Almost six months on we have been back to the photo agencies who participated in our COVID-19: How’s the photo agency doing? reports to ask how are they doing NOW?
Here is an update from Peter Dare at photo agency Dare & Hier Media.
Dare & Hier Media provide commissioned photography and video assignments so clients working from home and the cancellation of most live events has affected the overall volume of bookings we would normally expect. However other areas have performed well, in addition to ancillary services such as re-touching. Overall this has left us in a good position to move forward when people go back to the office and live events return.
Understandably the way assignments are carried out has changed. Ensuring our photographers are equipped with masks, wipes and hand sanitiser has become the norm. But with a few simple steps and minimal fuss most assignments can be done in a safe way. An assignment last week requiring corporate portraits of 10 senior executives gave us the opportunity to create a case study on how this type of assignment can be carried out safely for both the subjects and the photographer.
Ensuring all touch surfaces are cleaned between portraits, ensuring the photographer wears a mask and maintains a 2 metre distance from the subjects were all key elements of our routine.
Read more on their shoot safety via a LinkedIn post they uploaded here.
Above Photos: Overseas photography assignments have also held up well keeping our international photographers busy across 3 continents. Although lack of events has adversely affected our overseas work we have noticed an increase in one-to-one portraits for magazine use.
Below Photos : In the construction and manufacturing sector companies emerging from lockdown often wanted photography showing how they were changing their production lines to create products needed in the wake of Covid 19 or to demonstrate how they are providing a safe environment for staff and clients.
In terms of marketing, during the last 5 months we have taken the time to create a 60 second showreel showcasing our full range of photography and video services.
Lastly we have made sure we pay our photographers invoices within 7 days to help their cash flow. We are very much aware of the impact the situation is having on photographers with many not eligible for the government’s financial support schemes.
So although it has been a difficult time we are now seeing definite signs of improvement and are optimistic about the coming months.
• Read Dare & Hier’s April 2020 COVID report on PAN
• View all Dare & Hier on PAN