COVID-19 and professional photography.

With COVID-19 still permeating throughout the community, it is prudent to consider how we, as a group of sole traders and small to medium businesses can best continue working and maintain the best level of protection for ourselves and our communities.

Though clients within an agency will receive advice from state and national bodies addressing their unique issues. The less obvious in the industry such as contractors or service providers may be forgotten, or at least divided and left alone to work out strategies.

Recap on the transmission of COVID-19.

Person to person spread of coronaviruses generally occurs between people who are close contact with one another. A close contact is typically someone who has been face to face for at least 15 minutes or been in the same closed space for at least 2 hours, with a person that was infectious.

With this definition in mind, we need to take immediate steps to ensure the best possible safety for ourselves and for our communities. We need to consider the following:

• All work that is typically conducted in a residential setting, or a commercial site where other people live or work.

Following is a list of suggested guidelines based on the current research from international medical sources. This information is for our shared benefit, so please share it with staff, friends and clients for everyone’s well-being.

5 Steps for Photographers to Reduce Covid-19 infection:

1. Communicate with clients: Photographers should communicate with their clients before the shoot to ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding safety precautions. They should also be prepared to reschedule the shoot if any safety concerns arise.

2. Photographers should avoid touching their face to reduce the risk of transferring the virus from their hands to their nose or mouth. Wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitiser at the beginning of a job, at the conclusion of a job and more often if you meet any regular criteria for hand washing, or if you accidentally touch your face.

3. Carry your own hand towel or paper towel to dry your hands. Any disposable products you bring into a property should be removed and disposed of by you. You may also wish to supply your own soap.

4. Use personal protective equipment: If possible, photographers should use personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves and a face shield in addition to a mask. They should also consider using disposable camera covers or cleaning their equipment between uses.

5. Keep your personal equipment as clean as possible and take in only what you require. For example, as a photographer you need you camera, flash and tripod but, don’t need to your whole camera bag inside – ie. place, lenses, spare batteries and memory cards in pockets. This reduces the risk of your equipment acting as a fomite which is a surface that can carry infectious micro-organisms.

Most importantly use good judgment, and enter ever work site in the mindset that you may be an asymptotic carrier of COVID-19. Do not attend a work site if you are feeling unwell or exhibiting any of the symptoms of COVID-19.

By protecting yourself, you’re protecting your community.