Working from home has become the new normal for many of us. Covid-19 has forced us to adapt to working remotely or creating at home.However, that has brought us a whole new host of issues to deal with (even if we can deal with most of them while sitting in our pyjamas!).

Working effectively from home means working smarter, and we’ve got the lowdown on how to smash your workload and become an efficiency machine. Here’s five tips for content creators in all industries:

1. Stick to Your Regular Routine

Working from home makes it hard to separate work and play, as you’re doing them both in the same space. Many of us used the commute to switch from ‘home’ to ‘work’ mode (and back again), but we don’t have that framework from which to hang our day anymore.

It’s tempting to use the morning commute time to grab a few extra Z’s before we have to get up, but it’s important to stick to the same routine you used to have.

Keeping to your regular routine helps you to maintain good habits and prioritise self-care. It might feel pointless still getting out of bed at 6 am when you don’t have to start work until 9, but you can use that time to catch up on any home admin or get some laundry done - or even enjoy a leisurely breakfast with a good book for a while!

At the end of the day you’ll feel you’ve accomplished something, instead of sleeping in until lunchtime and then rushing to catch up on your work.

2. Work on Your Brand Online

Use this time at home to work on your social media and online platforms. And by this, I don’t mean watch 38 videos of cute cats or argue with your sister on Facebook…

If you haven’t updated your website in a while, now is the time to do it. Or start working out content schedules for Instagram or Facebook. You can also use this time to start researching potential clients to work with when the coronavirus restrictions have been lifted.

Just avoid the cat videos!

3. Look Professional for Your Client Zoom/Skype Calls

While you don’t have to get all suited and booted for client calls (unless you want to), you do need to look professional. This means the Star Trek pyjamas or unicorn nightshirts need to be swapped for something more businesslike. And yes, you do need to brush your hair!

First impressions last, so good video lighting like the Zoom Conferencing Kit or the Tolifo LED Compact Light, and a neat and clean background can help make a favourable impression with potential clients. These small lights are unobtrusive and help your viewers to see you clearly.

4. Make Time for Creative Experimentation

Another good way to skill up and perhaps diversify is to experiment with other niches. If you’re a portrait photographer, for instance, you could try shooting food or ecommerce. Food photographers could try out some product photography or sharpen their pet portrait skills.

Gather some items you have in your house and put together some flat lays for Instagram or Pinterest. Changing the way you work helps you stop feeling stuck in a rut, and could lead to more potential income streams in future.

5. Set Up an At-Home Studio Space

If you don’t already have a studio at home, then why not create one? All you need is some spare space and some lighting equipment and you’re good to go.

If you’re not sure where to start, here’s some suggestions on just a few studio setups you can try if you want to experiment with different niches:

Setups for At-Home Photography Studio

Wand lighting such as the 'Illuminate Wand' 21 Inch Dual 3200K-5500k LED Light Stick Kit or the 'Illuminate Wand Max' 33 Inch/84cm Dual 5500k LED Light Stick Kit are ideal for small studio spaces, and can be used for different types of photography, including flat lays, food, product, fashion, and portrait. They are continuous lights so no need to have a DSLR camera - you can shoot or video using your smartphone.

To finish off the perfect home studio, you will need a backdrop and stand. Paper roll backdrops are the ideal solution and come in a variety of colours. Your paper roll will need an adjustable heavy-duty backdrop stand like the 8 KG Backdrop Stand to keep your paper safely in place and crease-free.

Here’s an example of how you could use the wands and backdrop:

Setups for At-Home Videography Studio

If your scene is videography, then setting up the perfect home videography studio is easy. All you need is a Green Screen Muslin Backdrop, for perfect chroma-key shooting, and a lighting kit such as the Illuminate Mate Softbox Lighting Kit.

If you prefer, you can get both a pop-up Green Screen Backdrop and Illuminate Mate Softboxes in one handy kit. The Green Screen Pop Up Collapsible Backdrop can also be bought alone, and is a good choice for those who can’t fit a whole backdrop stand and backdrop into their home.

To add the finishing touch to your home video studio, why not invest in the Boya BY-PM700 Podcasting Mic? This mic is suitable for podcasts, interviews, conference calls, vocals, instruments, and more. 

Here’s an idea of how you could create a videography lighting set up:

Setups for At-Home Content Creators

Flat lay setups needn’t be difficult. All you need is the Flat Lay Product Photography Lighting Kit, which includes the Spectrum Aurora 19” Gold Luxe II Ring Light, The Hypop Large 5-in-1 Reflector Disc, and the Hypop Collapsible Backdrop Stand with Peg.

This kit contains everything you need to get up and running with any type of flat lay photography, but if you’re on a budget then the Illuminate Mate Softbox Lighting Kit contains two continuous light soft boxes for adaptable flat lay lighting.

Here’s a diagram showing how you could set up a double soft box kit for the perfect flat lay:

Setups for At-Home Food Photography

Food photography requires good lighting to really bring out the textures and colours. Having a photo table and double softbox lighting like the Work Hustle Photo Table Kit can make your food photography so much easier.

If you want to photograph food but don’t have the room for a photo table, you can get great food shots with the Spectrum Aurora Gold Luxe II 19” Ring Light. This light features a bendable gooseneck and adjustable brightness to get the best shots.

Here is an idea of how you can set up a photo table kit and lights:

Setups for At-Home Product Photography

Product photographers have a range of options to suit their space and budgets when it comes to home studios.

Those who have limited room may be interested in the Studio Pal Photography Tent, available in three different sizes - 18”, 25”, and 31”. This kit comes with LED light strips and folds away after use for easy storage.

Photographers who want to try some fashion/e-commerce work might find the Startup Fashion Lookbook Kit with two softboxes and a backdrop stand included.

If you have the space, then the Large Professional Product Photography Table Double Softbox Kit contains everything you need to shoot professional product photography at home.

Here’s a possible lighting setup using the Fashion Lookbook Kit:

Conclusion

Hopefully, these tips will have given you some pointers on how to make the best of working at home during coronavirus. If you need any assistance on what types of photo or video equipment will suit your particular needs, then drop us an email at sales@hypop.com.au, or give us a ring on 1300 449 767.

It’s also really important to stay in touch with friends and colleagues so that you don’t start to feel too isolated and lonely. Also, try to keep healthy. Yes, I know it’s so tempting to get stuck into that tub of ice cream (and once in a while it doesn’t hurt), but it can get to be a habit as we are in the house all the time. Try making some time every day for exercise, even if it’s just 10 minutes of a workout class online.

Coronavirus hopefully won’t last forever, but we do need to adapt to the changes the virus has forced on us. Try to stay motivated and keep on trying new things - just remember to go easy on the cat videos when you’re supposed to be working!

Stay safe!