Ideas for Wedding Photographers in the Off-Season
How wedding photographers can keep busy during the off-season
Seasonal mini sessions
Everyone loves a seasonal mini session. These became really popularized in recent years as off-season photography shoots. Typically, people revolve seasonal mini sessions around different holidays. Seasonal mini sessions are great for wedding photographers to keep busy during the off-season. They usually involve a little propping and setup, with some volunteered/discounted test photos to be able to market the mini session. They will usually happen back-to-back for certain amounts of time each day. Each booking is allotted a certain time slot, to be able to streamline how many seasonal mini sessions you want to do each day.
Branded content photography
Reach out to brands for potential branded content collaborations. Work with them to create fresh, new content for their social channels or marketing needs. Try reaching out to some of your favorite brands that are aligned with your photography aesthetic. Brands are often in need of good, new imagery. Be the one to take the initiative and offer it to them. It will get more eyes on your work, put you in front of brands you love, and open more doors for collaboration.
Headshots and portraiture
Take some time during the off-season to shoot some headshots and portraiture. Headshots are always needed by local businesses and entrepreneurs. The off-season is the perfect time to flex your headshot muscles. If it’s cold in your area during the off-season for weddings, use a studio or create a studio-like setup of your own. Offer off-season specials on headshots and portraiture to draw in crowds that may not know about your work outside of weddings.
Offer Off-Season Discounts
Offer discounts to potential clients for booking your services during the off season. There are definitely certain local seasons that cause an influx in weddings, but that doesn’t mean that weddings don’t happen during the off-season. Keep busy as a wedding photographer by offering off-season discounts to weddings that are happening in your local off-season. There are tons of couples who are still in need of your wedding photography services, no matter the time of year.
Update portfolio and blog
We can all get behind with housekeeping and maintenance for our portfolios and blogs. The off-season is the perfect time to work on portfolio updates and your blog. In case these aren’t part of your regular housekeeping tasks between weddings, use a little time during the wedding photography off-season to make sure your portfolio is up-to-date.
Related: Why photographers need to be blogging
Catching up with social efforts
Take some time during the wedding photography off-season to catch up with your social efforts. Use this time to schedule your Instagram posts and write captions. Learn about how Pinterest can serve your business as a wedding photographer, and continue to build your brand online. Social media is an important part of marketing for wedding photographers. It’s crucial to keep your channels fresh and thriving.
Read More: The best social media tools for photographers
Work on marketing for next season
Beyond social media and blogging, use the off-season to work on marketing for next season. When it comes to wedding photography, the marketing never really ceases. Think through your next Facebook ad campaign for wedding photography. Give your promotional materials like business cards and promo cards an update. It’s time to refresh your brand while you have some time to breathe.
Take a break!
Let’s not forget the most important part of the off-season: giving yourself a BREAK! Use this time to relax and recover. If you’re out there shooting weddings every weekend, your body needs a break. Slow things down and try to take some time for yourself. You’re going to perform the best if you can actually, physically create your best work. It’s time to take a breather on your business. That’s also the beauty of automation–– you can rest while the technology does the work for you.