The quarantine period was tough for those in the creative and events industry. Those who rely on face to face client meetings, physical collaborations and gatherings such as weddings suddenly faced waves of cancellations. Photographers were not spared. We asked fashion photographer Junessa Rendon how she coped with these challenging times.

Who is Junessa Rendon Photography and what do you offer?

Hello! My name is Junessa Rendon and I’m a fashion, beauty, and lifestyle photographer. I also offer product photography services.

What opportunities did you lose when the lockdown was implemented?

Since the implementation of the community quarantine, I found myself not having any more bookings for fashion shoots since those need to be done in person with lots of people involved. Photography in itself is a collaborative career. It was tough not being able to meet new makeup artists, models, and brands. As a result I had to pivot to a new solution quickly because the bills weren’t stopping.

How did Junessa Rendon Photography do during the lockdown period?

I decided to expand to offering product photography services. Because of the lockdown, people weren’t even allowed to operate their physical stores, and so I noticed that most, if not all, businesses quickly transitioned to online selling to augment income losses brought by the drastic lessening of foot traffic.

I started posting on groups such as Bounce Back PH where I advertised my photography services. Lots of businesses needed it real bad because they needed to be more visible online.

How did you innovate the way you sold your products to bounce back from the crisis?

Apart from having the skills for editorial photography, I needed to personally hone my product photography and set styling. I started by offering my services at a lower rate so I can practice more. I also needed to get critiques and advice from friends and family about what I can do to improve my product photography skills. The abundance of knowledge online helped me to learn more about the art of set and product styling as well. I even took an online workshop to better equip myself with knowledge!

What is your advice to the Bounceback community?

In order to “bounce back”, you have to be able to remain flexible. Be open to different opportunities so you’re always ready for anything. If you’re a business person who’s not tech-savvy, it’s probably time to sit down and study, if you don’t want your business to become obsolete.

Learning new skills and resiliency are essentials when it comes to business. Lots of capital and investors are important, sure, but without your willingness to learn and without the grit and resiliency, your business will fail.

Always try to bounce back stronger and better! This is not a set-back, it’s an opportunity to innovate 🙂