Thriving, Not Just Surviving: Essential Tips for Photographers During the Busy Fall and Holiday Season

I can vividly remember how the fall season felt in my photography business. Spring and summer couples were finalizing their wedding albums, mid-summer high school seniors were placing orders and asking for their wallet photos to be ready for the start of school, and reminders of photo lab holiday cut-offs were popping into my inbox regularly.

From Labor Day weekend through Thanksgiving, our home was more of a hostel. Between shoots and travels, my suitcase was usually half-packed, wedding wear was constantly in the wash, and I was pulling all-nighters more nights than I wanted to admit. It was the rush and excitement of a growing business. Looking back, it feels like a business in survival mode instead of “thrival mode” (yes, I made that word up).

After several years of this cycle, I figured out how to thrive during the busy fall season instead of merely surviving it. Here are my essential tips for photographers during the busy fall and holiday season.

Establish Cut-Off Dates for Holiday Orders

Regardless of photo lab cut-off dates, my cut-off date for all orders was November 1st unless a client’s wedding album was coming from an international vendor. In that case, the cut-off was mid-October for the album to be in production.

November and December clients were educated on which products would make it in time for the holidays, and I clearly communicated every step of the way with reminders of due dates for approvals to meet production deadlines.

Schedule Post-Production Days

I padded my schedule with post-production days, meaning no social media, no phone calls, no lead follow-up, etc. These days were fully dedicated to post-production and ensuring client orders were moving through editing, approvals from clients and my team, before the order was submitted to the lab.

The Monday and Tuesday after a wedding were reserved for post-production. Remember, I’m pre-AI, so the tools available today weren’t available to me back then, and outsourcing to a virtual studio manager wasn’t an option. I would cull images, order proof prints, and design a sample of their album the days after their wedding.

When I transitioned to solely focusing my business on high school seniors, I would shoot three times a week, and the following week would be reserved for in-person sales and post-production for lab orders and album designs.

This schedule greatly helped me manage my workload and also eliminated the all-nighters.

Prioritize Your Health

By mid-October, I was running on fumes. Once I started to prioritize my health, I no longer felt run down, dealt with colds, or felt post-wedding hangover (not from drinking, but from travel and shooting for 8+ hours).

I started by working out 4-6 times per week with a mix of cardio and strength training. While my body felt sore, I didn’t feel as beat up after back-to-back shoots.

The other thing we prioritized was eating healthy, nourishing meals instead of relying on takeout. I’d spend a good chunk of my Sunday in the kitchen prepping meals for the week ahead and coordinating easier meals for the nights I had a shoot or in-person sale.

Start Marketing Now for Fall and Christmas Shoots

Lastly, I let go of the need to push for fall portrait sessions or Christmas shoots. Several of my photographer peers had great success with these, but I didn’t have the capacity in my schedule or failed to advertise the events far enough in advance, so they flopped.

If your business relies on fall and Christmas shoots as part of your annual income, give yourself plenty of lead time. Now is the perfect time to start dripping out the dates of your event while you build the sales/landing pages, update pricing menus, and finalize your booking system.

Far too many business owners wait until two weeks before an event and are disappointed with low or no sales. This is why—we need to give our audience longer lead times with more follow-up and nurturing.

Delegate and Outsource Tasks

One of the most valuable lessons I learned was the importance of delegation. During the busy season, it’s crucial to recognize that you can’t do everything yourself. Whether it’s hiring a virtual assistant, outsourcing editing tasks, or bringing on a second shooter for larger events, delegating can free up your time and allow you to focus on what you do best—capturing beautiful moments.

However, if you haven’t outsourced or delegated tasks within your business thus far, I strongly advise you to proceed with caution. Now is not the time to onboard new team members if you do not have the capacity to properly train them or bring them up to speed on what your needs are. Alternatively, if you do decide to bring on a virtual assistant or virtual studio manager, seek out someone with experience in the photography industry who can quickly come in and help without much need for training.

If delegating and outsourcing within your business isn’t a current viable solution, here are a few other ways to outsource in your personal life that can give you more space and time to focus on your business. Ask a friend or family member to help package orders for drop-off or shipping, outsource meal prep to a meal delivery service for the days when you can’t cook, or have someone walk the dog if you feel like he/she is begging for a little activity that you can’t give during this busy season.

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When I coach or consult with new or even established photographers, I often find one of the gaps in their business is scheduling, prioritizing, and nurturing their business. It’s tough when you are the creative visionary, marketing maven, home chef, and family taxi, all while meeting the demands of your clients.

By implementing these very basic actions into your business for the upcoming fall and holiday season, my hope is that the season isn’t as hectic as previous years, and you not only hit your sales goals but far exceed them.

And if you ever find yourself overwhelmed, remember that I’m here to help. As a virtual studio manager and business coach for creatives, I can provide the support you need to thrive, not just survive.