Some say that the most interesting part of photography is not what you do with the camera when you’re in the field but what you do when you’re behind the computer or laptop working on the images you’ve taken. When it comes to photography, post-production can either be the most stressful or most enjoyable part of your process depending on the type of photographer you are. When I just started photography I went through various stages where I was not always enthused to do editing, especially if I was not a fan of the genre itself because I never really found it interesting. However, as time went by and I became more experienced in my career path, I grew to understand and appreciate the process of having a good workflow to not only meet the demands of your clients but to also build good relationships with corporate businesses. In this article, we will be discussing how you can manage your workflow during a busy season and overall as a photographer. These simple tips will come in handy to some of those who have a long clientele list or photographers who are trying to keep up with their image turnover times as this can also be hectic as well. Let’s begin
Tip #1: Create A System
The first step to actively managing your workflow is to create a system that works for you. Every photographer is different not only in their style of photography but their lifestyle as well. Some of us only do photography as a part-time job while others may be doing it as something full time for their career choice. With these differences in lifestyle, you can create a system in many ways. It is sometimes hard to stay disciplined as a full-time photographer, especially if you’re a freelancer because it can be so easy to get lazy or even get distracted from the work you have left to do.
The first step in creating a system for yourself is acknowledging what it is you want to start with. Some photographers like myself review their images first and start the selection process while other may make it a habit to back up their shots on to an external hard drive or the cloud before starting their selection process. Again this is all done depending on the kind of photographer you are and how you schedule your time. With a system in place, it gives you a sense of starting to become organized which then encourages you to follow this system and make it your routine every time you shoot. Once this system becomes a habit, you will see a huge improvement in not only your work ethic but your image turn over time as well. Great image turn over times will always please clients and also motivate these clients to tell others about you.
Tip #2: Prioritize
Prioritizing your objectives will become a great asset in managing or improving your photography workflow. It always helps to create a list of the things you need to go along with their respective deadlines or other details. We’ve spoken about perspective a lot in photography itself but in this case, having the right perspective on the things you need to get done is also important. Determining top-level priorities over those that could be considered low level will help to get everything you need to get done in a timely manner.
Naturally, as photographers, we will end with clients who need images or edits a lot more urgent than others. Some of these clients may request images urgently within reason while others can wait but are too anxious to do so. Always prioritize those who have a valid reason as to why they need a quicker turnover than others and put them at the top of your list. The faster you get these clients what they need and complete the task ahead, is the faster you can stick to the list you have created and move on to the next one.
Tip #3: Master Your Time
Time waits on nobody and as a result, you need to make every hour count and not just count the hours as they go along. Mastering how to effectively use the time to your advantage will be more of an asset than the other tips I’ve already listed. We sometimes get so easily caught up in other things that we forget what’s important or whats a priority. Also with the common distraction of social media in our day to day lives it has become so easy to waste the time you need. If I was to confess anything during this article, It would be that even me, myself get caught up in checking my phone while I’m writing this article so don’t feel guilty as it happens to all of us. The art of mastering time is not watching itself but rather have time work with you.
It’s been a pleasure sharing these simple but useful tips and I hope they become an asset to you as they have to me. Until next time, take care.
Facebook
Google +
Comments (0)
There are no comments yet.