And we’re back with Part 2! Last week in Part 1’s post, we talked about the importance of rest, of pressing “pause” on the hustle. This week is all about the work that gets done when the photo-taking side of things slows down!

Because I don’t typically shoot sessions/weddings between January-March (due to the fact that it’s 28 degrees outside with blistering winds), my work during this time breaks into three basic areas:

  • Maintenance/upkeep
  • Growth
  • Personal work

The maintenance and upkeep is, essentially, all the stuff I didn’t have time to get to during the busy season. Updating online galleries, creating new sample albums, getting our taxes/financial systems taken care of (more on that soon!!), restocking supplies (i.e. film, print boxes, the like), and so on. All the “non-urgent” tasks that tend to get put off during the busy season.

Paris, France photographe de mariage | Abby Grace

When it comes to the growth side of things, that’s where I get to dream a bit! A Practical Wedding Workshop Live was actually born out of a conversation with my dear friend Natalie last off-season, on my way back home from the Creative At Heart conference. Trying to launch something like that during the busy season just wasn’t an option, but once weddings slowed down we had the time to focus on curating an incredible set of material for our students! The growth side  also encompasses things like educational opportunities (attending conferences, seeking out mentoring/coaching for my business, online education, etc.), and brainstorming new ways to serve the community around us.

And then finally, we have personal work. This part might just be my favorite! I’ve written in the past on the importance of personal work, so this won’t be a shock to anyone who’s been around the Abby Grace water cooler for any measure of time. I shoot a lot of personal work, and I think that’s been one of the biggest reasons I’m still in business! I love weddings, I really do! But I’m also inspired by MORE than just weddings. And I believe that if I want to continue to grow and mature as an artist, I need to seek inspiration from more than just my own industry.

DC ballerina session with the cherry blossoms | Abby Grace

It’s why I travel to Europe at least once a year, shooting personal work exclusively on film while I’m there. It’s where my love of France was born. It’s why I photograph ballerinas, why I carry my Contax with me on the random excursion out with friends. Because I never want to stop seeking inspiration- I never want to cease feeling hungry to capture something significant to me and/or the people around me. And that’s often something I have much more time to focus on during the off-season, because it gives my brain a few moments to rest and reflect on what it is that really and truly inspires and drives me, instead of simply operating on survival mode.

Paris, France photographe de mariage | Abby Grace

I’d love to hear from you guys! Do you have any typical off-season goals or systems? Any tried and true methods for gearing up for the next year that you’d care to share? I’m all ears!

Photog Friday: Part 2- What do you do in the “off-season?”

February 12, 2016

  1. Rebekah says:

    I LOVE the picture of the woman with the car. Just a stunning photo all around. Very classic & very YOU.

  2. Laura Barnes says:

    The first image in this post is absolutely perfect!! So gorgeous!

    I’m working on wedding workflows, business goals and tax stuff (gross!) during this off season! xo

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