It’s normal to experience cyclical patterns in business…but that doesn’t always make it fun. If you’re a portrait photographer, you probably already know that we’re right at the beginning of photography slow season. The off season for photographers usually runs from about January through March) give or take a month depending on where you live) and chances are, you dread it.
After the rush of the holidays, slow season is a dramatic change of pace. And, in the same way you wonder whether the sun will ever make a reappearance during the long winter nights, you may also find yourself questioning whether anyone will ever book a session with you again.
But the truth is, photography slow season can provide some great opportunities for growth, preparation, exploration, and yes…rest.
In this post, we’ll take a look at why photography slow season exists in the first place, plus offer some creative ideas on how to keep your business on track (and yourself sane) until spring.
What Causes Photography Slow Season?
It can be helpful to realize that photography slow season is a thing for everyone. You are not the only one experiencing a sudden dearth of bookings. There are several good reasons for that, including:
Weather
Let’s face it. When it comes to outdoor photography, your clients know that it’s way more fun to throw on a sun hat and head to the beach than it is to stand in the middle of a frozen field trying to look happy when all they can think is, “I can’t feel my feet.”
Fewer Events and Holidays
People often book photos for an event, and there just aren’t that many happening in the cold winter months. Most couples plan their wedding for warmer weather, new parents don’t want to bundle their newborn up in six layers of blankets to drive to the studio, and most people don’t think about the possibility of sending out Valentine’s cards
Um…We Just Did Photos
There’s a little bit of cause and effect in the fact that photography slow season hits right after the holidays. Most people just had photos taken in the fall or early winter in preparation for gifts and holiday cards. Why book another session so soon?
Budget
January usually comes with sticker shock as people realize just how much they spent over the holidays. Your clients don’t feel like shelling out for professional portraits just now…especially if one of the things they overspent on was updated family photos for their Christmas cards.
Okay, okay. So there’s are legitimate reasons that your studio is absolutely dead right now. Cold comfort, right? What do you do about it? With the odds stacked against you until things thaw out, how do you keep your business rolling and avoid cabin fever during photography slow season?
How to Use Photography Slow Season to Your Advantage
Creative Offers
Catch a Break in the Weather
Scheduling outdoor sessions ahead of time may be risky with the sky threatening rain, snow, sleet, hail, and everything in between, but if there’s a break in the weather and you’ve got time, why not post a quick invite for an impromptu mini session on social media? You won’t always get takers, but it will show people you’re still taking pictures, and some folks may be up for a good photo adventure after being cooped up inside for weeks.
Go Fun-Size
Mini sessions are another great way to entice people into the studio. During the slow months, try quick half-hour sessions built around a particular theme (like Winter wonderland, Valentine’s day, St. Patty’s, etc.) If you run these sessions over a few days when you don’t have other bookings, you can use the same setup multiple times without having to take anything down.
Give Back
Why not use this time to partner with others for a good cause? Get in touch with a local nonprofit and see if you can work out an event or campaign that will help your business and the community at the same time. If you’re a maternity and newborn photographer, you might donate a percentage of every newborn session booked in February to the local women’s shelter. With both you and the nonprofit of your choice promoting the event, it’s a great way to get the word out about your business while supporting a worthy cause.
Offer Value to Your Clients
Value comes in all shapes and sizes, and you don’t have to limit yourself to a photo session. You’ve got some time on your hands, so use it to shoot a few YouTube videos. Write some blog posts with tips and advice that will resonate with your clients. Or design that style guide or welcome packet you’ve been meaning to put together for months.
Business Housekeeping
Do a Business Audit
Slow season is a great time to make sure your business is ready to run smoothly come spring. Are your prices still competitive? Are there props you’ve been meaning to buy or studio upgrades you want to make? Are you happy with your website? Use the downtime to make improvements to your photography business that you’re just too busy to implement during the rest of the year.
Offer Headshots for Other Photographers
Was “update headshot” on your list of housekeeping items when you performed your business audit? If there’s another photographer in the area whose work you like, reach out and see if they’d be interested in swapping services so you can both keep your photos looking fresh without spending a dime.
Create Fresh Content
Creating content in the moment can get exhausting fast, and it’s easy to fall behind. One of the best ways to keep your social media calendar ticking and your blog performing well is to work ahead and prepare for busy season. Take time out to batch some content or go through old posts and freshen them up for the new year.
Self-Care
Expand Your Skill Set
Slow season can be a great time to nurture your creative side and try new things. Usually do portraits? Why not try your hand at landscapes, stock images, or pet photography? Here’s an idea: Contact your local animal shelter and ask if you can come out and take photos of adoptable animals for their website. This is a free offer, but if you decide you love pet pics, you could turn it into potential business by seeing if the shelter would be open to giving your business card to adopters. There might be some pet parents who would love pictures of their new fur-baby!
Rest
Finally, you can deal with photography slow season by embracing it. Remember busy season, when you barely had time to breathe and would have given anything for just twenty minutes to yourself? Well, grab it while you can! Look at this time as an opportunity to establish some good self-care habits and indulge in a bit of extra me-time.
Photography slow season happens to everyone, but by getting creative and looking for opportunities, you can use the time to your advantage. Follow these tips to head into spring refreshed, prepared, and ready to handle anything when those bookings start flowing again.
Did You Know?
Slow season can also be the perfect time to start an annual plan with RedFox Blogging. It’s the beginning of the new year, you have time to figure out a blogging workflow that works for you, and I can also help you figure out your blog calendar for the entirety of 2024. Now wouldn’t that feel good?
I’m also happy to help you with some of the details you might have identified during your business housekeeping. If your list includes things like:
- Blog more
- Rewrite evergreen content for better SEO
- Brainstorm new blog content ideas
- Figure out how to leverage blog content for social media
- Proofread or update website copy
- Figure out technical details like meta description and alt text
- Write content for email campaign
- Write style guide, welcome packet, and other materials for new clients
I’d love to help you out! If you need a little help this slow season—or any season—feel free to get in touch!
