Due to COVID-19, most of my March, April, and May weddings have been rescheduled for later in 2021 or 2022. This has left me with the slowest off-season I’ve ever had in the last ten years! (And the busiest busy season, too – this year my associate photographers and I will be shooting 57 weddings!) While I wait for busy season to begin, I’ve been mostly using this time to spend time with my family, prepare for the weddings we have coming up from spring through winter, and work on projects I generally don’t have time for. I’ll admit, it’s been nice to have time for personal projects, especially photography projects. After all, they give me a creative outlet and keep me inspired. Are you looking for ways to stay inspired, too? Here are my top five tips for staying inspired as a photographer.

Shoot Editorials

Last June, we were just coming out of quarantine and I hadn’t shot a “normal” wedding since February. I was definitely in need of a creative outlet so I sought out some editorials. First, I participated in a Styled Shoots Across America event where I shot 6 editorials in one day! This was such a fun day! Not only did I get to shoot some amazing wedding editorials, but I also got to spend the day with my team. The icing on the cake was having the images I took for one of the shoots published on Style Me Pretty. You can check out a recap of that shoot here.

Then, I worked with some of my favorite wedding professionals and created our own wedding editorial to submit it to wedding publications. We created a gorgeous shoot and it was featured on Wedding Chicks. Check out a recap here. Whether you attend a styled shoot sponsored by another pro in your area or you create your own, you’re sure to get inspired during this type of event, and you have the opportunity to market yourself by getting your work featured in print and online publications.

Take a Workshop

This off-season, I signed up for a flatlay workshop with Hazel Dust Studio, a local stylist / florist who creates beautiful flatlays complemented by antique items from her collection. If you follow my work at Idalia Photography, you know I’m pretty obsessed with beautiful flatlays, so I really enjoyed learning tips and tricks from another professional. You can check out a recap of the workshop here.

Offer a Complimentary Shoot

This spring, I scheduled three couples for complimentary shoots. I have specific goals for each one of them including trying out new posing prompts and testing out new shooting locations. There’s something so freeing about shooting without the pressures that come with capturing images for paying clients! While I thoroughly enjoy capturing my own clients, I don’t always feel free to try new things out with them (since they may or may not work the first time around!), so offering a complimentary shoot to couples who have zero expectations is the perfect way to do that. Recently, I photographed a couple at a local greenhouse I’ve been wanting to try and practiced some new posing prompts with them. It was so fun! You can check out the shoot here.

Start a Personal Project

Perhaps you can draw inspiration from working on a personal project. This can certainly be related to photography, but it doesn’t have to be! Personally, I’m working on expanding the education side of my business to include online courses and I’ve been working on my first digital course. It’s been a huge undertaking, but it gets me excited to work on it every day!

Invest in Yourself

If you’re ever feeling uninspired, it’s a perfect time to invest in yourself. Most of my coaching clients come to me in the late fall, winter, and early spring before things get busy. Working with a business coach will allow you to gain new perspective on your business, revamp processes, and get excited for what’s to come. I’ve currently got spots open for coaching sessions for April and May. If you’re interested in working with me, click here to inquire about a coaching session. I’d love to help you come up with a list of action items that will keep you inspired and excited for business growth even during slow times.

And there you have it! I hope these five ideas will be helpful to you as you look for ways to stay inspired as a photographer. I’d love to know how you stay inspired when you feel like you’re heading into a creative rut. Shoot me a DM on Instagram, I’d love to know!