Navigating Burnout: A Wedding Photographer’s Guide to Stress Management
Navigating Burnout For Wedding Photographers
Ahhh burnout, does anyone else get the Simon and Garfunkel tune pop into their head at the mere mention of burnout? “Hello Darkness, my old friend…” Just me? Oh well, as we navigate another wedding season, it seems many of us are feeling the strain. It’s that time of year when the pressure mounts and burnout for wedding photographers feels like it’s lurking around the next corner. For multiple reasons, it seems particularly bad this year.
Running a wedding photography business alongside life’s other commitments can be very overwhelming. If you are feeling like you are operating on full capacity and if one tiny thing goes wrong it’s likely to tip you over the edge then let’s talk about burnout – how to recognise it, manage it, and prevent it from kicking your ass.
Recognising Burnout For Wedding Photographers –
First things first, how do you know if you are heading for burnout, not just experiencing the normal stress levels involved in this job? Burnout symptoms can be both physical and emotional, and it’s important to catch them early. Common symptoms of approaching burnout include:
Exhaustion: This goes beyond feeling tired after a wedding day. If you’re constantly fatigued, no matter how much rest you get, it could be a sign of burnout.
Insomnia: Despite being exhausted, you might find it hard to fall or stay asleep. This can be particularly tough when you need to be alert and focused for long days of shooting. You might experience the ‘2 AM Terrors’ and be unable to fall back asleep because your mind feels like a hamster doing speed-laps in its wheel.
Lack of Motivation: Tasks that you used to enjoy or find fulfilling now feel like a chore. The excitement you once had for photography might start to wane. You might decide that you suddenly hate your edits or think your photos are crap especially in comparison to everyone else’s.
Irritability: Small things that never used to bother you now trigger significant frustration or anger. You are suddenly snapping at the people around you and feel like a complete hothead.
Cognitive Issues: You might experience problems with concentration, memory, or decision-making. This can make it difficult to manage your schedule, edit photos efficiently, or even remember important details from client meetings.
Feeling Overwhelmed: A sense of being completely swamped with work, to the point where you feel you can’t handle it all. Editing deadlines might start to feel impossible to meet.
Detachment: Feeling disconnected from your work and clients, or a sense of being isolated even when surrounded by others. You open up social media and everyone else seems to be swimming along just fine while you feel like you are drowning in the corner.
Physical Symptoms: These can include headaches, stomach issues, or muscle pain that isn’t related to physical exertion. Long hours at the computer or carrying heavy equipment can exacerbate these issues. If you have an ache anywhere that will not go away, it might be your body’s way of telling you to chill the hell out.
Seasonal Stress and Tight Margins
We all know this job is highly seasonal, but that doesn’t make it any easier. When stress levels are high due to a relentless cycle of shooting and editing, it can feel like there isn’t much wriggle room. One photographer I spoke to recently described it as a lack of “breathing space.” The margins are so tight that any unexpected hiccup – like falling ill, dealing with tech issues like the recent Google Accounts debacle or Flothemes closing down, or handling a less-than-happy client – can feel like the final straw.
Practical Tips for Managing Stress
So, how can we find balance and handle the most stressful part of the year without burning out? Here are some practical tips to help you stay sane and keep your business running smoothly:
Take Breaks: Schedule regular breaks, even during your busiest periods. A short walk, a quick workout, or even a power nap can do wonders for your energy levels and mental clarity. I’m a big fan of a daytime bath to reset my mind in busy times.
Set Realistic Expectations: Be honest with yourself and your clients about your turnaround times and availability. Under-promising and over-delivering can help manage their expectations and reduce your stress. Be realistic about what you can actually manage instead of vaguely hoping to just get everything done.
Communicate: If you are not likely to meet your delivery times, pass this on to your couples as soon as you can. You will often find them understanding and forgiving if you just keep communicating. Avoiding talking to them will just exacerbate issues.
