10 Productive Things to Do During Slow Season (That Actually Move Your Business Forward)

Slow season is officially creeping in! The air is getting crisp, the days are shorter, and if you’re anything like me… your body is begging you to slow down a little. I’ve been so tired lately!😂

As someone who thrives on being busy and productive, this time of year used to be really hard for me. When it gets dark at 4pm, all I want to do is curl up on the couch under a cozy blanket and hibernate until spring. Some days, I genuinely have zero motivation to work on my business.

Part of the struggle is that I’ve been in a groove all year — shooting sessions, serving clients, editing nonstop — and when slow season hits, I suddenly don’t know where to even begin with the extra time. I know there are a million things I should do… but the momentum of busy season fades fast.

In the early years of my photography career, I honestly resented this time. I missed long warm nights, location scouting, laughing with clients, and the creative high of shooting regularly. But over time, I’ve learned to appreciate slow season for what it truly is: an opportunity to reflect, reset, and finally catch up on all the things I’ve pushed aside for months.

Busy season forces you to stay in your lane — same editing routines, same communication patterns, same workflows — because there’s simply no time to change anything. Slow season is where you refine, elevate, and rebuild the foundation of your business so the next year is even smoother and more successful.

After 8 years as a photographer, here are the

top 10 things I’ve found actually move the needle during slow season.

My hope is that at least one or two spark ideas for you and give you a clear place to start.

1. Audit your client experience

Let’s be honest — our client experience can always use a little love. Slow season is the perfect time to walk through every single touchpoint a client has with your brand and ask yourself:

“Does this make them feel confident, cared for, and excited to work with me?”

A client experience audit looks like this:

• Review your inquiry and booking process. Is it clear, warm, and easy to follow?

• Make sure you have questionnaires, contracts, and communication templates in place.

• Look through your pre-shoot emails, reminders, and prep instructions.

• Evaluate the session experience itself — how can you make it smoother?

• Check your post-shoot workflow: gallery delivery, thank-yous, follow-up messages, review requests.

• Review your guides and emails to ensure they’re visually on-brand, helpful, and personal.

• Look at how you nurture relationships after delivery, because happy clients become loyal clients.

 The goal is to refine each step so your clients don’t just love their photos—they love the entire experience of working with you.

Here are a few things I’ve added over the years after auditing my own client experience:

• Gifts + personalized note at the end of the session: I switch up the gift every year, but adding personal touches makes the session feel special.

• Post-Session Polaroid: In an effort to end my senior sessions on a positive note, I decided to start taking little polaroids of my clients and whoever came with to support them- something they could take away from the session right then and there.

• Client Closet: The last two years I’ve offered a closet for clients to pick and choose. It’s pretty simple, but every slow season I like to add a couple new pieces to keep it fresh and exciting.

• Inspiration Boards: I create Pinterest boards tailored to each session type so clients feel prepared and inspired.

• Guides! I cannot emphasize enough the power of guides in improving client experience! I currently offer a location guide, (Find mine HERE) a welcome guide, and an initial investment guide for clients when they book. Offering guides give clients clarity, confidence, and a feel for my brand before they ever show up to their session. The whole goal is to make the process as smooth and simple for them as possible.

These small touches make a huge difference in how clients feel — and that’s what elevates your brand.

2. Improve Your Workflow

This goes hand-in-hand with client experience, but workflow upgrades are truly game-changing. Two years ago (after many many years of using Google Sheets + Jotform for questionnaires/contracts) I decided to take the leap and invest in Honeybook, an all-in-one business management platform made for creatives (use my link HERE for a 30% off discount) and I haven’t looked back.

 Investing in a CRM has saved me hundreds of hours of work and really just simplified my entire process for photos by having everything in one place. Other great CRMs that I know photographers use: Dubsado, 17hats, StudioNinja. I've tried a couple but ended up loving Honeybook the best.

Some of my favorite things about Honeybook:

Templates: You can create personalized templates with your own brand visuals including questionnaires, contracts, and deposits. I have templates for all different types of sessions that I use on the daily. 

The pipeline: When you create a new project with a client, you push it into the Honeybook ‘pipeline’, or a way to track your progress with each client. It’s a great way to keep on top of sessions and pay attention to how many inquiries are converting to actual paying clients.

Payments: I love that Honeybook makes it easy for clients to pay for their session. You can even set reminders and have the option to use payment plans.

3. Create Pins on Pinterest (and link to your Insta/Website):

Pinterest is one of the easiest, most underrated marketing tools for photographers. I use Canva (Get my FREE templates!) to create aesthetic pin templates and link them to my website or Instagram. It’s a great way to get your work in front of new eyes without constantly posting on social media.

Pins can go viral months later and keep sending traffic to your site, boost your SEO, and attract people who are already in “planning mode” for their photos. Create inspiring boards, use catchy titles, link to your site, and let Pinterest be your 24/7 marketer;) I'll link my Pinterest here.

