Liron Erel: Combining parenthood with photography business during the lockdown

image credits: echoesandwildhearts.com

Everybody copes with the quarantine in different ways, but let’s agree - your experience is more or less shaped by your personal life status. Even if most of our team members don’t have kids, we get to hear from our friends and fellow creatives how challenging it can be to find a perfect balance between productive work and sweet parenthood, all at home. Liron’s perspective on this topic truly inspired us and it will resonate with anyone staying at home these days - singles, married, parents, creatives, or non-creatives. 

You’re about to learn some tips on how to reach that sweet spot of productivity and playtime, how to be grateful for bare essentials and little life pleasures, and how to prepare your photography business for the post-quarantine season. Keep reading, there are a lot of goodies in this article.

Interview #3: Liron Erel from Echoes & Wild Hearts Photography | Wedding Photographer & Filmmaker based in New York

echoesandwildhearts.com - website built with Crowd Design Kit

How have you been feeling in the past few weeks? Did the lockdown affect you?

The lockdown affected me, first and foremost with all my weddings between April and July being postponed to either late autumn or next year. Luckily, nothing was canceled but just moved dates, so that's very comforting. Mentally speaking, I have been taking this lockdown on a "day by day" basis. I try not to think too far ahead and minimize my exposure to the news & media.

What helps you stay sane and grounded during the worldwide crisis?

While everyone is pretty much doing the same thing which is: staying at home, I find that your personal life status really shapes your experience during lockdown: from single people living by themselves, to couples living together, young families, elderly/retired folks etc. I think that what is mostly keeping me sane is the fact that I have a wife and kid to look after. My kid is almost 3 and boy, he is full of energy. So I don't really have a lot of time to ponder or drown in misery, as this little guy needs to be fed, amused, bathed & entertained.

Thanks to him, we keep busy every single day so that definitely helps. My favorite part of the day is taking him out on short walks around our house with his little scooter. Life has been minimized to the bare essentials; if the sun is out and he's smiling: I have all that I need.

In your opinion, what are 3 things that photographers and other creatives can focus on, right now, to help their business survive and make it stronger for the time when things go back to normal?

There are definitely things to do! This situation is not permanent and that is an important fact to remember. 

A. Albums & prints! Email your clients and offer discounted products. Nobody is doing anything right now. What could be better than working on those wedding album selections they've been postponing for a year.

B. Marketing. 2021 is around the corner and people are looking to book! Post photos to Instagram, boost posts if that's your thing & connect with wedding planners. I recommend reviewing your deposit policy and make sure it’s aligned with your financial plan. That will help you go through this economical drought.

C. Re-do your website and/or galleries. This winter I re-did my entire website with Squaremuse and could not be happier. If you're stuck at home with nothing to do: Polish your website and make sure it speaks to your ideal clients!

What would you say to someone who is having a hard time these days (which is probably most of us, to be honest)?

Go easy on yourself. Forgive yourself! It is ok to do nothing. Minimize your exposure to the media if you feel it only generates more stress to your system. If you feel all you want to do today is binge on Netflix and eat an entire box of pizza, that is totally ok. But do take care of yourself, body, mind, and spirit. Try to find a balance, that sweet spot, between not feeling pressured into "having to do something" and to actually achieving little goals. 20 push-ups, some squats, read a book, answer emails. Anything that will keep your brain and body active. 

If you're feeling down: talk to your friends and family, don't keep it in. Let others who care about you lift your spirit.

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The biggest takeaway from Liron’s interview is: being grateful for small things will contribute profoundly to your happiness levels during the quarantine. As challenging as it gets sometimes, parenthood can keep you sane and not let you go down the rabbit hole. And most importantly, having a healthy family as well as a business/job you can work on and look forward to getting back to when this is all over - well, that is a true blessing. 

Stay tuned, as we’re continuing the series with Klo Burgess who will be sharing what it’s like to work as a graphic and website designer and how her work habits have changed since the lockdown.

Creatively yours,

Squaremuse Team