Being sick is always an inconvenience especially when you have a lot planned with your day or week. If you’re a freelancer like me, then on most days you can’t afford to be sick because you can’t afford to be losing money. Having a firm grip on the concept that time is actually money, you cannot accommodate any illness or be lazy due to an illness. Sadly, we never really plan to become sick unless you’re trying to get a few days off from work but in other regards, it pretty much just happens. With that said, I will be sharing with you some tips as to how you can get through a busy week or just a busy day as a photography while you’re sick. This article will relate perfectly to a photographer fighting the flu as this is the most common illness amongst us.
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You have to first take into consideration the limits of your body as you are not completely well. As a result of this, I always advise taking everything a step at a time and not overdoing it. While it is logical and makes a lot of sense to want to stay as productive as possible, at the same time you don’t want to push yourself too hard and do more harm than good. If you have an upcoming shoot, try to take it slow at least the day before and get your set up in place.
If you have a helping hand who’s currently a lot more healthy than you are at the moment then I advise you to let them do most of the work. As freelancers or even as a photographer you tend to enjoy doing a couple things on your own and having control of your set but at some point, you should accept some help. Once your set up is done and you’ve successfully prepared yourself for your upcoming session, you can then prepare yourself to rest. Focus on the things that are immediately important and do those that are not much importance at a time when you have more energy.
Speaking of preparing yourself for rest, leads me to my next point. Don’t you dare think that it is in your best interest to stay up late and watch Netflix movies or even try to do some post-production work late at night? You eventually end up robbing yourself of the adequate rest you need to get through the day. Always remind yourself that your body is not operating at its full functionality at the moment and you might find yourself getting very tired in a short span of time.
It is advised by doctors and individuals in the medical field that the body needs a full eight hours of sleep. I am no doctor but I believe if you’re ill, you should at least try to get 9-10 hours of sleep so your body has gotten adequate rest and some extra hours as well. Rest is important, not only when you’re sick but also when you’re completely healthy. Your body and health are more important than your photography session, therefore you should aim to make it a priority and not subject yourself to feeling worse than you already do.
I know for a fact some if not all of us have your guilty pleasures that we enjoy so much and have a hard time saying no to. However, for a moment when you take a break from your session, make it a habit to eat a few healthy things. Take some vitamins and try something that will help to improve your immune system and not just make you feel full. Your body reacts as a result as to what you put in it. Therefore if you’re used to eating junk all the time then be prepared for your body not feel all that great.
I promise I’m no health and fitness coach but I promise you to feel a difference once you’ve changed your diet during this time of illness. I will also encourage you to continue eating healthy so it helps to prevent any future illnesses as well. Being a photographer is a hectic job and I know sometimes you might not find the time to make a proper meal and can only grab a snack so consider some healthy options to help you be productive throughout your sessions.
It’s usually a photographers job to interact with his model or client while on the job to give them creative direction or even make them feel comfortable. Sadly when you’re sick, you might want to cut back on this. After making the client or model aware of your illness, I advise you minimize the interaction with them as much as possible. This is not to be disrespectful or scornful but more so to show a sign of respect and common decency that you would not like to affect them in any way. If possible, have a friend or assistant on set with you to aid in these interactions between you and your model. This will professionalism and effort as you are trying to ensure you do not get your client or model sick.
It’s been such a pleasure sharing these simple but effective tips with you. I hope you never get sick and have to use them but if you do, I assure you these steps will help you get through that day or week with your photography sessions.
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