First of all, I’d like to give a shout out to the very important essential workers, who kept us healthy, fed and cared for over these last 2 months during the Safer at Home Order. Though some of us have been able to stay home and stay safe, essential workers have risked their health and safety to take care of the rest of us. This is such an unimaginable situation, and hopefully the devastation will end very soon.

I hope your family remained safe and healthy during the Safer at Home Order, and continue to as we enter Phase 1 of Dane County's Forward Dane Plan.

I miss you all, and I can't wait to see you, but in a safe space for all of us.

Van Boxtel Photography, LLC plans to reopen May 30th with outdoor sessions.

We will reopen the studio when Dane County reaches Phase 2 of the plan, or when the experts deem the situation safe enough to do so.

When I do reopen the studio, I will do so in a limited capacity. As inconvenient as these limitations may sound, please know they are for our protection. Safety is my number one concern moving forward. Hopefully these limitations will be very short lived, and with the help of everyone, we can keep the spread of COVID-19 at bay.

Also, keep in mind this limited reopening is subject to change at any time. Unfortunately, the future of this virus is unclear, and no permanent future plans can be made at this time. If Dane County Dept. of Public Health declares another round of Safer at Home, or if the safety of my clients and my family becomes at greater risk, I will close immediately.

There will be measures put into your contracts to cover a sudden closure, if it should happen.

Check out the Forward Dane Plan for more information about the different phases and Dane County’s plan to reopen safely.

Our Plan to Reopen

We will focus on three components while in Phase 1 of reopening: Hygiene, Cleaning, and Personal Protection (PPE). Outdoor Family, Senior, Newborn, Child, Engagement and Wedding Sessions are being offered outdoors.

When Studio Sessions are available, they will be limited to one session every 5 days, in order to allow the virus enough time to die before having clients inside. Read this for more information about how long the virus can live on various surfaces.

Unfortunately, Smash Cake Sessions will not be available at this time. There is just too much contact with with saliva and droplets to make this safe. Birthday Sessions are available, just without the cake.

I know. I am sad about this as well.

I miss cake.

Hygiene

Under no circumstance will a session (indoor or outdoor) take place if the photographer or clients have any of the following symptoms.

  • Fever of 100.4 or above (I will be checking my temperature daily and before every session)
  • Sore Throat
  • Cough, new or worsening of
  • Chills
  • Headache
  • Runny Nose (starting before session, and not caused by being outside in chilly weather)
  • Muscle Aches
  • New Loss of Taste or Smell
  • Keep in mind, not everyone experiences any or all symptoms, and you can still spread the virus even if you do not know you have it. This is a very prolific and sneaky virus!
  • If you've been in contact with a sick person prior to 14 days of your session, you will need to reschedule!!

If you exhibit any of the above symptoms during your session, the session will end immediately and be rescheduled for at least 14 days after.


There will be no cancellation fee during the pandemic, unless you come into the studio with symptoms.


If you check your temperature one hour before your session, and you have a fever, cancel. I would rather spend an hour setting up and have to take it down, than you come in sick.

Cleaning

Indoor Sessions:

  • Newborn sessions will be limited to Baskets and Beds Sessions. I will not be using the bean bag poser at this time, as posing on the bean bag has too much physical contact, and the bean bag cannot be cleaned thoroughly. Baskets and Beds Sessions offer adorable newborn photos and also provide a variety of different styles and options.



  • All props, blankets and wraps will be laundered with color safe bleach, and props that cannot be laundered will be cleaned with a 70% alcohol cleaning solution before use. Props that cannot be cleaned and sanitized will not be used.
  • For newborn sessions, I will be using disposable urine pads instead of reusable ones.
  • If you prefer to bring your own wraps, baskets and buckets, I completely understand, and I encourage you to do so. (We can discuss possible reimbursement for props you buy, if you choose to leave them at the studio.)

Outdoor Sessions:

When scheduling your session, it will be important to discuss with me what colors you plan on wearing, and what seating props you want to use.

I will arrive at the scheduled locations about 15 minutes prior to your session, and make sure to sanitize all park benches or seating we may use for your shoot.

The more we have your session planned out and organized, the easier it will be on everyone.

  • At every outdoor session, there will be a table set up with hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes.
  • Props such as wooden benches, chairs, and tree stumps will be used once every 5 days, which is why we need to communicate about your colors.
  • If you would like to use a particular tree stump, bench or chair for your session, let me know when scheduling your session, so we can do our best to secure it for you.
  • I encourage you to bring your own props and blankets for sitting on, if you feel more comfortable doing so.
  • If you have young children, please bring a couple of their favorite toys to your session for them to play with, as I cannot provide these at this time. And with playgrounds being closed during Phase 1, your kids will need something to keep them occupied.

Here is a good reference from DHS Wisconsin about how long the virus can stay on surfaces.

Protection

Indoor Sessions

  • Masks will be required by everyone inside the studio at all times. No person will not be allowed to enter the studio without a mask.
  • Children over two are expected to try to wear masks; however, I have a young child at home and know how well that goes...
  • If someone in your family does not have a mask, please let me know and I will provide you with one.
  • For all Newborn Sessions, I will be wearing a mask, protective gloves, a gown, and a face shield. It will look rather clinical... but it will be safer for you and me. I will wear the face shield when I am posing your baby, but will take it up to shoot.
  • As mentioned before, Newborn Sessions will be limited in poses to baskets, wraps, beds and more natural posing that does not require a lot of touching.

Social Distance: You will be expected to maintain a distance of 6 feet at all times.

There will be a barrier that separates the shooting area from the waiting area. Parents will be expected to stay in the waiting area while I am shooting. However, if you want to stay close to your newborn, I have set up the nursing station right next to the set, and it is protected by a plexiglass barrier and a room divider. This space is not 100% safe, and you will be expected to continue wearing your mask. But this way, you can watch whatever I do while I am photographing your baby.

Outdoor Sessions

Porch Minis, Family, Child, Senior and Engagement Sessions can be scheduled on any day.

All sessions must be limited to 10 people or less, and only people living in one household per session.

Parks may be pretty busy during the warmer seasons, so keep this in mind when scheduling your session.

  • Masks: I will be wearing a mask for outdoor sessions. I encourage you to wear a mask while you are not being photographed, but I will not require it.
  • Social Distancing: Posing will done from at least 6 feet away, which means our communication will be very important. I will not be able to touch you, wisp your hair out of your face, brush dust off your shirt, or tuck tags out of the way. Each shot may take a few extra seconds, and we will have to work together to get everything right.
  • You will need to prepare your children to maintain their distance as well. I know it is hard to keep a child away from other people, but please make an effort to enforce this. I will also gently remind children to keep their distance, hopefully without damaging our short-lived relationship. I still need those smiles!

Seniors, you may want to bring a family member to help with things I am unable to do, like brushing hair out of your face and dusting off lint from your clothes.

If you have more than one outfit, and do not want to use a public bathroom, let me know before your session and we can make a plan for your session.

Thing you may want to bring to your session:

  • hand sanitizer (I will bring some also.)
  • brush or comb
  • compact mirror
  • lint remover
  • water bottle and snacks

Remember, these limitations are not permanent. Hopefully we can soon get back to the way photo sessions are supposed to be, playing on playgrounds, smashing cake all over my studio, and snuggling newborn babies while we rock them back to sleep.

I hope we can see each other soon. I look forward to providing you with amazing family photos as the warm spring, summer and fall approach. With a little patience and compassion, we will see the other side of this.

Take care and be safe!