Delegate and Outsource: You don’t have to do it all. Consider outsourcing parts of your workflow, like editing or album design, to give yourself a breather. There are fantastic services out there that can help maintain your style while freeing up your time. How do you know it’s time to outsource? It’s simple: if you are working 7 days a week or well into the night to try to stay on top of your workflow, it’s time to outsource. You need to have days off or you will 100% burn out.
“If you don’t make time for your health, you will soon have to make time for your illness.”
Block Out Editing Time: For every job you book in, block out the editing time in your calendar. This will help you avoid that opperive feeling of having an out-of-control editing list which can be a big contributing factor in burnout.
Take Breaks: Schedule regular breaks, even during your busiest periods. A short walk, a quick workout, or even a power nap can do wonders for your energy levels and mental clarity. I’m a big fan of a daytime bath to reset my mind in busy times.
Practice Self-Care: Make time for activities that recharge you, whether it’s reading, gigs, or spending time with loved ones. Self-care isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. Listen to your body if it’s telling you to slow down. If you don’t make time for your health, you will soon have to make time for your illness..
Connect with Peers: Don’t isolate yourself. Talk to other photographers who understand the unique stresses of the job. Sharing experiences and solutions can be incredibly reassuring and helpful. Assuming everyone else is faring better than you is usually wrong; it’s just that people do not feel that they can talk about this kind of stuff online for fear of judgement.
Learn to Say No: There’s nobody else booking in your work—it’s you. Taking back-to-back bookings or too many in any given week is nobody else’s fault. I know sometimes you just book them in as it feels like you have to, but this is so hard on you physically and mentally. Be realistic about what you can manage, and if you need to pick up extra income from selling albums and products or even second shooting. My tip is to block out your editing time for each job to avoid getting overwhelmed with delivery times.
Harness AI: These tools are now readily available to assist you in your business. If well-trained, Chat GPT can help you write social media captions and blog posts. It can even help you with wording responses to any complaints. We are lucky as photographers to have a lot of choice with AI editing programmes such as Imagen, Narrative Edit, and Aftershoot – read my post to compare them all.
Handling the “Sepia Bride Effect”
We all fear the “Sepia Bride Effect” where a client isn’t 100% happy with their photos. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but it happens. I think of it like this: big companies consider it a success if their complaint rates are low, and they probably give themselves a big fat bonus. It’s just accepted as a part of business, and yet we take it as a huge blow if we get the odd dissatisfied customer. If this helps you to know, on the review site reviews.io, M&S only scores 2.8 out of 5. Remember, one client’s dissatisfaction doesn’t define your entire career.
Leveraging Tools to Ease the Load
One way to ease the load and prevent burnout is by leveraging tools like Pic-Time Gallery. With Pic-Time, selling printed products becomes almost effortless. They offer automated emails and self-design albums that can significantly boost your revenue without adding to your workload. You can set up a sequence of sales emails that are triggered when the gallery is delivered, offering time-limited discounts on prints and albums. This not only provides your clients with cherished keepsakes but also enhances your earnings with minimal extra effort. Just last week, I bumped into a client who had recently taken delivery of a self-designed wedding album through Pic-Time, and she raved about how much she loved it – I didn’t have to do anything apart from approving her order, and the money just arrived in my account.
Burnout is a real challenge in our industry at peaks times and sadly I see photographers struggling because they have not heeded their own warning signs. Burnout doesn’t have to derail your passion or your business. By implementing these tips and being kind to yourself, you can navigate the busy season with more ease and less stress.
Resources: Our Class AI Marketing Magic – to help you train ChatGPT
Studio Ninja: Use the code FARM to get 50% off 12 months with them.
Imagen: You can do a free trial with up to 1000 images or use this link to add an extra 500 to that
Pic-Time: Use code FARMERS for 2 free months
Aftershoot: Free Month then 15% off – Use the code :PHOTOGRAPHYFARM15 at this link
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