March 20, 2020
I’m feeling for all photographers during this time, especially those who were hoping to get their wedding photography businesses kickstarted this summer. I’m here to help you stay motivated and proactive so here are 10 ways you can still grow and improve your photography business while you’re stuck at home!
Just because you might be on lockdown during the coronavirus outbreak, doesn’t mean your photography business has to be!
Improve the back-end of your photography business by reading through unread emails, writing replies and archiving the rest. Then go through and unsubscribe from all unwanted email lists. This is something I always put on the back burner but it’s so good to do when you have the time. Clear inbox = clear mind!
Even if you might not use these techniques to photograph a wedding day or a family photo shoot, learning new skills never fails to get your creative juices flowing. Try shooting through various objects around the house (mirrors, plastic bags, crystals, rings, etc) or experiment with slow shutter speeds or double exposures. Don’t put any expectations on yourself and just go for it!
This year I vacuumed my Lowepro carryon suitcase and it felt like the best thing I had accomplished in months!! Clean your lenses, camera bodies (don’t touch your sensor unless you know what you’re doing!), camera bags, even your car. You’ll thank yourself later.
This is the perfect time to get out your flashes and practice using artificial lighting. Ask your roomie or family member to sit for you. Photograph your pet or take self-portraits.
You can also test your skills by photographing the same object in different rooms of your house that have different kinds of artificial lighting. How can you make the same object match your style (for me, I would be trying to create a light and airy style) regardless of the room you’re in and the lighting you’re dealt with?
If you have any bits of equipment or gear that have been collecting dust, put them up for sale online. MPB photo, eBay and Facebook Marketplace are a few places I’ve sold and traded gear before. This could also be a good way to make a bit of income if you’re struggling for bookings during the coronavirus outbreak.
Create a list of blog ideas you can tackle in the upcoming weeks. Or, if you already have a list that you’ve been meaning to get to for about 5 years (ahem, guilty) then create a blogging plan to get a set number of blogs up per week. Improving your SEO through blogging is a great way to grow your photography business and you can blog almost anywhere!
Even if you only have a handful of previous clients, get in touch with them and kindly ask if they could write you a positive review to help spread the word about your photography and how much people are loving your photos. You can even go one step further and send them a little gift in the post as a thank you!
Keep showing up for your followers and reassuring them that you haven’t forgotten about them. Update them about any changes in your business during the coronavirus outbreak. And as simple as it is, posting positive captions and happy photos can really brighten someone’s day if all they see on their phone is news articles and distressing headlines. Your photography can spread joy in a pretty dreary time!
You can also contact previous venues or wedding vendors you have worked with and offer to send them photos you took of them or their work in exchange for credit.
Having your photos published on a popular wedding blog can add credibility to your business and improve your SEO and it can also be something fun to do with your couples who might have more time on their hands right now!
This is also a great way for wedding suppliers to team together and promote each other’s work.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll have piles of free online education that you’ve been meaning to dig into but haven’t had the time. Facebook and Instagram live videos, Youtube videos, podcasts, etc. Put aside some time to educate yourself and implement the things you’ve learned into your business going forward.
If you’ve found this post helpful, you might also want to grow your photography business through a Mentoring Session with me!
From now until the end of May 2020 I am offering 40% OFF Online Mentoring Sessions!
These sessions will take place online either through Skype or Zoom and will include a 3-hour one-to-one chat with me.
Most photographers who book Mentoring Sessions have either thought about starting a wedding or lifestyle photography business for a while, are doing photography on the side of another job and want to go full time or who have been struggling to get their photography business off the ground.
Each session is completely personalized so every person gets the absolute most out of it. I am an open book, so ask me anything!
If you’d like to book an Online Mentoring Session with me please get in touch here! I’d love to hear from you.
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