How To Organize Your Life As A Photographer
Have you ever been out with your friends or family and suddenly become self-conscious about the number of photographs you’re taking? For starters, stop feeling self-conscious! You have a camera, you have a social media account, and you want to post your memories. There’s nothing wrong with that!
Secondly, this is a strong sign that your hobby is becoming something more important. It’s becoming a lifestyle. In other words, you’re a true photographer!
But what does this mean? Well, in our opinion, there are recognizable moments where people cross the line from amateur to serious photographers. After this happens, you shouldn't hide from the revelation and start taking fewer photographs. Instead, you should run with it and start taking more! It’s time to really nail down your passion and work to get better at it. And in order to do this, you need to get organized.
Organization is key for any passion, but especially for photography, where it can be so easy to simply take your pictures whenever you come across something interesting. As a serious photographer, you have to stray away from opportunist photography and start going looking for your photographs. This will lead to better photographs, growth as a photographer, and more opportunities to enjoy things in the moment – and not through the lens of a camera!
Below, you’ll find our tips for organizing your life as a photographer. Because, whether you like it or not, you are one!
Stop Posting Randomly
First off, if you want to stay organized as a photographer, you need to start organizing your work. By this, we mean calling a halt to random social media posting! Your work is better than that and deserves to find its place in its own collection.
One of the best ways to do this is through creating themed photo books. If you have a lot of summer photography, this can go into a summer photo book. If you took a load of vacation photos, then this can go into a vacation photo book. You get the picture? Creating your own portfolios can help you organize your photography and its afterlife. Also, you can create a photo book in 2 clicks, so it’s not even like it will take a lot of time out of your schedule!
Start Planning Your Days
Speaking of your schedule, you need to start planning your days and what you want to photograph. Before going to sleep, list down what you want to achieve the next day and how you're going to achieve it. This is a great way to stay focused, as life can take unpredictable turns, sometimes all on the same day. But if you have planned in advance, you can make sure you stay on track and prioritize your next few photographs.
It’s also important to build a routine upon this. Try out this new way of life and see what works and what doesn’t. What time do you wake up in the morning? How long does it take you to take your photographs? Start to build your routine and turn it into a habit.
Find Your Personal Balance
Organization means finding your balance. When you’re building your routine, make sure that you are not overstretching yourself. One of the ABCs of photography is “artistry”, and artistry can never feel forced or be a source of frustration for you.
Remember, a lot of your photographs will have to be taken between your actual job (ugh), but your job is just as important as your photography, so that needs to be a priority too. Ensure that you are not overtired at work and not too distracted by the world of photography.
Find Your Social Balance
As well as this, you need to find your social balance. Remember what we said earlier about you feeling self-conscious about taking too many photographs? Well, your friends won’t think you see the world through your phone if you don’t take out your phone when you’re with them. In general, learning how to stop going on your phone is a good thing, so taking fewer pics is a good idea.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t take the occasional photograph, but make sure you’re not sacrificing living in the moment and being present with your friends for photography. If you've planned properly, you already have all the photographs you need for that day!
Celebrate Your Achievements
Lastly, to stay organized, you need to stay motivated. The best way to do this is by celebrating your achievements. Once again, try to avoid splurging content on social media. Instead, choose your best work and post the ones that you are really proud of.
Similarly, when you upload your photographs to our photo book maker, make sure you pick the photographs you love and want to display on your bookshelf. If you celebrate your best, then you will get motivated to get even better. This can help when it comes to sticking to your schedule and photography plans. It can also help with setting yourself new targets, new goals of improvement, and set you on the path to achieving them.
