A Year Since Lockdown - Barbara Leatham

Today we talk to Barbara Leatham who is a professional commercial photographer who specialises in commercial/brand/corporate photography for businesses. She's based in Tilshead, Wiltshire.

This week marks a year since lockdown began and the reality of the pandemic hit the UK. What are your memories of that day? 

I remember thinking, let’s hope it doesn’t last long, the hope that people didn’t panic buy, the worry about the kids not being at school and how I was going to manage the business as well as them being home. 

It was a rollercoaster of emotions fuelled by the unknown and the inability to plan. I worried about my clients, what it meant for them, would they still about to run their businesses.

Thinking back, how did you anticipate the way forward for your business over those first few days? 

I think I was treading water for a bit, seeing how things were going to pan out, but then I realised I couldn’t sit and wait, I had to take some pivotal action for the business so I could reassure my clients and feel like I was planning for action rather than waiting for the storm. 

What actions did you take to save/change/pivot/support your business? 

I offered to shoot clients brand work from home. And I was very lucky that as long as I was outside and using social distancing, I was still able to offer a photographic service to my clients. The “Lockdown 10” that I created was a service that businesses could buy into. 

On a practical side, it wasn’t cost effective to offer this long term as it takes a great deal of time to set up a shoot from nothing. But it was a great way to support businesses and help keep them looking visual, as well as keeping me busy.

I also learned about  virtual photoshoots, which is pretty amazing. Offering clients the opportunity to do a shoot without actually having to be there in person. It’s a little more technical, but totally doable and fun. It’s also opened up the opportunity for me not to be restricted to a local area. 

I did a shoot recently with a client based in Manchester. I’m just in the process of adding this to my website as an option for clients and to educate them. I think that if the lockdown hadn’t happen this kind of photography wouldn’t have become necessary, but it’s added another option for my clients who may not be ready to do more.

Name any positive outcomes of the last year for your business?

I gained an incredible client, Ard aLume, based in Ireland, they sent me their creations and I spent most of the summer last year photographing them

Definitely the virtual photo shoots, I got to learn something new that might never have happened otherwise.

Most of all, still being in business even after all the chaos. I have to thank so many people for the support they have given me, clients, family and friends.

Name any positive outcomes for you personally over the last year?

Being totally grateful for the little things. Time with family and friends means so much, it’s the thing I’m looking forward to the most as well. I appreciate being able to go for a walk around my village, that I won’t take things for granted the way I might have done before.

I feel more confident. Still being here with a viable business even when things have been so crazy, not everyone has been so lucky. 

I feel excited about the future, not just of the business, but being able to see the opportunities and not be scared to have a go, learn something new, take a risk. 

I’ve used the time to really explore where I want the business to go, myself and it are changing for the positive.

What do you most look forward to doing IN BUSINESS as we slowly move out of lockdown? 

Being face to face with clients and helping them get back on their feet and being visual. I’ve always been very proactive about supporting other businesses, I want them to be successful and do well, it’s important to support them now more than ever.

What do you most look forward to doing IN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE as we slowly move out of lockdown?

Seeing family! We have a granddaughter we haven’t met yet; our older boys and their families are all doing things and we haven’t been able to see them. It’s so frustrating, so that’s the first thing we will do as a family.

Seeing my best friends. One lives in Leicestershire and the other in Birmingham, I can’t remember a time in our friendships when we had more than a few months between visits. 

Going to the National Trust places we love to visit and seeing new places we haven’t been to before. I don’t plan to go overseas when there’s so much still to explore at home. 

What are your predictions for business generally in late 2021 into 2022? 

I think that those businesses who have come through will go on to do well. Sheer determination and resilience will help. 

A lot of businesses will have closed, which will make new opportunities that might not have been available before.

A big worry is all the unemployed from businesses that have closed down. With the hopes of lockdown lifting I am starting to see more posts about businesses looking for new members of staff, so I’m keeping everything crossed that things will pick up and gain momentum. This could be a good time for someone to try something new.

Name one person who has been a lockdown hero for you over the last year?

My husband, David. He’s been the absolute backbone of everything. When things got tough, and I stressed out he was always there to keep me grounded. His support ensured I could manage with the business, the kids being home schooled and everything else, it made the world of difference for me.

Name one business which has been heroic for you or your community over the last year?

Every business has been affected with Covid, and I was worried that one of my consistent clients, Scott Media, might have to cancel the retainer agreement I had with them. My business can be feast and famine from week to week, but the work I do with Fiona and her clients guarantees a fixed income that allows my business to bend with the rise and falls as they happen.

Fiona was instantly on the phone to me to arrange a solution that meant I could still provide a service while she gave my little business a sense of security to cope with the unexpected. 

Three things that made Fiona a hero for me during lockdown. Firstly, was her instant phone call that helped me from panicking. Second was her solution so both our businesses could offer a service to our clients and keep working, albeit to a lesser degree. And third was her unwavering support and understanding.

I know that in the first lockdown her business was hit hard with her clients consolidating their expenses and cutting costs, it could have been very easy for this to snowball. Instead, she looked at the bigger picture and helped to ensure that many of us are still here after what has been a bonkers year.

And finally?

My advice for the future of this year, and the time to come, is to have patience with businesses and individuals as we move back into a new kind of normal.

I think we are all agreed that things won’t go back to what they were, so there’s still going to be a period of unsettlement for many as things get back on their feet and we find our way.

There might be new and shiny things available, but it’s good to remember the people who have stuck by us during this last year, keep supporting them like they have supported us. Remember that saying “thank you” goes a long way.

Find out more here www.BarbaraLeatham.co.uk