A Day in the Life of a Photographer | Julie Pottorff Photography Southern Illinois Family & Children Photographer
So, what does a photographer do all day? You’re probably picturing me laying out by a pool all day, sipping on fancy drinks with cutesy umbrellas, just basking in the sun. Oh wait, that’s just where I have been picturing myself lately, hehe! I actually have 2 full-time jobs. During the regular work week, I work for a fantastic farming company in the credit department. When the clock hits quitting time, my second job begins: photographer. Well, that’s also when my 3rd and most important job begins as well: Mom. So, yes, I am juggling all three full-time jobs right now.
Let me preface this by saying that I am only speaking for myself in this post. I spend a lot of time preparing for sessions. Let’s say I have a family session next week. I start preparing for it by scouting out locations. I don’t want to take my clients to the same location over and over and crank out the same old photos. I want to offer something new and fresh. Scouting locations will usually take me an hour. After that, I will spend an average of 2-3 hours studying different posing ideas and techniques specifically geared towards family portraiture. During this time, I may also be conversing back and forth with the client, answering questions and having a general discussion about their upcoming session. On the day of, I make sure I have someone to watch my 2 little girls while I’m out. I spend about 30 minutes gathering everything I need for the shoot: reflector, camera, ladder, etc. I also make sure my card has plenty of room for more photo storage and that my battery is fully charged. I always make sure that I’m ready 15 minutes in advance, just in case my client(s) show up early.
During the session, I may spend anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half, depending on who I’m shooting and what mood everyone is in. Afterwards, I get home, upload the pictures to my computer (and back them up). I then look through them all and pick out the best images. It usually takes me a few hours and a few days to get all of the images fully edited to my liking (I’m very picky).
At this point, I will let my client(s) know that their pictures are ready to be viewed. My typical ordering session lasts about an hour, although it can be much shorter or longer. Depending on what they order, I can usually have most products ready to be delivered within a week. And, let me tell you, it is like Christmas morning for me every time I get a customer order in! It’s SO exciting to see my work on print 🙂 When the order arrives, I unpack it all and make sure everything looks like it’s supposed to. If so, I’m ready to get my clients’ order out the door so they can enjoy their pictures!
You see, there’s a lot of time involved with a photography business. It’s not just a matter of spending an hour taking your picture and the 5 minutes it takes to upload them to a computer. I want my clients to have the best, most amazing images that I can possibly provide them with. Not only that, but I want to deliver fast results and have impeccable customer service. So, while I would LOVE to spend my days soaking up the sun in a pool raft with a strawberry daiquiri, I choose not to. I choose to work hard and give my clients my very best. However, if I ever win the lottery, you’ll know exactly where to find me 🙂
If you have any questions or if you would like to schedule a session with me, please contact me at 618-662-2401 or email me at juliepottorffphotography@gmail.com
Have a wonderful day!
Julie
