Let’s talk winter struggle. Winter struggle for photographers is extremely real and extremely depressing. You stay so busy in the fall and then all the sudden January hits and there’s nothing, no shoots, no inquiries until about March. It is really depressing. It’s also something that makes you feel like you’re not as good of a photographer, and it really plays on your psyche. So the question is if this happens to every photographer how do you make it better? How do you make money in the slow Times? Well, I’ll tell you what I do to ward off those winter blues…
#1 – styled shoot
I get together with vendor friends or new vendors, reach out to new people on Instagram or wherever I can find them and see if they would be interested in doing a styled shoot together. It’s completely free for everyone It just costs your time, Meaning everyone gets the pictures to use for their own advertisement. if it’s your downtime, more than likely, it’s their downtime. so not only do you make new contacts but you have new content to use across-the-board and cross promote with all vendors.
#2 – concepts shoots
Start coming up with ideas, Pinterest new ideas on concepts or anything you want to do… bridal portraits, family portraits, anything, but get those ideas going that bring in a new audience. And as photographers were always evolving, we’re always creating new looks for ourselves, new feelings for our art, and I try to bring clients into that new look and winter is when you do it. Again, this creates content for you that you can post and makes it look as if you are really busy and still an in need photographer. Content shoots are also really fun just because you can come up with new ideas that you’ve been wanting to do that most people aren’t necessarilly willing to pay for.
#3 – Revamp your social media and website
Nothing looks better than updated pictures on your website a lot of times during the fall season we don’t have time to do this because you’re so busy shooting, busy booking and now you have downtime so there’s no better time to update that social media and update your website. Also look at other photographers’ social media and websites that you look up to see how their stuff looks. Don’t copy but get inspired.
#4 – Go to events and meet new people
It’s always a good idea to find those new events. Venue openings that are free to the public, The bridal shows really anything you can get into and meet new people, make new contacts. don’t be weird about it but take a card and hand them out to people and ask them if they want to Collab and do shoots together and more than likely they’re going to say yes. it’s very rare that I have found somebody who turns down a Collab shoot.
#5 – work on your schedule for the coming year
Work on your availability for the next year. See what days worked the last year, see what mini shoots booked and what mini shoots didn’t book and start planning thoes into your year, figure out what works for you and what doesnt it work for you? The best way to evolve is to learn from your past mistakes and to learn from the things that worked out well for you and then move on with those things.
#5 – enjoy your time off
It’s very rare that a busy photographer gets any time off especially on the weekends, so if you have family or friends that you really want to see, make this time now! Take this time now and spend it with family, go on vacations. You have to work with the schedule that you have and make it work for you. All in all this is the time, your downtime, to be the most active behind the scenes, but you can definitely help your business in many different ways. Think of those things that keep you on your toes, plan goals for the next coming here. Anything you can do now, that maybe you don’t feel as if you have time to do when you’re in your busy season. Best of Luck!!!
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