If you’ve been watching your bookings trail off and wondering whether it’s just you, this episode is the encouragement you didn’t know you needed. In Episode 166 of The Motherhood Anthology Podcast, host Kim Box sits down with TMA mentor Suzy Brown for a candid conversation about slow seasons in photography business, why they’re normal, and what to actually do when you’re in one.
The conversation was sparked by a vulnerable post in the TMA community: a member shared that she’d made close to $10k by this point the prior year and only about $2k in the same window this year. Her post drew 49 comments. She was far from alone.
Why Slow Seasons Are Normal (And Even Necessary)
One of the most reassuring things Suzy offers in this episode is perspective built over years of running a photography business as the primary breadwinner for her family. Slow seasons used to keep her up at night. Now they don’t paralyze her at all.
“These slowdowns don’t paralyze me or disrupt me anymore,” she says. “They actually excite me because I know that they are not only normal, but they’re necessary.”
Her read on the current moment: what photographers are feeling now tracks closely with last year’s pattern. Q1 and early Q2 were nearly silent for many, then April opened things back up. Summer brought a natural lull, and then fall became a full sprint, with September through early December delivering what felt like an entire year’s worth of work compressed into a few months. Suzy’s prediction is that this year will follow the same arc. For many photographers, looking at the full year told a different story than any individual slow month suggested.
That context matters enormously when you’re in the middle of a slow stretch. The pattern is real, it has happened before, and photographers who hang in there tend to come out the other side with strong numbers.
What to Do When You’re in the Middle of It
Kim is quick to acknowledge that “use the slow time to rest and update your SEO” is good advice for some people and completely unrealistic for others. If you’re a single parent whose photography income covers the mortgage, hearing “just relax” can feel tone-deaf.
Her practical advice is twofold: plan for slow seasons before they arrive by building a small financial buffer, and consider diversifying your income in ways that don’t require reinventing your brand. Editing for other photographers, picking up sports sessions, or quietly adding a specialty you don’t heavily market can all fill gaps without competing with your core work.
She also shared a strategy she used for years: selling discounted gift certificates at a local holiday market in October, with the catch that they had to be redeemed between January and April. It brought in cash during the busy season and booked clients into the slow one.
Suzy adds her own layer to this, pointing to the growing opportunity in corporate storytelling. She maintains a monthly retainer with one company, meeting weekly to discover and translate their brand stories through photography. It covers her bills reliably and creates the financial breathing room to take creative risks in the rest of her work. The point isn’t that every photographer should pursue this exact path; it’s that there are opportunities within your skill set that photographers often overlook when they’re only thinking about the next family session.
But both Kim and Suzy circle back to something that underpins all of it: managing the emotional weight of slow seasons is the prerequisite to everything else. “You have to stay calm so you have space to solve the problem,” Suzy says.
She describes a moment lying awake at night, physically ill from worry, when she realized she couldn’t recall a single one of the previous sleepless nights she’d had over her career. Every problem she’d lost sleep over had resolved. That realization let her whole body relax and fall asleep. Learning to put down the anxiety, even temporarily, is what gives you the capacity to implement strategy and find creative solutions.
Why Community Changes Everything
What makes this episode feel different from generic business advice is that it’s two people who have actually been through it talking honestly with each other. Kim reflects near the end of the episode on the recent TMA retreat, where mentors with 15 years of experience sat alongside photographers in their first year of business. The recurring theme attendees kept coming back to was simply hearing the more experienced photographers say: I’m still figuring it out too. There’s no single right way. But if you’re in a room with people who’ve been through what you’re facing, someone will have something that helps.
That’s what TMA is built around. A slow season feels different when you’re not navigating it alone, when someone in your community has already posted about the same fear and 49 people have replied with their own experience.
If you’re in a slow season right now, this episode is worth your full listen.
Listen and Learn More
Whether you’re in the thick of a slow stretch right now or just want to be better prepared for the next one, this episode is a reminder that the photographers who build lasting businesses aren’t the ones who never struggle. They’re the ones who don’t quit when it gets hard. You can hear the full conversation in Episode 166 of The Motherhood Anthology podcast, available wherever you listen.
Find Suzy at simplybysuzy.com or on Instagram at @simplybysuzy.
Ready to build a business that reflects your own creative voice? The Motherhood Anthology membership gives you access to expert mentors, live coaching, monthly marketing suites, and a private community of photographers who are invested in your success. Learn more and join at themotherhoodanthology.com.
Episode Sponsor: Picture Perfect Rankings
This episode of The Motherhood Anthology Podcast is brought to you by Picture Perfect Rankings. Melissa Arlena is a TMA mentor who helps portrait photographers get found on Google through strategic SEO and blogging. Learn more about her work at Picture Perfect Rankings, and check out her Found & Booked program if you are ready for a done-with-you SEO system with personalized feedback on your website.
The Motherhood Anthology is a community and educational resource for photographers who want a profitable and sustainable business they love. With 15+ expert mentors and 7+ years of proven content, TMA helps portrait photographers build confident, thriving businesses through monthly education, mentorship, and a supportive community of 700+ members.
