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How to get stuff done as a photographer and be the most efficient possible

Oct 13, 2022 by Alex Baker Leave a Comment

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I feel seen. I mean, really, this video from Scott Chouciño could be aimed directly at me, embarrassingly. I’ve often wondered if I have undiagnosed ADHD, sometimes getting anything done and focusing on the task at hand is such a struggle. I am incredulous at how other people seem to be three times as effective at working and getting stuff done as I am.

But no matter how much a label would be useful to use as an excuse for myself (I’m not saying such a label is an excuse but in my own case it would be), I really do just have to accept that frittering my work day getting sucked down YouTube rabbit holes is less neurological and more of a lack of discipline. In this achingly honest video, Scott tells us how he sets boundaries around his work day, even to the extent that he has banned his girlfriend from visiting the studio.

Admittedly, it does sound a bit harsh. No friends or family dropping by, no coffees during the day with anyone, no answering phone calls from his mum. Is he some kind of monster?

No, he’s not. He’s just taking his creative work seriously as we all should. It’s very easy for people who work from home or work for themselves to get sucked into doing pretty much anything but work. And it’s sometimes made even more difficult by our friends and family thinking that we have flexible work hours so what does it matter if we just pop out for a quick coffee and a chat, or facetime for an hour?

Well, unfortunately, it does matter. Those of us who are feeling time-poor are probably not managing our time effectively, and not prioritising our work. Our work still has to get done, even if you shift the hours. Scott makes the excellent point that if you chat with your mum for an hour, you then have to make up that hour by staying longer at work. By doing that, you miss your kids at home before their bedtime. Everything has a knock-on effect.

Simply cutting the work hours short is not the answer. Running your own business usually requires you to work more hours not fewer than an employed person. Scott basically says that he treats his photography business like a 9-5, keeping consistent hours and just doing the work.

So if you’re running your own business and finding it difficult to ignore the call of your friends or the pile of laundry in the corner, do yourself a favour and watch this video. We all need a reminder occasionally to get stuff done, and Scott is most definitely ‘keeping it real’ in this one.

I’m curious, how do you organise your work life?

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

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Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: business, Photography Studio, Tin House Studio, work life balance

About Alex Baker

Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

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Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

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