Many photographers are eager to get back to work but it is important to do it with strategy and logic. Here are some tips and tricks to learn more on how to reopen your photography studio after Covid-19:

1. Check-in with clients the day before their scheduled photo shoot.

It’s important to get in touch with clients before their photoshoot to ensure that they are doing their part to stay safe. Here are some basic questions you can ask them:

• Have you been around anyone that has had a fever?
• Have you been exposed to anyone with Covid19?
• Have you experienced any symptoms in the past 14 days?
• Do you know anyone that has been experiencing symptoms?
• Have you been quarantining?
• Are you working?

You can also send them this Waiver of Liability that you can download completely free.

2. Equip yourself with the right supplies.

Keep a good supply of masks, gloves, hand sanitizers, cleaning supplies, and disinfectants with you. Be sure that they are handy all over your studio for quick access and use. It is important to ask clients to use hand sanitizer before they come into your studio and after they touch anything that could potentially carry germs.

Trick: Bleach and water are a great and inexpensive solution to ensuring your space stays fully clean, just be sure to check the label on the beach to make sure it is intended for disinfection. You can also use this CDC approved disinfectant supply list if you ever need guidance on what to buy.

3. Invest in a touch-free thermometer.

You can use a touch-free thermometer when clients arrive to ensure they don’t have a fever. It is also important to take the temperature of your employees, for example, your make-up artist. If an employee shows any signs of fever, they need to be immediately sent home.

4. Keep a large supply of masks.

This is a basic to-do but very important. Keeping an extra set of masks in your studio is good for emergencies. For example, if a previously used mask is lost, breaks, or touches the floor. You should also be prepared to wear a mask during shoots as an extra safety measure, including any employees that are around or make-up artists present for the shoot.

5. Set expectations with your make-up artist.

Before you begin shooting again, it is important to have a meeting with your make-up artist to discuss what safety precautions to expect them to perform. For example, makeup artists should be sanitizing their brushes in a solution that is at least 90% alcohol, and then proceeding to wash them in a solution like Dawn in order to ensure that they are ready to be used again on another client.

6. Ask your clients to take off their shoes when they arrive at your studio.

There is no solid evidence around whether or not shoes can carry the virus but it’s worth doing. Shoes carry all kinds of bacteria and germs. Go the extra mile and kindly ask clients and any employees to please remove their shoes before they enter your studio. This keeps the floor extra clean.

7. Enforce as much social distancing as possible.

Adopting the recommended 6-feet minimum distance will keep you and your client comfortable while minimizing the spread. If for any reason you need to touch your client, you should be using hand sanitizer immediately after and completely avoid touching your face until you are able to fully wash your hands with soap and warm water.

8. Clean your studio after a client leaves.

Spend 15 minutes disinfecting common surfaces after each client leaves. Be sure to clean surfaces such as doorknobs, tables, lights, lenses, cameras, and props. Basically, anything that has been used to keep the area safe for the next client that is expected to arrive.

9. Close off any meeting areas in your studio.

It’s safe to say that you should minimize as much contact with clients as possible. Plan to close off your studio office where you would normally conduct ordering appointments and instead notify clients that you will hold their ordering appointment over a Zoom or Skype call to be cautious. Bathroom areas can still be open but should be disinfected in the same way as explained above.

10. Stay home if you feel sick or if you have been around a family member or friend who has been sick and/or is not feeling well.

This tip is absolutely crucial. If you are not feeling well or have been around someone that is not feeling, do not take risks. Stay home and plan to refer to the CDC guidance for how to conduct a risk assessment of your potential exposure to the community. You should also encourage any employees to stay home if they are feeling sick or have been in contact with someone who has been infected and/or is not feeling well.

Ultimately it is our responsibility to stop the spread of the virus. Let’s come together to get through this difficult time through responsible choices and logic. After all, such actions have the potential to save many lives. If you know someone would benefit from these tips, please share this with them.