'Things Look A Little Different Now': Pennsylvania Wedding Photographer Adapting To New Methods Behind The Lens As Stay-At-Home Orders Remain

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Social distancing and work-from-home orders have pushed many of us to try creative new ways to get the job done, including some photographers. They're now using video calls for the photoshoots they would typically do in person.

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They're producing everything from engagement pictures to ad campaigns. This is typically the busy season for Kristen Lopez, a Pennsylvania wedding photographer.

"This time of year we're usually shooting a lot of weddings, but things look a little different now," Lopez said.

Lopez adapted her methods behind the lens of a different kind of camera, taking and editing screen captures through FaceTime.

"They place the phone down somewhere, we make sure it's a pretty good spot with some decent lighting. Then I crack jokes to them, I have them snuggle, and just do different prompts," she said. "The picture quality is surprisingly good."

But Lopez says she's not focused on pixels and resolution. Her mission is capturing a moment in time, like she did for an engaged couple in New Jersey.

"In the years to come, we'll be like, 'Oh, remember that time we were quarantined in our parents' basement and we got these really cool pictures done!'" Laura Neuner, who is engaged, said.

The same idea is also taking off overseas. Italian fashion photographer Alessio Albi reached out to models he's worked with to stage FaceTime shoots at their homes all over the world.

"It was like a game in the beginning, something you do with a friend," Albi said.

The photos became so popular, Albi says he's now receiving commissions from fashion brands. He calls the sessions a true collaboration with the model.

"People seem sometimes to forget what photography is about – it's not about the complex gear expensive stuff that you have to use – it's more about communication," he said.

The creative compositions offer a unique snapshot of these unprecedented times.

Lopez isn't charging a fee for her engagement sessions, only asking that couples give to a local charity. She then matches that donation.

Written by: CBS Correspondent Nancy Chen