POST-COVID-19 STUDIO POLICIES

For these sessions to happen, we all need to make sure we're following the current CDC guidelines for social distancing and hygiene which you can read about here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

1. Other than the actual photo session, all other client-photographer interactions will be done via FaceTime/Skype/Zoom or a phone call to limit in-person activities/contact. This includes but is not limited to pre-session consultations, styling consultations, ordering appointments, placing an order, etc.

2. If clients are interested in ordering prints/products from their sessions, all product/ordering appointments will be done on a Zoom/FaceTime call or over the phone until further notice. This can also be done at the time of your session while practicing social distancing measures if you’re interested in me holding products and showing you them from afar, but there is no way to disinfect the products, so they may not be held by clients at this time.

3. Upon entrance to the studio, all shoes will be left outside the front door.

4. You must bring a mask and wear a mask during your session at all times, except when being photographed. Exceptions are only for those 2 years old and younger. These can be any kind of masks (I know there aren’t a ton available out there) such as homemade cloth ones, medical ones, bandanas, etc.

5. All members of the family must wash their hands prior to entry to the studio. There will be a hand-washing station available immediately inside the house for you to use prior to entry to the studio. I will also wash my hands while you are settling in.

6. All surfaces that you will come into contact with will have been cleaned prior to your arrival. If you need to nurse, you may use the studio bed area, a chair in the studio, or the studio bathroom. If you'd rather to nurse in your vehicle (some clients prefer this), you're more than welcome to! If you (or a family member) do go outside to your vehicle, you must wash your hands before you come back inside.

7. You must have been home from the hospital after giving birth at least 14 days quarantined prior to your session.

8. If you, or anyone in your family, or anyone you have been in contact with contracts the virus or has come into contact with someone who tested positive/experiencing symptoms of the virus, you must notify me so we can reschedule. You must quarantine for 14 days after exposure (without showing symptoms). I know this may seem harsh, but I work with newborns, who have almost no immune systems because of how young they are. We must think about others during this time, as well as ourselves, and reduce the potential of putting others at risk. It would be heartbreaking to know one of my clients was affected.

9. Everyone who willingly wishes to do a studio session right now must complete a waiver upon entrance to the studio. Parents will sign for those under 18 years old. I will scan and email you a copy after the session! To avoid pen germs, pens should be placed in designated “used pens” jar.

10. If you, or anyone in your family has had a fever or cough in the past 72 hours, please let me know so we can reschedule.

11. If you do arrive to the studio (or I arrive to your session or home) and notice that you are showing symptoms (coughing excessively, etc), I do reserve the right to end the session and reschedule once you are no longer showing symptoms.

12. No one else but the members being photographed (including friends or family) in the session are allowed in the studio. There will be no exceptions. The only persons allowed in the session are immediate family (mom, dad, baby, siblings) - no grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc...

13. The studio and studio bathroom will be sanitized (soap first, then disinfectant) before and after every session that takes place in the studio.

14. There will be no contact during the sessions at all. We must remain 6 feet apart from each other at all times, except for these instances: For newborn sessions, while I am photographing the newborn baby alone, I will wrap and pose the baby if you are comfortable with this. If you are not comfortable with this, I will verbally explain to you how to do it, and have you place baby on the beanbag poser. For milestone sessions, I don't ever need to wrap or touch your child, so I will ask that you place them on the bed and floor as needed (as we normally would anyways!). I may need to get closer than 6 feet during this part, but this will only happen when absolutely necessary and approved by the parents. I will also always be wearing a mask at all times during the session. 

15. These sessions will be done as quickly as possible to limit being near other people. However, I'm sure you know since you now have a newborn in your life, we work on baby time. It's okay if you need to take breaks to nurse, feed, change, or put baby back to sleep! We have plenty of time for this, so please do not stress. The average newborn session takes about 3 hours. 

16. There will only be one session per day until further notice. This is to allow for proper sanitizing. 

17. Because the studio is also located in our home where we live every day, extra precautions will be taken including: The only 2 rooms in the house that clients have access to until further notice. These areas include the actual studio shooting space and the bathroom to its immediate right. The front room on the main level that is typically used as a sitting area/for ordering appointments (and all other areas) are off-limits.

18. If there are other children in attendance at the sessions, they must wait in the carpeted area right in front of the studio shooting space. They cannot go anywhere else during the session and it is your responsibility to make sure they do not. Feel free to bring toys that they can play with while we photograph mom, dad, and new baby.

Unfortunately, with everything going on in the world right now due to COVID-19, there are new studio policies I have to implement to keep my clients and my family safe. In order to continue having sessions in the studio, these non-negotiable policies are now in place: