How I Reduce the Overwhelm in Running my Photography Business by Evelyn Mae Photography
Evelyn Mae Photography sharing tips on how to reduce overwhelm when running a photography business.
Don’t we all wish we had access to a time machine every now and again? This will be my 5th year in business as a portrait photographer, and I’ve made lots of mistakes I wish I had avoided.
Today, I can think of four things that changed the game for me in my photography business and helped me feel less overwhelmed. I know I don’t have everything figured out; learning will be a life-long adventure. All I can do is my best today and wake up tomorrow aiming to do a little better.
Maybe you’ll read this and think, oh yeah I’ve been there before! But maybe my shortlist will prompt you to start a habit or process now that will save you some headaches in the future.
1. Saying No
In the early days of being a photographer I was eager to try out new things and ready to be flexible to any request or client suggestion.
When I was just starting out as an amateur photographer, sometimes trying new things served a purpose. I found what I was drawn to and what I really didn’t enjoy at all.
As a professional I do have expertise in my work that clients most likely will not have. Why else are photographers hired right?
So when a client would ask to go off from my original plan I said yes even if I knew the suggestion wouldn’t result in the quality I aspire to. That was a problem.
In one case a client, who was also a friend, asked if we could change the location for their photos at the last minute.
I said yes.
But the natural light was limited compared to the original location, and was a difficult place to pose her and her partner. Their photos turned out OK but overall I wasn’t happy with the results.
I felt so crummy about myself and my work.
That experience made me realize saying yes to everything was actually not helping me or my clients.
So trust your professional judgment, and say no when you need to. It’ll cut out unnecessary stress and feeling overwhelmed.
2. Finding Community
I went through my entire first year running my photography business feeling alone and wandering in doubt. Not a great start. In my second year I took a leap and signed up for a conference, Photo Lush NW, feeling determined to learn anything that might help.
The conference helped keep me going. I left the experience feeling refreshed, inspired and also not so alone in my work. I made some connections and finding community with like-minded professionals helped me be more productive and motivated to continue to be creative.
Two years later I discovered Sandra Coan Education.
And goodness, the community I found in Sandra’s Facebook groups was NEXT LEVEL. In the past I had been a part of a photography Facebook group that did have some highlights but often erred on the negative side of things. It was a place I even felt belittled and judged to the point I stopped posting and eventually left.
But in the Beyond Natural Light, The Six-Figure Studio and Amplified private groups I not only made connections with talented and inspiring pros, I was able to join a community that really encourages each other’s growth and celebrates every little win. Finally, last but definitely not least: Sandra is an incredible teacher and leader.
Without a background in business, I would continue to be wading in the dark without Sandra as a mentor.
3. Using Artificial Light
Honestly! I am not being sponsored to write any of this.
I would have never thought I would feel comfortable shooting in-studio sessions any day any time. It just seemed impossible. When Photo Lush NW was canceled, and my calendar opened up for professional development I thought, why not? Learning how to shoot in the Missing Link course changed a lot for my business.
I went from only being able to shoot in fair weather at local parks to being able to bring my clients in-studio for their session. Beyond expanding the service I’m able to provide, it’s simply a lot of fun and it feeds my need to be creative.
Loving the work I do is crucial to achieve my definition of success. Shooting with artificial light is something that I love to do!
4. Establishing Post-Session Workflow
I may be different than some, because I absolutely love the photo editing process.
It's a fulfilling task and I don't plan on outsourcing anytime soon.
A big reason editing has continued to be a task I love instead one that drains me is that I've cultivated a routine workflow that keeps things simple and chunk-able. If I don't finish the workflow in one sitting, I'm able to easily pick it back up without feeling lost.
Here is an outline of what my workflow looks like:
Download images from SD card
1st cull into Lightroom Import
2nd cull by assigning 2-star to each image
Apply preset to one image and adjust as necessary. Spot check before and after
Paste settings to entire set
Fix blemishes
Assign 1-star to final cull
Create virtual copies of all finals and edit to black and white (I offer color and black and white images to my clients)
Export color
Export B&W
Export original
Export select few with reduced image size for social media and website
Upload client gallery
Backup images to storage
Send client gallery
While it may not have been possible for me to come up with this workflow on day one, I do wish I had been thinking about developing this process a lot sooner.
Some of my first sessions took an untold number of hours to complete that left me exhausted and overwhelmed.
Today my workflow takes me about two hours to complete.
While two hours is still a considerable amount of time, it's a sweet spot that is sustainable for me and again, a part of the creative process that I love.
Can you relate?
What's something that changed the game for your business or for you as a creator?
Share with me in the comments 👇
About the Photographer
Evelyn is a portrait photographer from Bellingham, Washington who serves high school seniors and couples celebrating their love story.
You can find her on Instagram at @evelynmaephoto
