Hey Friends

I know with everything happening with Covid-19 is making this a sesason of uncertainy and sometimes stress. I am here for you and am hoping this will pass as soon as possible. With our new “present of more time” I thought it would be a perfect way to try to spark some inspiration and help each other get through this with some ideas. While I am hoping that this goes by quickly, I think it’s great to keep working on our craft and bettering our business. I want to share some of my ideas I have come up with to help us all out. If you need some ideas or just a little push to get back into business mode, I hope this helps and please feel free to share this with anyone it could help.

Check out our Podcast Dare To DEvelop and to hear more on what to do during any slow season.

20 Ways For Photographers To Keep Working During Covid-19

1. Submit weddings to online publications

   Now is the time to submit all the weddings you haven’t yet to wedding blogs. If you need a list of what blogs to submit to there is a great recourse here.

2. Plan out your instagram posts

   Schedule out your Instagram posts week(s) in advance . I love being able to use Planoly so I can plan out ahead of time what photos I want to use and how it will look on my feed.

3. Reach out to Friends/Vendors

   Even though we cannot see each other in person, there are great options for virtual coffee dates and meetings through zoom or FaceTime. There is also an app called Houseparty where you can play games too. We need community more than ever so keep up to date with your favorite friendors.

4. Update your guides.

   Create or update your engagement and bridal guides for your couples. My favorite guide template is from Katelyn James.

5. Practice on a new skill set

   It’s a perfect time to practice on skills like lighting, styling, and posing. Wait until it gets dark and work on your flash work, get some free invites from Minted and practice with them with flowers from around your house.

6. Create an at home project

   It’s hard to stay inspired while we are inside during this time. So think of a fun photography project either with self portraits, your kids or even your pets.

7. Online Education

   I always love to preach investing in yourself. If you are able to, purchasing some online education and dive into those classes. Or there are so many free outlets out there like YouTube, Pinterest, as well as some live classes on Creative Live. I actually learned a lot about wedding photography for free on there when I was starting out.

8. Create a Print Shop

   Find your favorite photos to create a print shop so others can enjoy your beautiful work as well as creating some passive income. I also have my print shop you can check out for inspiration.

9. Work on your taxes

   I know this is the one thing a lot of people like to put off, including myself. Now that the new deadline has moved to July 15, we have some extra time to finish and get those write offs together.

10. Update Your Website

    Get your most recent photos on your website with new galleries as well as update your copy. Maybe you even want to rebrand during this time to be able to reach your ideal couples.

11. Work on Your Pinterest Profile

    Pinterest is a great way to get traffic to your site and is literally my number one source of referrals. I use Tailwind so I can schedule ahead of time to post a lot of photos throughout the week for me without having to go on all the time. It’s a lifesaver!

12. learn film photography

    Thought of adding film to your weddings or just learning? There is so much great education out there. I’d love to help with any questions and I also give mentorships you can learn about here.

13. Organize your office

    If you’re like me, organizing the office is the last thing on my list. Time for us to organize all our equipment and papers in files and containers.

14. Engage on Instagram

    I know I talked about planning out post but take this time to engage and comment on others posts. Create conversations and connections with other vendors through something as simple as a comment or IG message.

15. Create a better Client Experience for your couples

    This is one of the most important aspects to a business that a lot of people can set aside. Think outside the wedding world for this one. What is your favorite company’s experience and why you love it so much? Implement ways into your experience to stand out from others.

16. Blog

    Blogging can be a great way to up your SEO. Add some of your favorite weddings or create posts that can help educate future brides or photographers.

17. Create Inspiration and start planning a brand shoot

    Have you done a lot of shoots but nothing that speaks to you and your brand. Create your perfect vision board that represents your brand and start reaching out to others to get them on board with your idea.

18. Print your own work and decorate your office/home

    Sometimes we forget to print our own work from our travels and families. Don’t forget to decorate your own home with work that you’ve done that you love. You could even gift and mail out prints for your loved ones!

19. update your instagram story highlights

    Add new pretty covers to your highlights and even add some of your favorite wedding days. This can used more than just BTS of your travels/work!

20. Update your CRM

    Do you have a CRM (known as customer relationship management) where everything is easy an efficient for you and your clients. I use 17hats to streamflow my work so everything is in one place!

21. Don’t forget to treat yourself (I know one extra!)

    Treat Yo Self! ( any Parks and Recs fans here) Working on your mental and physical health is going to be huge being at home through this pandemic. Stay healthy through being okay with binging a show on Netflix (Tiger King, thank me later) or even just taking a walk around the block. Your health matters.

I hope this helped inspire you a little bit to get out and work on your business in a different way. We are all in this together, so keep pushing through this time. We will see the light at the end of the tunnel soon enough! If you need someone to talk to or bounce ideas off of during this, please feel free to reach out to me. Sending out all the virtual hugs to you all! Xx