Post-Mortem
When you allow room to digest the work you’ve completed with clients…
…it creates space for better next time.
As a photographer, I spend a lot of time looking at pictures.
Shocker - I know :)
Sometimes, it’s with the clients directly, but, 98% of the time, it’s just me, myself and I staring at a mountain of photos.
During these post-mortem, review sessions, am I genuflecting at the altar of my brilliance behind the camera?
Ehhhh…not exactly.
It’s more like a dismantling session.
I hem and haw over what could have been better, given the logistical and practical circumstances of the session.
I went to an art high school, and took art-based courses in college and grad school, so I’m used to brutal, ego-deflating, critique sessions.
Now, as barbaric as this may sound, I have, in my old age, learned to ease up and make room for celebration of a job well done.
There needs to be a balance in order for the self-analysis to take hold in my mind for the next client session.
After all, the post-mortems I conduct with myself aren’t meant to tickle the ivories of the ol’ ego - they’re meant to improve the way in which I solve my client’s problems through high-quality visuals.
And I take this very seriously.
One of the intangible benefits to this post-mortem process is that as I thumb through the albums of photos, an array of ideas randomly bubble up to the surface:
Refresh website galleries with new images
New products and services
Content ideas for social and blog posts
New ways to promote a specific service
Essentially, this process sets up a kill two birds with one stone scenario for me.
Not only am I being mindful and intentional about improving the quality of the deliverables I offer to expert clients, but I’m also getting in some much-needed brainstorm work on other areas of my business.
And occasionally, do a victory lap here and there based on a cool shot :)
Not a bad way to spend an hour or two, if you ask me.
Regardless of the type, form and flavor of your expertise, it’s important to go over your work and assess what’s working and not working.
It’s what keeps you sharp and moving forward.
Over to you…
What do your post-mortems look like? What intangible benefits to you receive from this self-critique?
Please share your experience in the comment section below.