The rush of fall portraits and weddings are over, and now you’re wondering what to do in the photographer off season. You have so many ideas of projects you’ve been wanting to get to, but you also want to make your client experience better, but you also want to update everything in your business.

I know how overwhelming this can be! When you have too many options, you get decision-paralysis and end up not getting anything done in the short time we have off from taking pictures.

Let’s be clear on one thing: the photographer “off” season is winter because we’re not shooting weddings and portraits every week like we are for the rest of the year, especially autumn, but that doesn’t mean we’re “off.”

Actually, I do more work in winter for my business than I do in every other season. Why? Because it’s the time to take a serious look at your business, figure out how to improve it, and make those improvements before booking season starts.

Feeling a little overwhelmed? Here’s my complete list of things I do every off season for my business. I do them in this order because they help me be most impactful with my time, and they make the biggest differences in my business.

Want a checklist that you can print out or keep on your computer to keep track of everything? Get it here!

Now without further ado (because we don’t have time for that), here’s a complete list of what to do in the photographer off season!

Rest

You can’t skip this one. I’ve tried it and felt the miserable effects of it afterwards. After we work our butts off 24/7 during the craziness of fall, we MUST rest.

If we continue to work without taking a break, we will be less productive, less efficient, less inspired, and less happy.

If we take a break, we allow our bodies and minds to recover from the craziness and reset back to our energized and happy selves.

When we step away from work, we can enjoy life in the moment and make time to visit family and friends and do the things we love to do. Read books, go on walks, watch movies, bake cookies, and be around the people you love.

When it’s time to go back to work, we go back with new energy, the fierce desire to work, and a brain filled with ideas and motivation. Taking a break is the best thing you can do before you start the off season, because you’ll have the mental clarity and focus to do the big picture work you start out with.

Review the Last Year of Business

Instead of jumping into the little tasks in the off season, it’s important to start with the big picture. After taking a break, you will have the distance you need to think clearly about your business in its past, present, and future. Ask your self these questions and write down the answers:

What did I like in business this year? And what did I not like?

What went well in business this year? What can I improve?

Do I like where my brand is right now?

Do I like where my business is going?

Did I complete my goals for this year?

What are my goals for next year?

Get excited, because once you’ve answered those questions (and hopefully even more), you’re ready to start applying your goals and improvements to your business.

Update Website and Social Media

After I’ve taken a good look at my business and set goals for the next year, I start improving the things that people see first. This is normally my website and social media. I want to make sure it fits with the brand and business I want going forward.

If you’ve decided that you no longer want to take family portraits, this is the time to remove all your family photos from your website. If you’ve gotten really into elopements this year, consider adding an elopements page and taking the steps to get more content for it.

I do these things first because they’re usually pretty easy but have a big impact and get me excited, so they’re the perfect tasks to start during your off season. Here’s a list of the things I do:

– Update website images

– Update each website page’s copy

– Add anything else I want to change on my website

– Update Google Business page and photos

– Update Instagram bio

– Create and update Instagram highlights

– Update Facebook business page info and cover photo

– Submit weddings and sessions to publications

Update Workflows and Client Experience

Once I’ve done all the surface-level work, it’s time for a deeper look into my business, particularly my workflows and client experience. These are the things that make my business run and take care of my clients. It’s extremely important that you do as much work here as you can. Improve your client experience in every way you can and automate as much as you’re able. Your business will thank you for it in the future.

– Update pricing if desired

– Update pricing guides and website

– Get client gifts for holidays

– Update all templates in Honeybook (emails, pamphlets, workflows, etc.)

– Update guides for clients, especially bridal guide

– Ask for testimonials

New Projects

Once I’ve taken a good look at my business and made both surface and workflow improvements, I reward myself by starting any new projects I’ve been dying to get to but have been too busy for. After I’ve made my goals for the new year, I can pick which projects will help me the most and which will get me the most excited. I prioritize and list them in order, then check them off when I get to them. Here are a bunch of ideas for new projects!

– Education – both free and paid; it’s super important to be a life-long learner when you’re a business owner, so take this time to improve skills or knowledge for your business and implement what you learn

– Create sample albums

– Plan or be part of styled shoots; plan shoots that align with your dream weddings or sessions and you’ll attract more people like that!

– Make guides; want to up-level your client experience but aren’t sure how? Make branded guides! Pricing guides, outfit guides, bridal guides to help plan their wedding, and anything else you can think of. They can be PDFs, secret website pages, or physical magazines you mail to your clients

– Meet other vendors; this is the perfect time to grab coffee (in person or virtually) with other people in the industry

– Make a list of publications you want to submit to

– Take your own headshots or swap with another photographer

– Invest in gear and practice (this is a great time to learn flash or play with a new camera!)

– Start any other big projects you’ve been wanting to start

That should be more than enough to get you through the off season and help you up-level every part of your business. I know it seems like a lot, but each step moves your business forward and helps you create the life of your dreams.

Remember to grab the free checklist so you can check things off as you go!

Want to learn more? I have a bunch of photographer education on my education page and on my blog!

Pin this blog post here!

• 

• 

•