Coronavirus and Putting Business On Hold
This was supposed to be a very different Blog post. I wrote it initially last week, right as Coronavirus was just getting serious in Westport (where I live) and Greenwich (where my Studio is). Since then, I’ve decided to cancel/reschedule all my sessions until April, at which point things will be re-evaluated, since it’s so hard to tell what’s going to happen even a week from now.
On a personal front, I am currently isolating myself from my family and the outside world as I developed some very mild symptoms late last week. Westport has been hard hit, and I have a feeling a lot more people are sick or have the virus without showing symptoms than we realize. Children are often carriers without realizing it, and I have two of them in elementary school. There aren’t enough test kits to test everyone, so we probably will never know the real numbers. My own case is very mild, with no complications or scary symptoms (my low grade fever wouldn’t even quality as a fever in most cases, but I know my body and I knew right away when something was wrong). And I don’t know whether it’s Coronavirus or the flu, but I’m not taking any chances.
The safety of my clients is most important to me. Above the income I depend on from my business, and above keeping this under wraps in fear of the stigma that surrounds this disease right now. I haven’t left a 200 square foot area of my bedroom in days and I haven’t touched or been anywhere near my children or husband. As a mother, that part is the hardest. My family hasn’t been out in contact with anyone either, since they could be potentially exposed, even though they aren’t sick themselves.
There are posts on Facebook about people throwing parties, hanging out in groups on the beach (which has since been closed down), having playdates, and going out to eat at crowded restaurants. I understand not wanting to disrupt life as we know it, but even before I had any idea that I could be sick, I made sure to stay indoors as much as possible and avoid close conversations with others (being an anti-social introvert is really working out in my favor right about now). My photography work thankfully doesn’t require close contact (it’s certainly nice to be able to adjust things using my hands, but not necessary) and my plan was to always keep that distance even if I never got sick with anything.
This is not just about us - it’s about everyone who is around us who might be at risk. It’s about the overloaded hospitals and lack of supplies if we hit huge numbers of people who need care. There is so much misinformation and frantic fear, but there are also facts and information that’s important to know. Like how Coronavirus is most contagious before any symptoms surface. And we all have to take that seriously.
This will be a huge hit for my business. A month (or more) without any portrait sales is a big deal. But it doesn’t matter nearly as much as the lives that could potentially be at stake.
If you want to help or show your support, I encourage you to book a session for May/June, the session fee for which will go a long way to help pay Studio rent (supporting my landlord, who also depends on his income) and the multitude of expenses a business requires to simply stay afloat. Please feel free to email me at info@nlalorphotography.com to arrange your session or purchase a gift card, if that’s something you’re interested in. And if you’re in a similar situation and simply want to talk, please don’t hesitate to reach out as well.
I am quickly getting better and plan on returning to the behind-the-scenes work in the next few days to set my business up for a successful return once it is deemed safe to do so. In the end, I know things will go back to normal (at some point, at least) and we will be glad we took precautions, were careful with ourselves and our loved ones, and did everything we could to take care of others.
