Summer break is in full swing!   I’m finally getting some consistency with my workflow and so far I have been able to keep up with blogging every M-F!   Today I’m going to talk a little bit about my workflow this summer.  I will say it is SO nice only having one full-time job, even if it is only for summer break.

I have not booked myself as full for July and August so that I could focus on some behind-the-scenes business work that needs to get done.   I’m SO glad that I did this!    As much as it brings me a little anxiety to not make as much money this month, or the scary thought of not over filling my schedule, it is really the breath of fresh air that I need to get all my ducks in a row.   When school starts I want all my business stuff taken care of so that I’m ready to grind!

This weekend was the first weekend in forever that I did not have a weekend shoot….ok that is a lie because I second-shot a wedding yesterday…. BUT second shooting is awesome and refreshing in itself, and does not require any post processing…. so it still felt like I was “off.”    I LOVE second shooting, but I will blog about that another time!

So here is a little peek into my daily mommy/business workflow this summer:

-6:30 am rise and shine with Gracie Bug.   I check my emails over coffee while she has her 1st bottle and plays.
-After breakfast I wear her out and we play all morning, go to the park, go to target, whatever!
-She has been pretty good about napping 10-12 on good days.   I bust out a few chores and get to work.
-12-2pm is more playtime with Gracie and then Daddy is home!
-If I have a shoot at night I will make sure Dad gets some rest before I go, if I don’t have a shoot I’ll do another two hours of work then go for a RUN! yes awesomeness…..  I have consistently been running this summer!  I’m so happy about that!
-We struggle with Gracie’s afternoon nap, but she usually gets in at least a power nap like 30-45 minutes.
-After whatever craziness happens that we call dinner, Dad and Gracie are both in bed by 8pm then I’m back to work until about 10:30.   When there is a lot of editing to do I will escape to Starbucks to get some extra hours in.

As far as the workflow of my business in a little more detail here is how I roll:
Shooting Workflow:  
-When a session is booked I always email the client a day or two before hand to touch base about the weather, location, time.   Even though everything is set in stone, I really like this contact right before the shoot.  It is my way of triple checking that I have the correct info and so do they!
-Day of the shoot, prep gear, go to the session, come home upload and post sneak peeks, put gear away.
-Now the culling and editing falls into my regular work times and will be delivered with in a week.   The contract allows much more time but so far I have been able to keep my pace of a week for a session, two weeks for a wedding.

Weekly or Monthly Duties:
record mileage, book-keeping, going over my calendar, submitting work for publish,  clean/organize/back up images on hard drive and external hard drive, straighten up the office, update website images, pay bills

Daily Duties:
–The new big one is the blogging…. I find my brain does better blogging at night than it does editing.  So I have been doing my blogs at night and setting them to post in the morning.
-Emails, this can be a daunting task when I have so many projects going on outside of shooting my regular sessions.
-post to social media, yes this is such an important part of marketing these days!
-work on current editing list, do whatever I gotta do to stay organized!  I have a dry erase board for my lists when things really get crazy.

That is my basic workflow…. this is embarrassing to admit, but this is the first time I have actually to put my workflow in writing, so I’m sure I forgot something!   It is really crazy though, just sitting down to write this blog and look at the hours that I work…. that is about 7 hours a day (m-f) just on the computer!   That does not include shoots, weekend work time, or extra editing time.   WOW!  It doesn’t even feel like it because I enjoy it so much.   🙂

Does kinda make me think I need a life though?  na….. this is a pretty good one!

Thanks Erin Daniel Photography for this little behind the scenes shot!