Virgin Islands scenery during elopement - productivity tips for photographers

Productivity Tips for Photographers

March 22, 2023

breeannakay

posted in:

For Photographers

A lot of people may think that photographers are always out there shooting and driving to photo sessions. The truth is that a lot (probably most) of our time is spent at home! We’re busy editing, answering emails, working on our websites, and doing backend stuff for our business.

When you run your own business and work from home, it can feel really difficult to stay productive and to tackle your to-do list each day. This guide will talk about some productivity tips for photographers to help you stay motivated when you’re working from home, and some advice that can boost your productivity!

Switch Up Your Workspace 

Some people thrive working from home, while other photographers can get stuck in a rut when there are no coworkers around. Especially if there is no one to talk to and the environment is the same every day.

One of the most important productivity tips for photographers is to listen to yourself and adjust your routine to work for you. 

If you find yourself getting distracted by your dogs, or just having a hard time transitioning from relaxing at home to working at home, you can find a different place to work! This can be an everyday thing, or just sometimes when you need a change of scenery. A lot of photographers like to work at coffee shops because this gets them out of the house. It also allows them to be surrounded by others, some of whom may also be working! It can be mentally easier to shift into work mode if you have a dedicated space for working. This might be a coffee shop, a workspace that you rent, or even an office or a corner of your house that’s just there for you to work in.

Meet Other Photographers

One of the things that makes productivity hard for photographers is the fact that we’re often on our own. It can be hard to stay on top of things when you’re the only one holding yourself accountable. If you struggle with this, or if you just struggle with not having enough interaction with people, it can really help to make photographer friends. 

You can meet people through Instagram, Facebook groups, or photography events in your area. This is really helpful because it gives you someone who gets you and understands your job. You might even be able to bounce ideas off of one another! 

A lot of photographers also find that having an accountability buddy is helpful. An accountability buddy is someone – usually a photographer friend – who you check in with every once in a while. This could be once a week, once a month, every few months, or whatever works for you! You can talk about your goals, what you’ve done, the progress you’ve made, and what you need help with. Just having someone to talk things through with can be a game changer!

Use a CRM

Sometimes productivity isn’t about working more or working harder. It’s just about simplifying your process and working smarter.so that you have more time to do the things you want to do! Any photographer knows that the backend tasks can get really overwhelming. A CRM is the perfect way to simplify your workflow and help you be more productive, without spending more hours in front of your computer. 

I use Dubsado as my CRM (client relations management software). Dubsado allows me to keep track of my emails and current projects, send invoices and contracts, and automate a lot of my workflow so that I don’t have to have a million post-its all over the place reminding me who I need to talk to and what I need to do. This makes life a lot easier and frees up my time to be productive in other ways!

Use this link to sign up and get 20% off your first month or year on the platform!

productivity tips for photographers

Set a Schedule for Yourself

When you work for yourself and you make your own hours, it can be hard to get into a routine. Some people love this flexibility and love just going with the flow every day. However, if you find your productivity suffers without a routine, it can be helpful to set up working hours for yourself and make a plan ahead of time. Instead of getting on your computer and suddenly blinking and realizing it’s midnight, think about what hours of the day you wanna spend working… and stick to those hours.

This can help with finding a work-life balance. It can also give you some structure to your days, which can boost productivity. Some people benefit from having mental separation between when they’re working and when they’re not. You could also try giving yourself specified hours for different tasks.

It can also be really helpful to decide ahead of time how much time you’re going to spend on each task you want to complete. It’s been proven that when you give yourself more time, a task usually takes more time. Of course, be realistic and don’t give yourself 15 minutes for a task that takes an hour, but take a little bit of time each morning to really figure out what you want to do that day and how long it’s going to take. Then, write a schedule for the day.

Give Yourself Plenty of Time to Rest

It might surprise you to see rest on a list of productivity tips for wedding photographers, but this part is just as important as anything else! I know that as a business owner it can be really hard to take time off when you need it. When you’re the only one responsible for the success of your business, it’s tempting to just keep working and push through, but the truth is that our bodies, and our minds, really need rest. Actually, resting can actually boost your productivity in the long run!

If you ever find yourself sitting at your computer and feeling like you’re getting nowhere, that’s a good sign that it’s time to take a break. Go stretch, take a walk outside, play with your dogs, or do anything else… even if it’s just for a few minutes to reset your brain.

But, even better than that, don’t wait until your mind and body have shut down!

Be intentional about scheduling time away from work, days to rest, and not allowing yourself to spend all day and all night in front of your computer working. Taking time to rest boosts creativity as well as productivity, so if you’re someone that struggles with this, remind yourself that rest is productive, and will help you a ton in the long run.

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