From the outside, my job probably looks like a few photos and a lot of free time. From the inside it is closer to running a very small business where I am every department. This is roughly what a normal week looks like for me.
Monday: planning, not posting
Monday is admin. I look at what worked last week, what didn’t, and what my subscribers keep asking for. I plan the shoots, check the calendar, answer the boring emails and write a rough list of what goes out on which day. It is the least exciting day of the week and the one that makes all the others work.
Tuesday and Wednesday: shooting days
These are the long ones. Outfits picked the night before, hair and make-up in the morning, then hours of shooting in whatever light I can get. Most of what I shoot never gets posted. A good day gives me maybe a dozen photos I love and a couple of short videos.
I shoot everything myself or with one person I trust, and nothing leaves my phone until I have chosen it. That is also why I take copies of my work personally: every photo you see went through my hands first.
Thursday: editing and the inbox
Editing takes longer than shooting. Colour, cropping, choosing between nine nearly identical photos and then going back to the first one.
Then the inbox. Replies are a real part of the job. I read my messages myself and answer as many as I can, usually in the evening with a cup of tea. If you have ever had a late reply from me, that is why.
Friday to Sunday: actually living
I try hard to keep the weekend mine. Friends, a long walk, a film, cooking something that takes far too long. Some weekends I post, but I schedule it in advance so I am not glued to my phone. Taking time off is how I stay good at this, and honestly, how I stay sane.
A few boundaries I keep
- I never ask anyone for money in a private message. If someone using my name does, it is not me.
- I don’t meet subscribers in person, and I never share my address or where I am in real time.
- I only post from the accounts on my official links page.
- I take breaks, and I tell you when I do.
That is the week: less glamour, more spreadsheets, and a lot of gratitude for the people who make it possible. Thank you for being one of them.