Happy New Photography Year

It’s a new year – this could be a relief for some of you.  A chance to start new, a day to mark a brand new year and motivation to do it.  I want to help.  Happy New Year!

So here’s a list of 10 things to get the ball rolling in business this year:

1. If you’re not on Twitter, get on and follow your fellow peers in the industry LOCALLY and other wedding pros.  Be active on it, tweet at them, invite them to coffee, just meet.  You need to have friends in the business who are on the same page as you. 
2. Revamp your Facebook fan page banner if necessary.
3. Vow to blog regularly.  At least 2-3 times a week.
4. Examine your portfolio. Remove old images that while you may have loved them at one point, your style has clearly moved on.  Trust me this is worth it! Have a peer do it if necessary.
5. Go over pricing.  Start from highest to lowest, and mark your favorite package to help couples decide which they should go for.
6. Create the right PDFs.  Do you need additional PDFs made for portrait sessions?  Weddings?  One for wardrobe only?  To sell the first look?
7. Create a concept shoot.  To help expand your portfolio or showcase what you REALLY want to do, get some creatives together and shoot it.  Read my PhotoTuts+ article on how to begin.
8. Make a list of the YES and NO’s. What do you want to keep shooting this year?  What do you want to quit shooting?  It’s OK to let go of things. I used to shoot everything that moved.
9. Raise prices if necessary.  If you were burnt out last year from over booking, then raise prices so you can make the same income, but shoot less.  Trust me, it works.  You’ll make the same, if not more, and keep your sanity.
10. Sign up for a workshop.  I love encouraging my fellow photographers, but what I’m going to stress is that you won’t get any better or be an asset to this industry if you’re not willing to learn your craft.  This means constantly being dedicated to learning, going to industry conventions (WPPI, ImagingUSA, etc.), and reading blogs and magazines.  This costs money, but it’s a return on your investment. Workshops by me are here, as well as private mentorship.  I’m always happy to help.

Diana Elizabeth says even if something goes wrong in the new year, don’t fret.  Tomorrow is a new day.