Spring Forward!!!
Last year we all had our own “2020 vision” but none of us could have anticipated the way life would change nor the struggles we would face. As many of us adjusted our clocks forward to accommodate daylight savings, I wish we could have moved the clock forward a year or two to save lives, businesses, sanity, to restore the trajectory of our kids, and once again enjoy freedom and enriching life experiences.
This pandemic has presented us with challenges and uncertainty that was never even on our radar, all at a time when our nation and even our global community experience some of the most divisive times and issues we have encountered in this modern era of internet, instant communication, and social media. How wonderful it would be to move our clocks forward, to spring forward, and embrace the healing and hope that lies on that horizon that keeps stretching out before us, seemingly just beyond reach. On the other hand, might we find ourselves desiring to turn back the clock to times before Covid turned our world upside down?
Though the simple and necessary acts of working and collaborating has been contentious through this pandemic, we successfully adapted to restrictions imposed by government, operational guidelines suggested by our industry, and further honed our compassion and intuition to the individual needs and wishes of everyone we work with. In the photography projects we were fortunate enough to be a part of this year, we tailored our operations and approach to meet a wide spectrum of different strategies to ensure a successful shoot. We recently produced a commercial automotive shoot where spending thousands to have our limited crew of twenty people Covid tested and employ a Covid compliance officer was the essential standard. Daily health screenings, enhanced social distancing, live-streamed remote viewing, repeated disinfecting, staggered meal times, and self-isolation were the norm. In contrast to that, we secured smaller projects by dramatically reducing crew size, pooling resources, and doing more with less equipment. In some instances, I ended up shooting products from a home studio and cooperated on and shared images via teleconferencing platforms. Thank you to Idea Enablers, Reka Home Fitness, HDEU, Team Tami Real Estate, David & Goliath, Kia and numerous other clients for entrusting us to navigate projects through these crazy times.
As we all welcome the new blooms of spring, rolling green hills, celebrate this change of seasons, and further emerge from this winter of “discontent”, I remain hopeful that our opportunities to collaborate in person and to “live” again will quickly push our collective hardships into the past. Though there were times in this past year that we were considered “non-essential”, I became more acutely aware of how essential my family, my friends, and my amazing clients and colleagues are. I have newfound gratitude for the little things… the loyalty and compassion of family and friends, the phone calls of those who selflessly help and reach out to one another, the memories we are able to build together, those simple divine blessings attributed to nature and the outdoors, and time- sweet, wonderful, priceless and precious time. I also have developed new appreciation for those things we take for granted like mass transit, students being able to attend school, dining IN, air travel, going to the movies, in-person doctor’s appointments, concerts, holiday gatherings, attending church, celebrating weddings, and all those other luxuries that were out of reach for us. While I have grown accustomed to looking into people’s eyes behind their masks to glean any sense of character, emotion, or to more importantly connect on a more personal level, I do miss seeing their veiled smiles. While we all struggle to hear muffled voices and laughter, I’m excited for the time where masks come down, things come easier and social distancing gives way to genuine hugs, handshakes, celebrations and shared moments that are not as Zoom compliant. At this time while we spring forward, I wish you, your family, and your business infinite successes, good health and a bright future full of hope and promise and I truly hope to connect with you soon.
