Social Networking:

If you are reading this blog, you are most likely familiar with some of the social networking applications out there: twitter, facebook, linkedin, skype, the list goes on. These are the main ones I use. They are typically used to connect with friends, family, etc, but when used correctly they can become a powerful marketing tool to connect you with peers and potential clients  It can also be used to build your online reputation.  I’m still getting used to all of these new trends in soclal media, which is why I’m going to be brief, i’m no expert.

Number one, I’ve been spending more time writing articles for my blog, (obviously).  This takes lots of strategy though, you don’t want to fill your blog with meaningful journal entries, links, etc.  You want to stay focused and bring in content that closely relates to your field.  Doing so can build your reputation as an expert in your field, which will bring you more followers, others asking for your advice, and lastly, more clients!  One way I have been finding new articles and information is browsing other reputable photography blogs.  Just make sure you’re not paraphrasing what another person has written.  If you come across an article that you would like to post or link, make sure you add your 2 cents to the subject, otherwise you’re not contributing, you’re just regurgitating others information.

Another tool I use to network is, you guessed it, twitter.  Only problem is, most users only use it to post random, worthless information that doesn’t benefit anyone.  Unless of course you want know what everyone is watching on tv, or eating for lunch.  I typical use for twitter is posting links up to valuable articles i’ve come across, and directing traffic to my own blog after I’ve finished a new article.  Twitter is a great tool for free advertising, as long as you’re using it to direct traffic.  I also will direct conversations towards specific people, if they’ve posted a comment i agree with or find interested, i’ll either retweet it or comment on it.  Doing so can give someone the opportunity to respond back to you, which gets your name mentioned, which begins familiarizing people with your account.

Apply to contests/grants:

There are plenty of contests out there to be found, whether on the internet, local galleries or museums.  Lately, i’ve been doing most of my searches online:  popular phtography sites, blogs, even camera manufactures or magazines.  The internet is my best bet mainly because its quicker to find quality results, and usually less time consuming.  Entering contests is a great way to keep you motivated.  There are so many great photographers out there, that the competition is always fierce, which is a good thing.  It keeps your brain ticking, you have to keep learning and progressing to stay on top of the game.  And you can gain some great exposure.  You don’t even necessarily have to win, an honorable mention can still skyrocket your page viewings and status.  Not to mention, winning can change your life has a creative professional.  Win a grant, that couldn’t be more true.  The National Geographic grant is giving away $30,000 to the winner.  That kind of money can jumpstart your career, giving you so many opportunities to explore different projects.  Personally, with that kind of money, I’d upgrade my camera gear (my camera and lenses are less than stellar), then I’d buy an underwater housing kit.  Nothing is going to hold me back from exploring the depths of the ocean.  Okay, I’m starting to ramble, but you get the idea.  Hard work can yield great rewards.

Re-design website or identity:

Probably one of the best ways to spend your downtime, working on your corporate identity.  There is no better way to get yourself noticed then through great advertising.  By putting out a new design campaign is a create way to bring in clients and get yourself noticed.  At the same time, it can be a lot of work, and sometimes frustration.  I suggest gathering inspiration, looking at other photographers and designers mailers, business cards and websites, then brainstorming on how you’d like your finished product to look.  This will make your life so much easier, trust me, i’m not amazing designer.  But if you have a reference to look off, it can help guide you in the right direction.  Not all photographers have the skill set to create their own identities.  Lucky for me, I was originally trained as a graphic designer, then decided to make the switch.  I’ve been an artist my whole life, so having a good sense of design and balance is one of my strong points.  Even if you can’t come up with your own designs, you can surf the net and brainstorm what you would like your new site or business cards to look like.  I usually go about doing this by googling “best business card designs”, etc.  Typically your results will be a design blog with an article containing 20 to 30 designs.  I start by quickly browsing through, eliminating the ones that don’t jump out at me.  The ones I do like, I’ll save to a folder, so I can refer to them later, when I am jotting down ideas in my sketchbook.  I do the same thing when re-designing my website.  This way, even if you don’t have the ability to create your own website, you save the designer lots of time by being able to show them exactly what you’re looking for.

Finally finish editing older, maybe forgotten work:

As a photographer, I am constantly shooting photos, (duh!), but I rarely have time to edit all of them, I don’t think anyone actually does.  So when I have some downtime, I’m behind my computer, crunching out photos.  Some take more than others, you can usually look at a photo and decide how much work it actually needs.  Some are fine and just need some tweaks in the exposure, curves, sharpening.  But for some, you can just tell you need to dodge, burn, heal, drop in a different sky.  Doesn’t happen for all, but when it hits you, you have to suck it up and get to work.  I don’t always enjoy editing photos, but as a photographer, it comes with the territory.   There are times I hit a dead spot where I dread editing, but i drag myself to the computer and force myself to come up with some new work.  In the end, I’m glad I did it, because of my new favorite things is to post new work on my blog and share any new ideas I’ve been coming up with. 

Personal work:

When it comes to personal work, I don’t necessarily mean, side projects for photography, although it is included.  Lately I have
been focusing more on personal projects along with my “work”.  Its something I lacked in the past, and now that I am doing it, I’m not sure how I can go without it now.  Over the past few months, I’ve spent time rediscovering different mediums I used to spend countless hours on, but then somehow drifted away from.  In my spare time, I’ve worked on a lot of collage work, something I did a lot while I was in art school.  I loved shredding National Geographic, surf magazines, newspapers, anything I could get my hands on, then piecing it all back together to make some crazy, abstract looking work.  Recently, I took a single surf magazine and reconstructed it into a sequence of surfing.  It will eventually turn into a diptych, just needs more time.

I’ve also been spending more spare time writing music.  I used to take lots of guitar lessons, played for like 9 years straight, then went head over heels for photography and sports.  I played a lot of lacrosse in college, and somehow strayed away from guitar for a year or two. I picked it up occasionally, but nowhere close to how much I used to play.  My brother and I recently put together a home recording studio in my “office”, so when I get time, I pick up my guitar, plug up, and record straight into the computer.  I’m not great at it yet, but its been a lot of fun messing around with different sounds, throwing in some drum beats and just jamming out for an hour or so.  No to mention, the more I play, the more I find myself able to come up with riffs that I actually want to hold onto.  So lately I’ve been coming up with lots of good stuff.  Once I get to a good point, I plan on finishing it up and sharing it online.

Alright, so there’s is my input on how you can keep busy and motivated when clients are busting down your down.  I assume that all freelancers have the same slow months, but no matter what time of year, you can apply these strategies.  As a photography, yes I love to take pictures on a daily basis, but there does come a time when you need a spark of inspiration to keep going.  When you have day after day of the same routine, sometimes you can get burned out, and tired of the same ol’ thing.  So having a side project is always great because it keeps you thinking, and coming up with new ideas.  So go out there, stay productive and create something.