As a photographer, there are several things in my day-to-day routine that I just can’t do without. These are especially helpful when I’m needing to not only juggle Sarah E Photography, but also my daily tasks/organization at Wee Care Pediatrics, and our household (meal planning/groceries/cleaning/appointments, etc!).
Here’s a look at the 10 most helpful things that keep me on task and fuel my creativity!

1. My Simplified Planner
I’ve always been a type-A, planner-dependent king of girl, but having my own business and working full-time has taken it to another level.
Because I usually have so much going at once, I have to stay organized to keep up with my workflow. Enter the Simplified Planner. This organizes my entire life and I am so grateful! I can keep my personal life, business life, and everything in between organized with colour-coded schedules and sticky notes. For me, it’s extremely helpful to see tasks, events, client meetings, doctors appointments, deadlines, etc all in one place.

2. My i-Mac
Not only do I love the simplicity and compatibility of all Apple products, but Macs are the industry standard for creatives (in my opinion). My editing software runs very happily on my “big Mac” and it’s what I was taught to use in school. The 27-inch screen is perfect for zooming in on photographs and working in multiple windows at once. And let’s be honest – it’s the prettiest computer out there.
(If nobody else agree, I know my grandpa will!)

3. Coffee (however lately I’ve been trying Kombucha green tea…)
With working full time at Wee Care, and essentially working full time with Sarah E Photography – caffeine is sometimes essential. I’m trying to cut back, and so far it’s been good, but sometimes a morning cup of coffee just helps set my morning up.

4. Gmail
In order to keep clients happy, I have to keep in contact with them all. Gmail is very user-friendly and it’s great for keeping up with and organizing incoming emails. Each of my clients has a colour-coded folder, which helps me recognize which emails in my inbox need to be addressed first. You can read more about my email organization here.

5. Lightroom
I use Lightroom for uploading/organizing all of my sessions. It helps keep my photographs organized, all in one place, and allows me to get your photographs to you that much quicker!

6. Time spent with Randy
There isn’t much to expand on. He keeps me sane. We laugh together, pray together, de-brief the good and bad of our days together. I seriously am so thankful to be walking through life together.

7. Songza
Whenever Randy is doing a task – studying, helping me in the kitchen, reading an article – he is listening to music. And in the year we’ve been married, he’s started to rub off on me. I just can’t get in my working “rhythm” without having some background noise.

8. My Notebook
I’ve started keeping a notebook right next to my computer. It’s full of random lists, notes about families and information on styled shoots for the Bermuda Parent Magazine, grocery lists, etc. It helps me stay on track when I feel like my brain is on overload. And then once I get it all organized in my notebook, I transfer it neatly to my Simplified Planner!

9. Pinterest
Since I’m a visual person, it’s helpful to have a collection of images to draw inspiration from while I’m planning sessions. A few days before every session, I usually jump on Pinterest and create a quick inspiration board. I look for images that are similar in lighting, emotion and look to what I’m hoping to photograph. This really helps with pushing myself creatively.

10. Grace
I am not perfect. I have forgotten emails and been unproductive. Giving myself grace, asking my wonderful clients for grace and remembering the bigger picture gets me through it every single time.

How about you? What are some things you can’t work without?