The photography industry is churning out increasingly: now it’s not about the cameras or the software anymore. Today photographers have given up the old way of shooting albums on paper sheets and are turning to digital ways of shooting photographers. However, it simplifies life even more and saves both waste and resource use. It may be a tiny step, but you’ll find that going paperless whether you create, communicate with clients, or handle contracts can reinvent your work for the better.
In This Article:
Why Go Paperless as a Photographer?
Before we dive into the specific tools and strategies, let’s discuss why it’s worth transitioning to a digital workflow:
- Eco-friendly: You can also help to conserve the environment by reducing your paper use. There are big things in small packages.
- Efficiency: Browse important documents or materials on the go with smartphone, tablet, or computer access.
- Better Organization: With digital tools, you categorize, search, and retrieve information on documents within seconds.
- Enhanced Professionalism: Be fast and responsive, create electronic contracts, and make your operations smooth.
Digitalization is a complete game changer across photography contracts to communication with clients.
Essential Steps to Create a Paperless Workflow
1. Use Digital Photography Contracts
As days go by, those days of printing a contract, getting the person to sign, and then storing stacks and stacks of papers in a filing cabinet are completely gone! Digital contract tools do all of the above in one place. Legal agreements can be easily created and signed by clients in minutes with tools like DocuSign and PandaDoc.
2. Streamline Communication with Clients
The backbone of the successful photography business is strong communication. If you work digitally, you will have various toolboxes for project management, shoot schedules, client updates, and everything else you need to keep track of all client interactions in one place (email platforms, Trello, Asana).
When dealing with urgent tasks such as quickly sending fax documents, apps like FAX from iPhone: Fax App are excellent options. With this tool, you can send or receive important documents straight from your phone, eliminating the search for physical fax machines and saving valuable time. It’s proof that going digital doesn’t mean compromising on functionality!
3. Store and Share Materials Digitally
Instead, take advantage of cloud storage services such as Google Drive or Dropbox so that you don’t have to print mood board portfolios or proofs for client meetings. They allow you to securely store all your material as well as provide clients quick access to your files, with a clickable link. Bonus? Plus, A remote life is neatly organized and you can access everything everywhere you go.
Watermarking tools like Lightroom also come into play to help ensure that your work always stays protected online in the digital space, even after you’re sharing previews online with your clients.
Tools That Can Boost Your Digital Workflow
The tools you use can impact how well you transition to a paper product. Here are a few must-haves for photographers:
- Electronic tools for Signature (DocuSign, HelloSign, etc.)
- Dropbox, Google Drive, etc…
- Slack, WhatsApp Business
- FAX endangerment on Apple iPhone.
- Examples of Payment solutions are PayPal, Square
These tools combined give you a quick universe to manage everything about your business easily.
The Bottom Line
You shouldn’t use digital solutions for photographers because it makes life convenient, but because there is another way to grow your business, make it more efficient, and do something good for the environment. No matter if you’re a seasoned pro or a new emerging photographer, the time is now to take that step to that paperless future.
