3 MAJOR Ways to Combat the Photographer Burnout!

Photographers, this one is for you! #you’rewelcome!

I hear you, I truly do. You LOVE what you do, you really, really do but you’re burned out… Trust me, friend – you’re not alone!

Here’s the issue, since you love what you do, you love running a successful business and love making allll the monayyy (duh): you have a problem saying “no”… Do you feel like I’m speaking to you directly? Yeah, because I am!

Since I’ve taken the time out of my day to call you out on your bull shit, take a few moments out of yours to do the following for YOUR business!

• Calculate the time it REALLY takes you for one session from start to finish! Think: from the second the client reaches out, the phone call(s) you have with them, the outfit planning, the emails, driving to and from the session, importing RAWs, culling, editing, exporting, uploading to your gallery site, sending annnnd following up to make sure they loved their gallery. How many hours is that?!
• Take the price you have set for the above session and divide it by the number of hours you calculated above. Are you happy with the hourly rate you’ve set for yourself? Now factor in 30% (ish) you’ll pay in taxes. Still happy?
• Finally then factor in any other expenses you have: studio, insurance, location fees, camera lens rentals, gallery fees, props, advertising, etc. How do you feel now?

These questions require hard truths. No BS, no sugar coating it, just actual facts!

I will NEVER tell my coaching clients that their pricing is “too high” or “too low” – will I hint at it? Well, yeah – I can’t hide my face… But, if you are willing to get out of bed for the rate you’re charging then fucking do that! If not, you need to raise those prices.

Assess Your Prices – if you feel they’re too low, adjust them before your next busy season!

Use those hard truths you discovered above to adjust your pricing! It’s nerve racking to raise your prices, I get that. But when you are so swamped that you’re unable to spend time with your family, you don’t feel like you’re giving your clients the experience they deserve, or you’re just plain overwhelmed, it’s time.

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Know Your Limits – hell, SET your limits!

Okay, so this is a fun one. Interpret it however you want but here’s how I encourage you to think of it and how I was thinking of it as I was writing this. Put a cap on the number of sessions you will take on at a given time, maybe you’ll say “I will only take on 2 weddings per month” or “I think I can only handle 5 family sessions per weekend in the fall” ooooor “I will offer 10 minis per day for my spring mini sessions.” Whatever that limit is, set it and stick to it!
You will always think: well, what’s one more mini session?! What’s one more wedding?? That’ll help me get 1 step closer from paying off my car or taking that vacay to Hawaii! Yeah, cool. It will be one step closer to both of those things BUT you’re also one step closer to losing your fucking mind *again* and being burned out x1000000!!! Set your limits and stick with it!

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Schedule Time Off – just do it.

As entrepreneurs we suck, it just is what it is. We have the ability to work whenever we want and more often than not, that’s ALL the time because we are SO passionate about our jobs. Here’s the thing though, that passion quickly turns to contempt when all you want to do is play with your dogs or disconnect from your business for a few hours and you can’t because YOU didn’t set boundaries for yourself. Schedule time for yourself, it sounds dumb and low-key pointless but put it in your calendar and stick with it.

Leave me a comment if you’ve tried any of these!