The Off Season

Photography is a seasonal profession for many of us. While I don't know the exact up and down seasons for other types of photographers, I do know that the winter months can be very slow for outdoor photography work. My motorcyclists won't return until late March or early April. The trees are naked until about the same time. Everybody is in a rush for Christmas. The days can be cold, and sunrise and sunset even colder. For many of the uninitiated, these factors conjure up dreams of sitting on a beach in the Florida keys sipping tropical cocktails.

Many of us simply do not have that good of a business. During the slow periods I am still very busy, just not taking as many pictures. I am planning for the upcoming spring months. Spring is a time for many art shows and juried art competitions. Preparation now is essential for success. A lot of business management things are also happening. Tax season is just around the corner. Filing taxes on a business is a little more complicated than the 1040EZ form. Now is a good time for website updates, designing new business cards, finding new prospective clients, and taking care of a thousand other little things that there is not time for during the busy times. It's not all fun in the sun during the times when I am not taking pictures.

Even with all of the really boring but necessary business requirements going on during the off season, time must be made to take pictures. As an outdoor photographer, winter is a great season for black and white photography. The grey winter skies and the lack of foliage can make some very artsy black and white images. Some touristy type attractions can also be good places to visit. The crowds are kept at bay by the temperatures, giving me the opportunity to shoot at will without the clutter of people in the shots. Between now and late January is an excellent time to get sunrise photos. The skies are generally free of haze due to the cooler weather. Dawn comes later, so I don't have to get up at 4am to get the shots. The Cowpens Revolutionary War battle field is about 60 miles from my house. Every January there is a reenactment at the battlefield. I am sure there is a market for the reenactment pictures, I just have not learned how I want to market the pictures yet.

What season is really the off season for photographers? That's easy. The off season is really the one that puts me behind the camera, doing what I love. It is the time not spent with my camera that is work.