It's business as usual. Or nearly usual as you can be in these times!

What can I say? Covid-19 has severly impacted the world and it's global econmoy, the only people that seem to be doing well out of this are the manufactures of toilet paper. Thankfully I speak a load of crap (according to some people!!) so I usually have a stack of toilet paper ;-)

Why business as usual?

Because until (when?) the government decides to order a total and utter shutdown / lockdown of all non essential movement, work, travel, functions etc etc then that's all I can do. I'm self employed. No sick pay for me, despite the measures the Government has taken so far.

You may be seeing on social media about how this will impact small business? We rely on people like YOU to buy our goods and services. Cash flow is king as they say, and never more so in a small business. So if you want to go out and buy stuff look for the smaller family owned business first. The local fruit & veg stall holder, the butcher, the family owne pharmacy, the independent bookstore. Just buy local and buy from small business.

My own business isn't too bad, and certianly not as impacted as other wedding photographers. I took measures 2 years ago to reduce my monthly outgoings, reduce my costs of doing business, to streamline how I worked. I don't have young children, but do have eldery parents (and yes - that includes my mum Theresa who will batter me for calling her elderly!) That's not to say I won't be impacted - I fully expect to...BUT it will ONLY happen on the advice / orders of the UK Government.

Otherwise my contract with my wedding couple still stands - I'll be there. Unless of course I need to self isolate and in which case I will do my damnedest to find a suitable replacement.

I'm looking for a HazMat suit to turn up in anyway, the issue is the gloves are to thick to adjust the camera settings!!

What else am I doing?

Stocking up on hand cream - all this washing with soapy water is doing my hands no good!!! On a serious note I was lucky enough to buy in several small bottles of hand santiser due to my hill walking / dog walking activites and thinking ahead to getting the new addition, Oswiu. Picking up urine soaked paper, bags of dog poo etc means you keep your hands clean!

Other than that it's been a real shock not to shake hands, hug people. I really felt it at yesterday's wedding fayre!! So strange but with typical British humour we got through it. And keeping a sense of porportion and humour is vital.

My wedding season starts in ernest at the end of this month, and some things about how I work will change. No hugging for a start. I usually allow younger adults to play around with my cameras and I'm going to have to stop that. I'll be more aware of my surroundings to ensure that social distance is kept and I'll be washing my hands way more often and way longer than has been the norm, and I've also bought a bloody huge lens so I can stay at home and photograph your wedding ;-)

The last thing I'm doing is getting rid of d!cks on my soclal media pages who post scaremongering crap, post sh!t that can not be verified, post without thinking about the consequences and constantly have a negative "were all going to die" mentality. #PMA #PositiveMentalAttitude. #WeCanBeatThis

Booking me.

Yup - people are still booking meetings with me. And whilst those meetings are done differently (Emma & Erik, it felt really strange not to shake hands / hug after you guys booked!!!) it can be done. Sensible precautions, logical thinking.

I've noticed on socla media that a coupe of wedding photographers are reducing prices in an effort to get bookings, to get the booking fees, to help tide them over. I've also noticed in the wedding photography groups that some wedding photographers are asking for a 50% booking fee (and it's non refundable by the way) to help the cash flow.

Whilst I can understand that I won't be doing anyting like that. MY booking fee is now £150 and will stay that way for the next two months.

I've been advertising on my website that my prices will be increasing at the end of this month and I intend to stick with it. As of today my prices will rise in 1 week 1 days by £75. Not across the board, but the collections will change etc. It's part of my longterm business strategy to slowly increase prices to keep it as painless for me in 'selling' to you and for you in buying me. I like to offer value for money whilst making sure I can afford that toilet paper.

Jaffa Cakes Discount (JCD)

That is still there. 10% discount when you buy me a box of Jaffa Cakes. Get in quick by the way...because if weddings are part of the lockdown Jaffa Cakes will be in short supply and as you know I DO NOT SHARE THEM!! ;-)

What YOU can do?

Well, you can not be afraid of getting in touch and booking me. If you have stalked me for a while (and hello to the couple getting married in 2021 who I spoke to very briefly at UWE wedding Fayre yesterday...I'm over 50% (52.80% to be exact according my management information) booked for 2021 so #BookNeNowOrLoseMeForever !!) drop me a line and start the process.

I want to meet every single couple face to face, social distancing excepted. You have to like me as much as I like you. After all you're spending a bloody large amount of money on me so make sure you really do like me.

So yeah. 5 sales meetings in the diary. 4 for 2021 and 1 for 2022. I know who I want to work with, whose weddings I want to photograph.

Your call, though if you are too afraid to get in touch you're not my kind of client.

I'll leave you with this cute video I found, from 2 years ago...