We're all trying to do the right thing. Some of us are in voluntary self-isolation, others are in an enforced one. Either way - we're all trying to stay safe by staying at home.
If you're a photographer, being at home for the next week or two is an ideal time to do and try something new. It's also a great time to tidy up and back up. There's plenty to keep us busy!
I've put together a list of 8 things that you could do to keep your days busy and interesting and to keep the boredom and gloom at bay.
1. IMAGE BACK UPHow long has it been since you backed up your computer, phone and/or photo hard drives? Now is the perfect time to get your drives backed up and set your mind at ease knowing that your images are safe.
2. CLEANING OUTPhotos in the digital age = a glut of photos clogging up your hard drives. Hundreds, if not thousands of those are truly destined for the recycle bin. Go through your photos and ditch any that are hopeless. Reject the multiples that we take of the same subject too. You'll be amazed at the extra space on your hard drives! Space that is waiting for you to fill again with wonderful new photos!
3. TAKE PHOTOSIf you're trying to socially distance yourself and are not under a strict quarantine, you can still go out and take photos. There are so many places that you can go to without being too close to other people, ie wetlands, parks, beaches, rivers and forests. They are great places to spend some solitary time taking photos.
If you are confined to home, then it's time to get creative. Practice some food and product photography, create a simple home studio and do some still life photography. Get out into your backyard and take photos of whatever you see. You'll be amazed by what's in your own backyard.
4. LEARN SOMETHING NEWIf you want to try something creative and new, then jump online and learn how to do it. There are millions of video tutorials and free e-books online that are just waiting for you. Follow the advice of the experts and experiment with your camera and its settings and then practice them in your new home studio. Now is the time to have some fun with post-processing too - you just don't know what you can do until you try.
5. MAKE PHOTO BOOKS
There are a heap of companies online that have easy programs to create your own photo books. Photo books are like the photo albums of old - but way more creative and really cheap to produce. I make a photo book of each holiday I go on - whether it's a long or short one - I put the photos into a small book and they're always there to look for me to relive good times.
6. ONLINE COURSESThere are so many online courses that you can sign up for and lots of them are free. The world may be closed at the moment, but it's still there in the virtual world and its business as usual! Sign up and make your quarantine time count towards something meaningful.
7. PHOTOGRAPHY RELATED TV SHOWS AND DOCOSIt goes without saying that Netflix and online free streaming is the #1 thing to do for most quarantiners. Google some photography related TV shows and movies. Nature documentaries and travel shows are all there inside your TV or screen and will keep you entertained and inspired for hours, if not days.
8. CLEAN YOUR EQUIPMENT
Do a full audit of all of your camera equipment, including your everyday camera bags and travel cases. Organise it and then clean it. I use Olympus products and received
this handy email from them regarding general cleaning guidelines for their cameras.
If you have any other tips, please share! We're all in this together. Be happy and keep smiling.
