Measures Every Photographer Should Take During COVID-19 Crisis
COVID -19 a term we hadn’t even thought we would come across until most recently. It’s like living in some chapter of a history book. This pandemic has led to lockdown in several countries. Some countries have managed to kick the virus to the crib and are currently COVID free. But the economy of most of the country is at the point of falling apart. Loss of life is devastating. Due to this lockdown, multiple occasions have been postponed like weddings, birthdays, anniversary, and even major festivals weren’t celebrated. When the lockdown opens it is sure to have a lot of people celebrate these festivities. Keeping in mind that COVID-19 crisis is not something that will just go away, everyone needs to keep up with the hygiene protocol and social distancing norms. During these festivities, people are going to want to photograph these memories as they are going to be talking about it for a long time.
There are a few things as a photographer needs to keep in mind, to stay safe and also capture endless breathtaking shots.
1) Hygiene: This is a very important aspect to keep in mind. Making sure that your hands, as well as your camera and equipment, are clean and well sanitized is very important for not only yourself but also for the sake of others around you.
a) Wash Your Hands: Wash your hands now and then. Many times we touch things sub-consciously or we think that the people we are surrounded with are asymptomatic, and receive things from their hands. We do not realize that the person who looks asymptomatic, maybe is a carrier. So, every time we touch something, and even if we do not touch, we should make it a habit to wash our hands properly with a good quality liquid handwash for at least 20 seconds.
b) Wear Gloves: It may feel little unusual wearing gloves all the time when you are working. But making it a habit can save us from coming into contact with the virus. Once you have packed up for the day, you can change your gloves, wash your hands, sanitize them, and again wear a new pair of gloves until you reach home.
c) Sanitize Your Equipment: You will also be handling a lot of the equipment for wedding photography or birthday photography, and making sure it is safe for your use is crucial. The virus can stay active for quite some time on surfaces and virus particles can even travel through the air and settle down on the equipment surface, leading risk of exposure from the virus. Therefore, making sure to constantly sanitize your equipment as well as wearing gloves, which too is changed regularly is a priority. One can use bactericidal wipes and other sanitizers to sanitize the camera and equipment, easily available to purchase from online sites.
2) Safety:
a) Wear Face Mask: Make sure to wear face masks and shield to get the safety you require from the virus. Preferably, wearing a mask and then a visor over it would be the most secure way to step into the crowd.
b) Do Not Eat From Outside: Try to completely avoid food from outside. It is better to eat home-made food. Even if you are eating something minimal, try getting it packed from home. You also must try to carry your bottle of water.
c) Take A Shower Once Home: One of the most important safety measures is to take a shower right after coming home from outside contact.
3) Social Distancing: Make sure to maintain distance from every individual to stay safe. While capturing a picture, it is important to maintain distance. To capture the shots even while maintaining social distancing, try using the following lenses:
• EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM.
• EF24-105mm f/4L IS II USM.
• EF24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM.
• EF-S18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM.
• EF-M15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM.
• EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM.
• EF-M18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM.
While you are taking so many measures to steer clear of COVID, you must take care of your diet as well. Try adding a lot of Vitamin C and Vitamin B in your diet. If need be, you can even take supplements of these vitamins after consulting with your doctor. Also, try drinking lukewarm water every half an hour. And if you are smoker, you must get rid of this habit to keep your lungs healthy. Whenever if get some time in the entire day, do not forget to indulge in some physical activities, even if it is yoga.
Finding a reason to believe that life can still be normal amidst such a crisis is very important. We can’t let such a crisis win. Thus, the celebration is important to keep up the spirit, but also keeping in mind that we need to be safe and most importantly we need to keep our elders and kids safe around us. A small mistake out of hand can lead to bigger chaos.