It's simple in theory to start a photography business — pick up a camera and start snapping. But the pros know that getting bogged down with administrative tasks like scheduling can take the fun out of snapping the perfect shot. Fortunately, with a few productivity tweaks and a vast internet full of tech resources, it's easier than ever for photographers to run their businesses smoothly. Here are 20 appointment scheduling tips to improve your next session.
Productivity Enhancers
- Offer Set Dates and Times for Bookings - Cut down on back-and-forth with clients by suggesting a few dates and times that work for you, instead of leaving the conversation open-ended. Of course, be ready to be flexible if your proposed time slots do not work with your client's schedule.
- Organize Your Week - Rather than filling every day with a hodgepodge of plans (an in-studio shoot followed by editing followed by an on-location shoot, etc.), consider organizing your week in chunks of time. For example, you could allocate Tuesdays and Thursdays for shoots and Mondays and Wednesdays for in-office tasks like editing.
- Minimize Travel Time - If you're shooting multiple clients at several locations throughout the day, try to schedule bookings in a way that won't have you zipping back and forth across town.
- Create a Shot List Ahead of Time - Get the most out of your session by creating an itinerary of shots and poses for each shoot. This can especially come in handy when shooting a family or other larger group (for example: all family members, just children, just parents, etc.). Print or write out your schedule and bring it to the shoot in case your smartphone battery dies.
- Visit the Location Before the Shoot - Go at the same time of day you're planning your shoot so you can get an idea of lighting, shadows and how many people will be around. Take your camera for a few test shots if you can. Sometimes your perfectly planned shot won't work, and it's better to find out ahead of time than when you're on the clock with a client.
