This year ended up being much busier toward the end than I expected, and I am SO beyond grateful! With that being said though, I (and I’m sure several other photographers!) are looking forward to the approach of what we call the “slow season.” There aren’t too many weddings in Maine throughout the winter, so that can be a busy season in terms of booking, but we aren’t shooting weddings every Saturday!

However, sometimes we get so excited for the break that we don’t do ANYTHING at all, and then before we know it Spring is here and we have to dive right in. Don’t get me wrong, I am totally all for taking scheduled vacations and breaks! That is SO, so, important for anyone! I’ll be taking a break myself! But I don’t want to let all of this time go to waste either! Here are three things you can do during this slow season!

1. Re-vamp your website // So often we build our website and sort of “set it and forget it,” and that’s such a trap to fall into! Your website should be continually evolving as you do! I try to update my website at least twice a year if not more! I’ve already re-designed it twice this year and just spent several hours really fine tuning all of the images on my site! I’ll be going through this winter and really making sure it lines up with my brand and all the little elements! This winter, go through your portfolio and really choose your BEST images that are true to your style! Also make sure the rest of your website is in line with your brand as well 🙂
2. Overhaul client experience + business back-end // The number one reason people refer me is not because they like my images, but because of the experience they had with me. Do you have a system in place right now to ensure that all clients are getting the same treatment and that you aren’t accidentally leaving anyone out? If you already have a system in place, does it need any tweaks? Was anything kind of off this year or you wish had been different? The same is true for your business systems! If you don’t have any in place, you NEED them! If you do have them, what isn’t going well? That’s what you can focus on!
3. Shoot, shoot, shoot! // I was recently reminded that our work HAS to keep evolving and getting better. It’s easy to think, “oh, I’ve improved SO much since I started, I’m in a really great spot, so I’m good.” Nope. You have to keep working at it. Find what made you fall in love with photography in the first place and do more of that! Get together with friends and go for photo walks, do some shoots for free to achieve the look you’re aiming for. Just get busy! 🙂 I have very specific goals I’m working on this winter to help take my photos to the next level for 2018!!

If you have any other ideas for what to do during the slow season, share them in the comments below!

Linda is a Maine-based photographer specializing in weddings and creating family legacies. You can see more of her work online at lindabarryphotography.com, on Instagram, or on Facebook. If you want to reach out directly: linda@lindabarryphotography.com. To sign up for the monthly newsletter full of encouragement and real life, click here!

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