What does a photographer do when they are not taking photos?

As a wedding photographer, I have been pondering during this lockdown all the work that I do as a photographer, and sometimes people think, I take some photos and then I’m done, there is so much more to it than that. So what do photographers do when they are not shooting a wedding or a photoshoot? You probably haven’t thought about this question, so I wanted to share some stats from the Fourth annual photographer’s survey.

Firstly I’d like to say these are average figures, and each photographer is different. Still, I can see a lot of correlation between my photography and my time on various tasks. Most surprising is that only 4% of a photographer’s time is in actually taking the photos! You would think since this is our job, we would do it more, but honestly, it is all the other elements of running a business that takes up extra time. The other survey figures are as follows… 55% is spent on photo editing, followed by Business/Admin at 18%, Culling at 11%, and Communication at 7%.

I can certainly relate to this largest element, photo editing is such an important task, and I want to ensure that I get it right and deliver you the best photos. I would probably say that my editing process has been perfected and allows me to edit weddings and photoshoots a bit faster. However, it can still take hours to edit a full wedding day, mainly if you include a second photographer’s photos. I ensure that my couple’s and families’ pictures are edited in my signature style, ensuring consistency and excellence, so spending time editing is very important.

Next up is business and admin; I’d include website work in this section, which does take up lots of my time, I want my website to look its best for you, and I’ve recently had a style change to make it more modern looking and faster. I work on SEO, which helps me appear well on Google or Bing when someone types’ ‘Wedding Photographer in North Yorkshire‘ for example. I use an online management tool called Studio Ninja to send quotes, invoices, and contracts to all my couples; this provides a very streamlined service, and many have comments on how easy it is to use and takes the hassle away. However, I am pleased to send out paper copies too if clients request them.

Next up is culling; this is the one I was less convinced on; I would probably include this in my editing section and replace it with training. I think photography training is massively important and something that I invest in to improve my skills. I am already a fully qualified and award-winning photographer; however, I believe it is vital to keep up to date with all the latest techniques and ensure that what I am providing to my customer is excellent. Training is not just the basics but advanced learning that makes me a better photographer and keeps my eye on the shot. Any photographer who tells you they don’t need to do any more training will not give you what you deserve.

Finally, at 7%, I spend a fair amount of time answering the couple’s questions and replying to inquiries. This is all part of my service; from our first contact to me delivering your treasured memories, I provide you full support in all my wedding photography packages. If you need to chat about your day and need some advice, get in touch, you are my valued customer, and I want to help all I can. I would include meetings with couples in here too, I have a pre-wedding meeting before the big day, and we chat about your plans and timings and work out the best times for photography. All of this ensures that I can capture your unique love story and photograph your day in a contemporary, natural way, documenting your special day in all its beauty.

I do other things as a photographer that I have not spoken about today, including financial planning, goal setting, networking, blogging, social media, etc. I guess each of these will fit into one of the other categories. Still, needless to say, that although capturing those special moments is immensely important, there is so much more that goes on behind the scenes to make your photos unique and allow you to cherish them for a lifetime.

If you would like to discuss your wedding photography with me, please do get in touch or request a copy of my brochure using the button below.