Taking photographs of children is a joy for me. Watching their excitement when they enter my is fun to watch. Because of this pandemic, times have certainly changed when working with children. To ensure that their experience is a pleasurable one as possible, here are a few tips to help with that process. I suggest doing the following things:

1. Have in your Terms of Agreement something that states — “. . . if you or your child has a fever, cold, chills, loss of taste of any notable signs and/or symptoms of COVID-19, according to CDC (Center for Disease Control) guidelines, please contact us (the studio or photographer) as soon as possible to that we can reschedule the photo session to another day.” Be sure that they have been seen by their Primary Care Physician and have quarantined for the appropriate time.

2. Have ample hand sanitizer for the family so that they can keep their hands sanitized before, during and after the session. If possible, have some hand lotion available after they use the sanitizer multiple times. The alcohol contained in the sanitizer can dry out the hands and cause them to become ashy and rough. The women will normally carry their own but have it on hand just in case. 

3. Have extra masks in the case the children have accidentally left theirs in the car or at home. Be sure to wear your mask at all times. Avoid touching the children, if at all possible. If you must touch the child ask the parents for permission or have the parents pose the children per your instructions. This is crucial even if you are asymptomatic.

4. Be sure the office or studio space or what ever space you are going to photography your clients in. Also keep the Sani-wipes, Clorox wipes or Lysol spray out and keep all touch points sanitized. Touch points include but are not limited to lights switches, door knobs and handles, bathroom door knobs and toilet handles, in addition to bathroom faucets.

5. As a child photographer, you must anticipate that the children will eventually get thirsty from being in front of your studio lights — whether strobes or continuous lights. They can easily become dehydrated and irritable. Also have some healthy refreshments for the children. You can gather that information from a questionnaire sent to the client from a lead contact form or during a pre-consultation with the client once they have booked their session.

6. Encourage the parents to make sure that the child(ren) get a good night sleep and a good breakfast before their photo session. This will ensure that the child(ren) will be able to make it through a large portion of the photo session and not become irritable and sleepy after ten minutes. Persuade the parents to schedule the younger children (3-7 years old) for an earlier session. You'll be glad you did.  These principles work well with adult and family portrait sessions as well.  Being clean works for everyone.

Allow me to capture a moment in time that will be cherished for generations to come. A picture may be worth a thousand words but a portrait created by Leonard Bethel Fine Art Photography is priceless.

Stay well and stay safe.