It’s my off season, what to do?

I’m in the off season in my photography business – which is fairly early for most in my area due to my crazy planning skills.  When I say I’m in the off season, I’m still working, but shooting less.  I’m regularly writing my Thursday column for SLRLounge.com called Diana’s Thursday Thoughts giving photography tips.  The articles will soon make their way to my blog after a respectable amount of time but I’ll rename them to Tuesday Tips.

If you follow me on Instagram (@dianaelizabeth_ don’t forget the underscore), you’ll notice I’ve not only been going to sporting events lately, but also going crazy over my new hobby – sewing, even splurging on a Singer serger after I discovered the invention over the weekend.  Mr. Wonderful believes in this new hobby and loves investing in it!  And no, I will not be turning this into a new business. I’ve come to realize that while doing what you love is very important, however if you aren’t careful, exhausting it to it’s extreme can easily burn one out and remove all joy that hobby had once brought you.  I am guarding this new hobby of mine fiercely which means – I’m sewing for me, and only me until I’m ready to share but without expectations (photogs, you know what I’m saying).

If you are a photographer in the off season too, here are a few things you can do to utilize this time:

• It’s the end of the year, evaluate your total income, profit, wedding bookings, and portrait bookings.
• While you’re at it, organize it for your tax guy – yes, you should pay taxes or else the IRS will be comin’ to your door, be legit.
• Write a list of your 2013 goals now – income, number of bookings, want to get published?
• Jot down a list of your equipment must haves and cost so you know how many sessions you need to book until you can purchase it.
• Start to compile your “Best of” blog post with backlinks to past sessions to post end of December when newly engaged brides start to scour the web for a wedding photographer

As for me in my off season, I’m sewing, entertaining at the house, and today visiting a class of 2nd graders to teach them photography basics.  I’m certain I’m going to want to pinch cheeks and give hugs instead of my show and tell time.

Diana Elizabeth says it’s very important to take time off  – her next wedding isn’t until April which means is absolutely perfect for her to accomplish a lot of teaching, portraits, and evaluate how much (or how little) she’d like to do in 2013.