Hi Oregon photo friends, I hope you’re hanging in there! I just took a few months off for paternity leave, and upon coming back, things in our industry look a little different…
Many of us photographers are facing brutal income hits under quarantine. Here are some financial resources that might help:
The CARES Act and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance from the State of Oregon: https://govstatus.egov.com/ui-benefits/CARES. And here’s a simple flow chart breakdown on what steps to take: https://www.oregon.gov/employ/Documents/CARES_OnePager.pdf
ASMP has a great info hub on COVID-19 in relation to photographers: https://www.asmp.org/asmp-covid-19-info-hub/ And here’s their guide on keeping yourself, your crew and those in front of the camera safe when getting back to work: https://www.asmp.org/covid-19/safety-while-shooting/ They even have a grant set up for affected photographers: https://www.asmp.org/asmp-foundation-asmp-donors-circle/
OMPA also has an info hub and suggested safety protocols: https://ompa.org/overview-of-oregon-production-protocols/
Prosper Portland has a bunch of business resources and shared a great primer on PPP and its loan forgiveness requirements: https://www.rippling.com/blog/covid-19/ppp-loan-forgiveness-in-plain-english/
Vox has a rundown on applying for financial assistance: https://www.vox.com/2020/4/3/21199689/how-to-get-coronavirus-unemployment-insurance-furlough
Please send other resources my way or add as a comment, thanks. We can get through this!
<3<3<3
Tom