A few weeks ago I wrote an article on how to improve your photography business while sick. Today it is snowing here in New Jersey so I thought it would be fun to write a more general article on things to do for your photography and your photography business while there is snow falling.
So if you are a student, teacher, professional or just a hobbyist who is home while it’s snowing out then here are some things you can do to help improve your creative and business work.
Create an indoor/at-home project
Find something in your home that can become a project. While you’re in the warmth with your hot chocolate, set up a mini studio as if you were photographing products for eBay. It doesn’t matter if you use it or trash it. Think of this as practice.
Open a notebook
Whether you’re a write-it-down or type-it-out type person, open a notebook of some sort and start jotting down your ideas for when the snow melts. It can be a project or just one photograph you want to make. Take it a step further and sketch it out, open Google Maps and find a location, etc.
I am currently writing in iA Writer, but I tend to use Evernote for saving and organizing notes and ideas.
Get inspired
If you read or follow me anywhere then you know that I’m a huge advocate for finding inspiration through social media. If you’re in the mood for landscapes then head over to 500px and browser the landscape category. Do a search on Flickr or join some Google Plus communities. There are endless places to find inspiration so it’s a matter of you taking that step.
Optimize your catalog
Adobe Lightroom is the more popular photography cataloging software around. It’s an amazing product but can begin slowing down at times. Use their optimization feature, remove unused keywords and delete photographs you have ready for deletion. Clean up everything you can so your workflow has a chance to speed up.
Update your backups
Going along with your photographs, I highly suggest making sure your backups are up to date. My backup workflow consist of a Drobo S (main library drive), an on-site G-Tech RAID which is updated every 2 days and an off-site G-Tech RAID which is updated once a month. I also use Backblaze which regularly updates my backup off-site. However Backblaze, like Crashplan and Carbonite is like a cloud and much harder and slower to get to their files. I look at that as an emergency system.
Organize your space
Your workspace might be a desk, a kitchen table or the patio table. Hopefully if it’s the patio table, on a snowy day you have moved inside. Wherever your work space is, clean it up. Having clutter is not useful, and cleaning the space will mentally make you feel more productive which can help you get more work done.
Prepare a Blog
Sit down at your computer, open your blogging platform and start blogging away. Write about your next photo shoot or your last one. Blog a series of photographs from your latest project or engagement photographs for a couple who’s wedding your photographing soon.
In closing, the snow day blues are not the end of the world. In fact, it’s an opportunity to improve your photography, your business and inspire yourself. So take advantage of the time you’re home without a place to go.
Make magic happen,
Scott
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Scott Wyden Kivowitz is the Community & Blog Wrangler of Photocrati, photographer in NJ, blogger and educator.
