeping your vision broad. “It’s important in any industry to be nimble and flexible. We should always be looking at opportunities outside what we are used to, because exploring other avenues of income and training ourselves in other skillsets can protect us from disaster, but can also open the door to new and exciting opportunities,” says Middleton. Having too narrow and restricted a focus can lead photographers to miss out on potentially exciting and lucrative business endeavours.
Messina understands the importance of being a specialist and being
seen as a master of your craft, but cautions that photographers need to be mindful of potentially limiting one’s opportunities in a business environment that many have been impacted by. “I think something I learned during this time is how important it is to diversify. For me, that meant more small shoots with only my subject and myself, and no crew, selling prints online, and teaching,” she says. Through her online teaching, she also had the opportunity to mentor photographers. “I value connecting with other photographers so much. I wish someone had been there for me when I was young, unsure, and trying to find my way”.
Prospering through challenges
Identifying the changes and understanding how they impact the market will help you adapt and prosper. Middleton’s advice is to look at new business environments as opportunities. “It’s hard sometimes, but being positive in the way we look at our situation and our future is the first movement towards improving our lot,” he says.
Cole reflects on how easy it is to feel stagnant when stuck at home during lockdowns – a sentiment shared by many. “It's hard to keep your motivation up, because in lockdown your enquires go down and you don’t get the same feedback from what you’re putting out there,” he says. After coming out of the second lockdown, Cole really noticed a difference between his colleagues who had kept their motivation up and remained active on social media and the ones who hadn’t. Needless to say, those who were active were able to rely on the momentum once restrictions eased again.
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