4. Update Photos on your website:

This one can feel daunting, but it’s necessary. Slow season is the time to refresh your portfolio so your site reflects your best, most current work.

Here’s my process:

• Download your galleries

• Sort everything into simple folders like “Seniors,” “Couples,” “Families,” etc.

• Replace old images on your homepage, about page, blog posts, and guides

• Update captions and keywords to help improve SEO

If you can do this throughout the year — amazing. I personally never do. 😅 Slow season is a lifesaver.

5. Educate Yourself:

This is the perfect time of year to up your business + photography game! People always ask me- what are the best resources for education?

Here’s what I usually say:

YouTube: Perfect for quick/easy/digestible tutorials and content. I love watching behind the scenes of other photographers, learning more about marketing, and especially watching editing tutorials!

TikTok: One of the cheapest and easiest ways to learn fast!!  Save and like the videos you love and your feed becomes a custom learning hub. Gone are the days of gatekeeping valuable information! There are some incredible photographers out there who share super great tips and tricks. (Go follow me here!!!)

Workshops: I’ve done a couple workshops throughout my time as a photographer, and I’ve always come away with so much incredible, valuable information. Workshops can be in person, online, work-at-your-own-pace, and so much more. The best way to find these include google search, Instagram, and TikTok. Make sure to look at reviews before investing!

Mentorships: One on one mentorships are the BEST way to grow your business. Why? You get to sit down with an experienced photographer and get individual, personalized, tried and true tips and advice curated to YOU and YOUR BUSINESS. I’d recommend finding a photographer you love (who is also doing well business-wise and booking clients) and trying to find if they offer mentorships.

Fun fact: I’ve mentored over 20 photographers this year! I love mentoring other photographers because I get to learn from them as well. My mentorships include a DEEP DIVE into not only your photography, but your business. We have a conversation about where you’re at and where you want to go. I share actionable tips and a personalized plan to help you achieve your photography dreams! You can find more info on mentorships HERE. 

Education is the best investment you can make for your future self.

6. Go back and edit old galleries:

When I don’t have as many sessions to edit, I love going back to edit old galleries. Because my clients pick their favorite photos, I don’t always end up editing ones that I personally love- so this is a great time to do that. Re-editing old galleries helps you 

• Update your portfolio

• Create fresh content for social media and Pinterest

• Experiment with new editing styles

• Strengthen your consistency

Sometimes I find photos I totally forgot about — and they become some of my favorites ever.

7. Learn new editing techniques :

As you revisit older sessions, notice your patterns:

• Are you using the same brush repeatedly?

• Fixing the same color tones over and over?

• Making the same lighting adjustments?

If yes, turn those steps into presets, brushes, or Photoshop actions. Save them, name them, reuse them. You'll thank yourself next year.

These small improvements make your editing more consistent AND speed up your workflow.

8. Backup Photos and delete from online gallery

By the end of busy season, my Pixieset storage is always on the verge of maxing out because I never have time to clean things up. Slow season is the perfect moment to

• Download your past galleries

• Save everything somewhere safe, and free up space on your online platform. 

• Clear out old albums

• Organize everything by year/session type 

This keeps your files organized, protects your work long-term, and makes room for a brand new year of sessions.

9. Batch Social media content + Engage on Socials:

Creating social media content is SO tedious, time consuming, and honestly- not always my favorite thing in the world. But the months when you’re not shooting as much are the perfect time to create some new content. Use this time to batch-create posts, reels, graphics, and captions so future you can relax during busy months.

It’s also the perfect opportunity to engage intentionally — follow potential clients (Not other photographers!! This is important!), comment on their posts, connect with local brands, and show up where your people already are. The more consistently you show up now, the easier it is to book later.

Raise your Prices + update guides:

I raise my prices every new year. I know it’s different for every photographer, but I find the new year naturally brings a fresh start. Think of it this way: all the work you’re doing right now — improving your workflow, refining your client experience, updating your website, polishing your guides — makes your sessions more valuable. When you elevate your business, your pricing should reflect that. Updating your guides and raising your rates sets the tone for a more confident, aligned year ahead.

If you took a look at this list and said, “wow”, that’s way too much work- I don’t even know where to start. I’d recommend just picking one thing you think you could do this week and next week pick something else. Set a reminder on your phone and just do the dang thing. The hardest thing is getting started, but I promise if you start now- you’ll thank yourself later. 

All of these things are just investments in your business that will 100% add up over the long run. 

This is what I’ll be working on these next few months… so if you wonder where I am… I’m probably buried in my laptop with a cozy blanket and a hot cup of Just Ingredients new bone broth protein powder- peppermint flavored😋

Thanks again for your love and support and following along. Always and forever grateful for all of you. Please reach out if you ever want to chat photography! I’m not the fastest at responding, but I try my best! 

Love you all <3