How professional wedding photographers are responding to COVID-safe weddings?

The COVID -19 pandemic has completely transformed every industry. Anticipating the catastrophic impact of it, the government has imposed restrictions on gatherings while complying with physical distancing norms. Similar to every industry, the business of wedding photographers has also faced the grind. The complete industry was hard hit with the impact that’s going to stay here for several months to come.

Inevitably, the outlook of tackling new bookings for wedding photographers has been changed. Since the concept of Big-Fat-Indian weddings has subdued, the business of wedding photographers has also scaled down leading to a tussle of making money in the present industry dynamics. There are several factors that they are considering while signing a project from considering the budget to COVID safety. No matter how good the budget of the client is, they have adopted their own way of responding to working safely amid COVID.

Focusing on safety first

Covering a gathering of 150-200 people is a big risk in the COVID pandemic era. But wedding photographers have already suffered huge losses during the lockdown that now everyone has to risk their lives to survive in the market. There are many other vendors working for preparations – makeup artists, DJ, caterers, decorators, etc. mainly behind the scenes. But the vendors who are more prone to the risk of getting infected are the wedding photographers who stay at the forefront to capture happy and emotional faces. They are the ones who hustle from one corner to the other with heavy lenses and camera to make sure nothing is left – from guests to little elements. Thus, they are adopting all preventive measures necessary to keep themselves safe amid the uncertain environment.

Room for more concepts

Now that micro-weddings have become the new normal, there is a limitation to the number of guests. Families hosting the ceremonies or pre-wedding events are considering small and outdoor venues to accommodate their gatherings while promoting health safety. This has resulted in making space for more zoomed in and candid shots for wedding photographers. The concept of micro-weddings brings more opportunities for them to experiment with vanity shots, bride and groom’s portraits, family pictures, décor, food, and capturing each face at the wedding. Additionally, there is more ease for cinematographers and videographers to pan out their cameras seamlessly without hesitating about the crowd.

People-centric service

Last year, everyone had a tough time in terms of finances, even the salaries were delayed or reduced. This makes it quite predictable and obvious that people will ask for discounts. Also with the size of gatherings shrinking, people believe that the price for photography will also come down. Thus, wedding photographers are playing smart at their end to avoid any sort of loss. They are packaging the services in a more customer-centric way. Some are offering discounts in order to get a greater number of leads while others are charging the same amount to cover up the losses suffered due to pandemic restrictions.

Being flexible with budgeting

Since people expect huge discounts after a long low in the market, it is necessary for wedding photographers to re-strategize their pricing models. Offering discounts do not have to be related to undervaluing the work. It simply means reworking their pricing model in a way that helps wedding photographers entice clients while offering quality and profitable services. Designing a creative package will also result in their competitiveness and help them stand out in the market. Also, if you don’t want a disappoint a low budget client, give them suggestions to plan their wedlock on weekdays. Wedding photographers usually have fewer bookings on weekdays and will reduce the chances of any clash.

Using digital media strategies

Pandemic has made everyone tech-savvy. The journey of customers from finding a vendor to comparing their work and pricing has changed dramatically. This has made wedding photographers adaptable to market trends. Instead of wasting resources on traditional business techniques, they are actively working on digital media strategies to keep high visibility in the market. They are working on SEO to improve their website’s ranking, adding updates about how they are working during COVID, etc. Apart from this, wedding photographers are aggressively updating their social media accounts and creating engagements to make sure they achieve organic growth. Besides this, many budding wedding photographers are working on learning new techniques and upgrading their skills. This could be the best time for them to increase their strength and make them competent in the industry.

Takeaway

No matter how adverse the crisis has been, wedding photographers are showing a positive spirit about the industry. The pandemic has not only brought challenges but also great opportunities. The wedding photographers are being resilient and planning with new and creative strategies to acquire customers in the new year.