A Day with CGP ~ In the Office

It can be hard to explain what professional photographers do all day. Those in artistic service industries and those who own their own businesses probably have a little bit of an idea, but I thought it would make a fun blog post.

So here's a play by play from Monday. I didn't have a photo shoot that day, so that meant there was no work to be done right?

8:00 – I kiss Ryan goodbye. Usually he leaves around 7:45, but today he’s going straight to a client that doesn't open until 8:30. I make my morning cup of tea. While it's brewing, I take a few minutes to straighten up the kitchen.

8:12 – I head upstairs with a cup of peach tea and two apple muffins and get ready for the work day. I light a candle, turn on Pandora, and open the curtains. Then I take a few minutes to look over my big to do list and make a smaller list for today.

8:17 – I start writing Monday's blog post, which is recent tidbits of my personal life.

8:35 – I have finished the blog text, but I need a picture to go with it. I gather items that represent things I talk about in the post and take a few quick shots out on our new deck.

8:42 – I upload and edit the picture and finish the post.

8:51 – My blog post is published. I open Lightroom and start culling Saturday's bridal session. (Culling is sorting through the images and choosing the best ones to edit.)

9:29 – I finish culling the bridal session. I can’t resist spending a few minutes to edit one or two images.

9:38 – It's time to check email. I have 26 emails in my inbox. The client emails have really built up over the weekend.

10:10 – My inbox is down to 12. There are several emails still to be sent, but it’s time for a walk around the neighborhood.

11:00 – I'm back in the office and ready to finish those emails! But first I take 15 minutes to post about today's blog post on social media.

11:30 – I look over the questionnaire from my final meeting with my June 21 bride, type it up, and make any additional notes I need to remember for the wedding day.

12:00 – Lunch break!

1:00 – I pick back up with my final meeting questionnaire and send emails to the bride, the wedding planner, and my 2nd shooter for the day.

1:30 – Today is also "Duty Day" so I take care of all those little tasks that need to be done monthly – checking my calendar for June, calculating recent mileage, and checking my social media statistics among other things.

2:00 – All the big tasks for today are done so I start working on my new website. I sign up for new newsletter subscription service that is compatible with the new website and import my subscriber list. I check over the about me page. I gather images for the home page, format them, and upload. And I send a few quick emails back and forth with Ryan to make sure the home page formatting is correct.

3:20 – I'm pleased with the website’s look so I pause for a 20 minute break to read blogs.

3:45 – I check email one last time and call my mother since it’s her birthday.

4:15 – Before clocking out for the day, I spend 15 minutes editing some images from a styled shoot a couple months ago. I can't share them since they haven't been published yet, so I've been taking my time editing them.

Want to learn more about me?
My About Page
Eight Quirky Facts
Six Things You Can Learn From My Instagram
10 Things You Might Not Know About Me
My Scar
Am I the Right Wedding Photographer for You?
A Work Day with CGP
A Wedding Weekend with CGP