Photography Mistakes I Made: Learn from My Experience
Over the years I've been a photographer, I’ve learned countless valuable lessons. Some through success and others through trial and error. I’ve forgotten equipment, lost client files, and made mistakes that cost me time and frustration. But with each misstep, I’ve adapted and refined my process to ensure it never happens again. Now, I want to help you do the same. By learning from my mistakes, you can avoid the setbacks I faced and fast-track your way to becoming a better photographer. Let’s dive in!
Bookings
This is, without a doubt, the most embarrassing mistake I’ve ever made as a photographer.
During my first year of doing paid sessions, I scheduled a shoot with a client a month in advance, as I usually do. Time passed, and I carried on with my normal routine. Until one day, I got an Instagram DM from said client asking where I was for our session. My heart sank. I had completely forgotten about our scheduled session and had already made plans, and by the time I saw her message, it was too dark outside to take pictures.
I felt absolutely terrible. To make up for it, I rescheduled the session and gave it to her for free as an apology. That moment was a huge wake-up call for me. I never wanted to make that mistake again.
From that day on, I created a dedicated calendar on my phone just for bookings and set reminders for one day and one hour before each session. Since then, I haven't missed a single appointment, and I certainly don’t plan to in the future!
If you're booking clients, whether it’s one or one hundred, always have a reliable system to track your sessions. Don’t learn this lesson the hard way like I did. Make it a point to stay organized, and you'll never have to send an awkward apology DM.
One recurring issue I’ve run into with clients is email delivery. More times than I can count, I’ve sent a client their final gallery, only to find out later that they never received it. Or worse, it went straight to their spam folder. Without even realizing it, I was unintentionally extending their wait time, causing unnecessary frustration and not abiding by my guaranteed delivery time.
To fix this, I started collecting both an email and a phone number when clients book a session. Now, when I send out a gallery, I follow up with a quick text letting them know it’s been sent. If they can’t find it, I can troubleshoot right away instead of waiting days (or even weeks) to find out there was an issue.
If you're a photographer delivering digital galleries, don’t rely solely on email; clients may never see it. A simple text confirmation can save time, prevent miscommunication, and ensure your clients receive their photos hassle-free!
Equipment
This has to be the second most embarrassing mistake I’ve ever made as a photographer.
I had a session booked with a client, arrived at the location, and only then realized… I had completely forgotten my camera. Yes, you read that right. A photographer showed up to a shoot without a camera! I still have no idea how it happened. I grabbed my camera bag, assuming everything was inside, but in reality, my camera was still sitting on my desk at home.
Thankfully, my client was incredibly understanding. Since the location was nearby, I was able to rush back, grab my camera, and continue the session without too much trouble. But let me tell you, that was next-level embarrassing.
Since then, I’ve made it a habit to pack my camera bag the night before a shoot. I use a checklist to ensure every piece of equipment is accounted for, so when I leave, I can grab my bag with confidence, knowing nothing is missing.
If you're a photographer, learn from my mistake and always double-check your gear before heading out. It’ll save you from unnecessary stress (and major embarrassment!).
Files
This mistake was one of the most frustrating I’ve had to learn as a photographer. Twice in the past year, my computer crashed, causing me to lose all the photos from some of my clients' sessions. It was devastating.
While I was able to offer make-up sessions, I was truly heartbroken that the original images were gone forever.
After that experience, I knew I had to implement a more reliable backup system. Now, before I even upload RAW files into my editing software (Adobe Lightroom), I first save them to an external USB drive. This extra step ensures that no matter what kind of electronic failure I might encounter, my clients' photos are safe.
If you’re a photographer, don’t make the same mistake I did. Always have a backup system in place. Whether it’s an external hard drive, cloud storage, or both, having multiple copies of your work will save you from the heartbreak of losing precious client photos. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later!
Social Media
Another big mistake I made as a photographer was not using social media!
For the first few years, I relied solely on word-of-mouth referrals. While I got a few bookings here and there, my business wasn’t growing the way I wanted it to. Eventually, I decided to implement a social media marketing strategy, and the results were incredible.
Since focusing on social media, my pages have gained much more traction, and my bookings have skyrocketed from 3–5 per year to 10–20 per year! Social media has completely transformed the way I connect with potential clients and showcase the vast portfolio that I've developed.
If you’re a photographer and you’re not using social media to market yourself, start now! It’s never too late, and once you do, you’ll see a noticeable difference. If you need help getting started, feel free to reach out. I’d love to help!
