Are you a professional photographer or a part-time shutterbug? Either way, you’ll be amazed at what a virtual assistant for photographers can do for you!
You don’t need us to tell you just how challenging it really is to get that one perfect shot, and how much patience and planning goes into an even basically-conceived shoot.
Jack of All Trades
Then there’s the raft of non-photography skills that’s required of any serious visual artist today. From PR and marketing to mastering editing software. And, while you’re juggling between pitches, planning, managing clients, and growing your business (or even just your portfolio), it’s a wonder you have any time left for doing what you actually love – creating beautiful images that will one day become your legacy.
The idea of a virtual assistant for photographers is not a new one – but it’s a strategy that’s enabled some of the world’s most renowned photographers to manage their businesses with far less stress and far more efficiency.
If you’re serious about making a living from your photography, it makes sense to hire a virtual assistant for creatives. It is one of the smartest ways to leverage your time – and you’ll get so much more done in the time you have available.
What Photographers Don’t Want To Do
In speaking to a cross-section of pro and semi-pro photographers, it quickly becomes obvious that pretty much everyone experiences the same set of challenges and frustrations:
‘Dead time’ spent away from the actual shoot. Editing is something you can’t avoid (unless you hire someone!), but it’s the less obvious time traps that grind you down: back and forth consultations to ensure that a client’s vision is in line with what you’re producing, going through the email exchanges that cover everything from project contract forms to shoot briefs – and of course the follow ups and due diligence of pitching for new business. That’s an awful lot of time spent away from the camera – and it’s where a VA for photographers can be seriously helpful!
Spending their available hours on admin. Especially when you’re dealing with events that typically require hours or days of organization and setup. Travel bookings. Location permissions. Venue choices. Logistics.
Liaising with business collaborators & Service providers. Need decent lighting hire for that realty shoot? A food stylist for the magazine feature? A network of available extras or ad-hoc assistants?
Invoicing clients & chasing payments. Your talent lies in creating, capturing and editing the perfect shot. You paint with light and permanently capture moments of ethereal magic. Delegating tasks like invoicing clients and checking that deposits have been secured, frees up a lot of bandwidth. A virtual assistant can also follow up on outstanding payments for you.
It’s About Time
Anyone who’s attempted even a basic wedding shoot will attest to the staggering level of preparation required and the stress incurred. Coordinating people and things is the one element that always seems to come undone at critical moments. All too often, it’s left up to the boss to sort out the snafu.
Having a virtual assistant, to assist with your photography business admin, is not just a nice-to-have: it’s smart business. Why? Because it gives you more of the one precious commodity that everybody wants.
Time.
And time equals freedom. Freedom to visualize, to create, to let the magic happen the way it did when you picked up your first camera and stepped into the world of beauty and wonder that inhabits the other side of the lens.
The Bigger Picture
Photographers who combine their passion with other skills, or who work in hybrid industries, need someone to organize the logistics. It’s an absolute necessity.
To get some perspective, we spoke to world renowned, award-winning wildlife photographer Ian Johnson, who is living the dream and has produced some of the most stunning wildlife photography on the planet, travelling to remote destinations across Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Arctic, in his search to capture some of the most elusive animals in their natural habitats.
“A virtual assistant for photographers can be a game changer,” he says. “If you combine the challenges of photography with travel, client coordination, and the sheer magnitude of dealing with equipment, flights, charters, border regulations, and itineraries, it’s easy to see just how quickly things can become chaotic. As a business owner – or even a part-timer – getting help with planning and coordination is one of the best things you could ever do.”
Snap Decisions
As Ian explains it, outsourcing the extraneous administrative details is one of the best ways of maintaining a creative space where he can produce his best work – unhindered by distractions.
“I’ve had the same conversation with photographers who work in the commercial space,” says Ian. “People are realizing just how valuable a virtual assistant can be to handle the practicalities required in our industry.”
Even for a serious hobbyist who is considering turning pro, a virtual assistant for photographers can make a difference. The difference between just showing your work to your family – or taking it to the next level. They can create a professional photography portfolio online.
How Much Does Hiring a Virtual Assistant Cost?
When you’re immersed in a hobby or profession where a decent camera costs at least $2,500 – and many price tags feature numbers a lot further North than that – it’s a refreshing surprise to realize that you can actually hire a professional virtual assistant for photographers for less than four hundred dollars a month!
Pricing aside, it’s worth bearing in mind that you’re also saving a heap of money. Because although it’s a cliché, time really is money. And, as a photographer at any level, you’re selling both your time and your expertise. Free up more time, and you can develop more expertise and make more money. It’s that simple.
There’s another cost to consider as well. It has to do with stress and frustration versus focus and peace of mind.
Do you want to be a photographer or a marketing guru? (Maybe you just need some help with putting together a marketing plan?) Of course you can be both. Take a moment to imagine how liberating it would be to have someone to ensure that you’re constantly in demand. In a sense, a virtual assistant can seamlessly arrange your life while you get on with living it.
Skill & Intuition
We all know that truly great photography is both a science and an art. Skill and technical knowledge is born from countless hours of practice, study, the expert application of techniques and principles. It’s about the physics of light and form and composition.
But, in the work of all truly great artists, there’s something more, something indefinable. There’s a kind of magic that transforms the mundane into the sacred. An Intuitive insight that is caught rather than taught. It’s the hallmark of mastery, and we all recognize it the moment we see it.
But here’s a thought: doesn’t a great virtual assistant for photographers develop in exactly the same way? Sure, there are structures and instructions. And processes, of course. But as a good VA learns more about your business and your priorities and values. Intuition, and the same insight, makes for an effortless extension of your unique vision.
Now, isn’t that worth investing in?
If you’re ready to level up and take the next step, schedule a consultation today and receive a 10-percent discount on all our services. We’ll chat about your needs and find the best way to make this work for you.
