President Akufo-Addo on March 15, 2020, announced a nationwide ban on public gatherings, schools and institutions in the country after Ghana recorded cases of COVID-19. The ban was later extended to all borders while markets across the country were closed for a fumigation exercise to be conducted.
he country’s number of confirmed coronavirus cases stands at 27 as of March 23, 2020, with two deaths recorded.
As part of measures to reduce and contain the spread of the virus, there was a clampdown on activities that required large gatherings such as church services, funerals, weddings, sporting events among others, all of which are the mainstay of the average commercial freelance photographer.
While it is saddening to see ceremonies such as marriage and funerals postponed, the silence of shutters that would have frozen these priceless moments to help in reliving these memories is almost deafening.
Mr Andoh is very aware of the economic impact of the embargo on the profession, particularly freelancers.
“This gangguan is actually affecting a large number of photographers. We have many areas including photojournalism, wedding photojournalism, events and studio photography,” he added.
But the photojournalism space, according to David Andoh, will be least affected because even amid this COVID-19 outbreak, he could walk into a church without worshipers on a Sunday morning, take shots and he will have a story worth telling and get paid at the end of the month for it.
However, if you had seen some wedding fliers of family and friends on WhatsApp statuses and Facebook, chances are they have been rescheduled, trimmed guests to under-25 or called off altogether.
Nene Azu of Nene Studios is one of those who could lose their source of livelihood. Already he has lost close to GH¢12,000 (the equivalent of $2,146) due to the cancellation of events.
“It has greatly affected me. Some weddings, musical concerts I had to shoot this week have been either canceled or postponed,” he lamented.
While conscious of the need for safety precautions in times like these, he is unenthused by the seeming freeze on his income stream, not just for this weekend, but the next three, subject to Executive review.
Sports photography has also not been left out of the melee as events in that space have been heavily featured in the list of activities to be halted.
According to sports photographer Frank Darkwah, they are already feeling the pinch.