On Reinventing Business - COVID19 Watch from Pioneer, CA - Amador

In January of 2020, I worked tireless hours with the Amador Wedding Collaborative to put on the first ever Amador Wedding and Wine Tour Located in Sutter Creek at the Hotel Sutter. The event met and exceeded our expectations in terms of attendees and some of our vendors have confirmed bookings out of the event. 
 
Then, Kristi, Jenny and I quickly planned a follow up event at Simply Bubbles in February.  We all booked clients. We had Vendor Mixers scheduled, high-end styled shoots and were assisting others in planning their events. We talked about a large, Jam-style event for Amador County in the Summer of 2020. 
 
Then COVID-19 appeared in the United States and California shut down in a matter of days. We are now faced with the difficult realization that when our country, state, and county re-open the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 will still be present. Business is, if not forever changed, then long-term, severely different. 
 
In a matter of weeks, businesses have been made to reinvent. (The one that did it the most quickly, in my opinion is the restaurant business. They went from dine-in to take-out almost overnight.) I admit, I have been slower in my reinvention in terms of my business. The photographing itself hasn’t been difficult. I have had three shoots that have been successful at social distancing. I have two lenses that are wonderful for distances greater than 15’.
 
However, the scheduling is difficult. This is a sensitive time where we should be considerate of peoples’ health and I have not been promoting or advocating for business operations. Also, I have built my brand on events, documenting peoples’ milestones, and being in the community, which is different, now-a-days, with much of our lives taking place online. I am not a huge fan of hanging out online. Like almost everyone, I prefer to hang out in person. 

Still, I must find a way to produce quality photos, information and virtual events for people in the sea of “what’s happening virtually.” This is the current brainstorm for myself and the Amador Wedding Collaborative and I'm sure many businesses around the world. 
 
For now, I’ll be using my networks in the community to get back to social distancing shoots for families, seniors, couples, businesses, and clubs. It’s going to look different than it has in the past, but your photos don’t have to. They will be awesome. 

What about you? How are you reinventing yourself or your business during this time of online living? Comment below. 

*A note on the ring photos. These are all that I'll share from a social distancing elopement in April 2020. The couple prefered to keep their photos private, but I will say the afternoon was beautiful, woodsey, and golden in the evening with a glowing bride and handsome groom.  Comment below which photo you prefer.