Mobile pet photo company opens brick and mortar studio amid pandemic

Pet photography studio

A pet photographer opened up a brick and mortar studio during pandemic to stay afloat.

TAMPA, Fla. - What used to work for small businesses before the pandemic became a hindrance once the shutdowns started.

"Prior to COVID, my wife and I would travel around the country taking photos of pets and working numerous animal shelters. We were on the road for about two-thirds of the year. What we did was put our little studio in the corner of a bar or brewery, so from 2016-2020 we were kind of brewery-hoping with our pet photo studio." shared Adam Goldberg, owner of AGoldPhoto Pet Photography.

"(With) COVID and everything being shut down, we had to figure out a new business model." he related.

He and his wife put their heads together to brainstorm how to survive doing what they love.

"We bought ourselves some time by doing what we called the ‘Safer at Home Portrait Project,’ where people could pose in front of their homes with their dogs."

During that time, they had an idea that seemed counter to what was happening all around them. 

Goldberg remembered, "We were walking our dogs and discussing the future of our lives and what we wanted to do, and we decided you know what, let's go all in and just open this studio, and we're going to have to make it work."

"People thought we were crazy, setting up a pet photo studio in the middle of the pandemic because it meant so many changes from what they used to do," he explained. "It's hit us in the way that we have to wear masks every day. We take people's temperatures every day. We make sure that we only have one client every day to make sure that we make sure that we're able to sanitize everything."

In the end, this move from completely mobile to a brick & mortar location showed off Goldberg's business acumen.

"Being able to be creative, be nimble and be prepared to face any sort of challenge that comes our way, and see other business owners doing that too,” said Goldberg. “It's a good group to be a part of."

They are located in South Tampa at 3105 West Bay to Bay Boulevard. Click here for more information.