Neurodivergence in photographers is a topic that we’ve been discussing in our Facebook group but it is also good to open up this subject to a wider audience. This week’s Dear Devlin asks;
How do people with ADHD/PMDD Run a Successful Wedding Photography Business?
Dear Devlin.
I’m currently waiting on an ADHD diagnosis (along with suspected PMDD – cyclical hormone imbalance). How do people manage running a business with either of these?
When I’m at a wedding I completely focus on that and can manage the day fine apart from being a bit stressed deciding on locations for shots and the chaos/noise during family formals.
Outside of the wedding day everything’s a bit of a mess, my emails, other methods of client communication (Instagram/fb),tax returns, file management etc.
When it comes to editing sometimes I’m totally fine, other times I can edit and re-edit a gallery 4 times before I send it, then worry constantly about whether it’s good enough, only to get a message from the couple saying they love them! I put off big tasks, although I do work well to deadlines, this can be stressful as I’ll need to drop everything else to cram in my work.
I go through phases of massive self doubt, anxiety, lack of motivation then for 1 week of the month I’m on top of the world, nothing fazes me. I don’t handle stress well, can’t seem to stick to routines or integrate habits.
How on earth do I organise this and run a successful business? Any tips would be great. Even recommendations for counsellors or business coaches who have ADHD/PMDD experience would be amazing.
I’ve used so many to do list apps, have a million notebooks, wall planners, I use studio ninja and that’s a life saver, although I’ve never really got round to setting it up properly.
I try to eat healthily, meditate, see friends, self care but sometimes I forget.
I use natural supplements, CBD oil, rescue remedy, Kalms, chamomile tea, multi vits, 5HTP, cod liver oil, B vits etc.
I do try to manage everything but still feel like I’m flailing about. Disorganised Neurodivergent

Dear Disorganised Neurodivergent,
First of all, thank you for submitting your issues. PMDD is not something that I’m familiar with so apologies for not having any advice for you with that part, but ADHD is something that I’m experiencing first-hand and can offer you some suggestions with the caveat that I am not medically trained and would advise anyone in a similar situation to speak to a doctor and like you, get onto a pathway for diagnosis.
We are witnessing a lot of information on neuro divergence in online and social media spaces but Dr Google isn’t as good as the real thing. Getting an expert diagnosis might uncover some coexisting conditions that help to explain further why you experience these feelings of overwhelm.

Before we look at ideas for you to try, let’s try to understand what is leading to these feelings. As I understand it, the inner voice of someone with ADHD can be highly critical. Can you imagine that instead of hearing the criticisms that you dish out to yourself across your bad days in your head, it was a partner and they were saying them out loud? You would not tolerate it, you would dump them.
But we cannot dump ourselves and even though you have periods where you feel better about yourself, the negative feelings return. Might it be possible to work on some self-compassion? When you hear the inner self-critic, work on replacing the thoughts that drag you down with some that lift you back up. That voice is you and you can alter it.
Your wonderful ADHD brain is constantly craving endorphins. Shooting weddings can be a big old release of them, They are the ‘happiest’ days after all, and being closely involved in them and overcoming all of the challenges that we face on those days can be a big emotional high. But hours and hours of editing and admin? I don’t know anyone who loves that part of their business.
How To Run a Wedding Photography Business When You’re Neurodivergent
What can you do to make it more fun? Play a TV show or music that you love – make an editing playlist to accompany you whilst you work. If you cannot handle that, plan a fun task for when you finish the tough stuff. You need a series of little rewards to keep you motivated.
Outsource – outsource the hell out of as many parts of your business as you possibly can. There are people who specialise in being VAs to wedding photographers, you can outsource your edits completely. Imagine how rewarding that feels? But if you cannot hand over control to someone else then please at the very least, get Imagen set up. It’s very rewarding when your edits come back. As it is harnessing AI to learn how you edit, you still keep your signature look to your images but might only need to do a few tweaks instead of a full edit.
You spoke about Studio Ninja, the business management system for photographers but it sounds like you are maybe not maximising its potential. You could do one of two things here, either reach out to their support and set up a training session or reach out to other photographers who might be experiencing the same and do a co-working zoom session just to finish setting up your SN workflows.

Much of what you seem to be struggling with is most likely down to Executive dysfunction. As you are probably already aware, this is common in people with both autism and ADHD. It disrupts the ability to plan, problem-solve, and manage your time well. Of course, the more mundane parts to running your business are the worst for you because there’s not much pleasure in it. Colour coding tasks such as accounts etc. can help. a little and also trying to think of most things as steps instead of tasks. Take one step at a time. Your task is to do your tax return so step one is…
Finally, when you get your diagnosis, don’t rule out medication. I know that there can still be a stigma for taking medication but that, from my own experience, it can help with focus and the anxiety that often manifests with trying your best in a neurotypical world. Wonderful Farmer Rebecca Douglas recently opened up about her own ADHD diagnosis. Maybe something there will be able to help you, too.