For Photographers: One Simple Productivity Tip

For Business Owners, For Photographers

June 11, 2014

If you’re looking for a way to get motivated and be a little more productive (and let’s be real, who isn’t??), you’ve come to the right place! I wanted to share this easy little thing that I started doing somewhat recently that anyone can add to their daily routine. In the process of planning my workshop presentation, I decided to time myself editing and culling one day so I could see exactly how long it takes me to get it all done from start to finish. I kind of had an idea of the amount of time it takes cumulatively, but I wanted to be able to share an actual amount of time.

Productivity Tip for Photographers_0004

(Um, please ignore the crack in my iPhone screen…crack is whack!)

Using the stopwatch feature on my iPhone, I basically “clock in” when I sit down to cull, and then edit a wedding by starting the clock, then hit “lap” every time I finish a major step in the process (like finishing a category, etc). I stop the clock every time I get up to take a break or check emails or whatever. Doing something as simple as starting a clock for myself when I edit was SO helpful in keeping me focused…and also, giving myself a certain time goal I wanted to meet helped me finish even faster than I normally do! Knowing the clock is running makes it more difficult for me to stop what I’m doing to check Facebook or reply to random text messages. Instead of getting up to get a snack in the middle of editing a reception or getting ready details,  I make myself wait until I’ve been at it at least an hour, or until I finish if there aren’t that many images in the category I’m working on.

The best thing about knowing how long it takes me to cull and edit is actually being able to schedule time on my calendar for it. I definitely suggest that you time yourself editing at least once…that way you have a baseline to go off of. It will make it so much easier to tackle editing (especially if you’re still running your business and working another full time job) if you know you need four hours to get the wedding edited…you can schedule two hours one day and two hours the next…or you can schedule the entire four hours on one afternoon and knock it out all at once!

I love timing myself editing now…it keeps me focused on the task at hand, and it also appeals to my inner runner! As a runner, there’s nothing better than beating your personal best time by a few minutes or seconds, and timing myself editing brings out that same feeling! I think this is something anyone who’s looking to be more productive can implement. Try it out and see if it works for you! The key to be productive is finding things that work for you:)

 

Leave a Comment

  1. Shawna says:

    This is such a great idea! It is soooo easy to get distracted on the computer! I do work full time also so my nights are so important to be “productive”. Thank you for this tip!!

  2. Emilia Jane says:

    So smart! I’m going to have to try this.

  3. Great idea! I did this about 2 years ago but I know I’ve gotten much faster and efficient so it should be fun to see how much I’ve improved! Thanks for posting!

  4. Caitlin says:

    love this! such a good idea! also- i love all the white in that picture- it’s kind of perfect! haha

  5. ashley link says:

    this is so clever! i this idea! i am so easily distracted by EVERYTHING when i’m editing haha. i actually loved coming back from my wedding on a plane! even though they had wifi, i chose not to pay for it and edited a whole wedding from AZ to VA! i need less distractions in my life and more accountability! i will definitely have to try this! it’s a fun competition to beat the clock haha! thanks for sharing! 🙂

  6. Great idea! Also, I have to say that I love your sense of humor through your writing! “Crack is whack!”

  7. I’m not a photographer, but as a designer this tip is so helpful! It’s easy to get distracted when you sit in front of a computer screen all day, but timing myself would give me a goal to work toward and keep me on track. Thanks so much for the tip, Katie!

  8. Leslie says:

    fabulous tip katie! i’ll have to try this. seems much smarter then relying on start/end time of tv shows lol 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *