For a professional photographer these days, burnout seems inevitable. Clients are fickler, rates aren’t what they used to be, and let’s not even mention what the pandemic has done.
But what if there was a way to avoid photographer burnout before it happens? New York City-based portrait and commercial photographer Dane Isaac says it can be done, and in the below video he shares five tips on how he prevents stress as a photographer during particularly stressful times.
In the clip, which is from B&H’s YouTube channel, Issac shares his habits to avoid burnout including time management, work-life balance, self-care time and more.
#1 Learn How to Say No
“I do acknowledge that this might be a privilege for some people,” Isaac admits. “But I do believe that learning to say no to some things is good. Because, as photographers and artists in general, we do want to say yes to everything we can get because we’re still underpaid in the industry. But finding some time for yourself is really important.”
#2 Explore Your Mind
“Spend more time with yourself and explore the mind,” he says. “I think it would really help with your creative ideas and it will push you forward.”
#3 Find a Hobby Outside Your Career
“I think finding a separate outlet outside of anything creative sometimes can really help and inspire you as a creative. I do rock climbing.”
#4 Better Time Management
“Just having a better schedule for yourself so you don’t stay up all night procrastinating and you burn yourself out trying to catch up with some deadlines the day after. Better time management also helps you preserve your creative mind, and I think it plays really heavy into what could be the culprit to a lot of people burning out.”
#5 Go to Nature
“It might be an old trick…but nature heals all. And all these things are interconnected. You start with making time for yourself by saying no, and actually spending that time alone for yourself, to finding a hobby and managing your time better so you can actually go out and spend time in nature.”
