Photographers: Is Analysis Paralysis Killing Your Productivity?

Have you ever been so afraid to make a decision that you put off making the decision? We’ve probably all been guilty of this from time to time, but if it’s a persistent problem, it can be really detrimental to your business as well as your peace of mind. 

It’s called Analysis Paralysis, and it’s a common problem with solopreneurs.

As Photographers, Your Most Valuable Asset is Your Time

You’ve got thousands of dollars in photographic gear. Thousands more in computers, software, and subscriptions. Most photographers realize that better gear makes their job easier and more enjoyable, so they are willing to invest money in these things, but there’s one thing you just can’t buy, and that’s time.

It’s the oldest cliche in the book, but time is money. 

In your business, time is what you need to create more revenue. In your personal life, time is what recharges your soul. Both are so necessary to have a happy life!

Analysis Paralysis robs you of time. The worst part is that it can feel like an endless cycle, and you feel like you cannot break it.

Signs of Analysis Paralysis: Does Any of This Sound Familiar?

You’re Dreading Things You Used to Love: You used to come home from a shoot so revved up you couldn’t wait to download those images and get to work. Now you’re putting off even looking at the images because you know how much work you have ahead of you culling and editing the photos.

You Have Trouble Imagining Growing Your Business: You can barely think past next week, much less think about what your business could look like next year. You’re happy you’re busy; you’re worried about burnout.

You’re Relying on Old Systems: You’re not changing anything in your workflow because you don’t know what would save you time, so you’re sticking with “the devil you know.” You know there are better solutions, but you feel like you “don’t have time” to commit to learning another program. 

You’re Spending Too Much Time on Social Media: You find yourself doomscrolling on social media, taking note of all the things you should be doing for your business, and feeling bad that you don’t do it.

You’re Multitasking And Getting Very Little Done: Your To-do list is a million miles long, and you have 50 tabs open on your computer. Every day the list gets longer, and you’re not feeling that sense of satisfaction you once did. Once you deliver a gallery of photos to a client, there’s more in the queue.

Overthinking Kills Your Creativity

A study from Standford University shows that analysis paralysis is not only causing you grief because your workflow is backed up, but it can also actually affect your creativity!

Doesn’t it make sense that any task that we can automate or outsource as photographers we should? You want to preserve that precious creativity as much as possible. 

Tips on Overcoming Analysis Paralysis

Have you ever gone for a walk to clear your head, and when you did, you felt better afterward? You didn’t start with a marathon; you started with a walk! That one little thing, that forward motion, is what you needed.  

Every moment you gain back is a currency in the form of time to do something you love. 

Remove Distractions: Start small here. Every day, remove something from your life that is keeping you from getting things done. Open up your email and unsubscribe from the first 5 things you delete and never read anyway. Mute the notifications on your email. Mute the notifications from social media. Clear off your desk. By removing distractions, it allows you to focus on what is most important.

Minimize Decision Making: Successful people know that this is the key. You’ve heard of the CEO who wears the same thing every day or the people who eat the same breakfast every day. It’s not because they are boring people; it’s because they discovered that every moment they had to spend making a decision took up time. By minimizing low-level decisions, it frees you up to do higher-level thinking and strategy.

Outsource: You need to get out of the mindset that nobody can do it like you when it comes to business-related tasks. As a photographer, you are a creator. No one can see like you do; no one photographs like you do. You are worth more money behind the camera than behind the computer! Outsourcing some of your workflow, accounting, or other tasks that free you up to do what you do best; photography!

Read here why automated image culling is better than manual culling.

AfterShoot Can Help With Analysis Paralysis

We created AfterShoot because we heard from so many photographers that culling photos was taking up so much time. We want to help you have a life away from the keyboard! 

AfterShoot helps by flagging for you the duplicates, blurs, and misfires – saving you hours in front of the computer.

AfterShoot does this work for you, freeing you up to focus on other tasks in your business or your life. When AfterShoot has worked its magic you’ll receive an email alerting you to return and review the selections.

Over the years, there have been so many updates to cameras and computers, but photographers were still using outdated and slow software to choose their final selection of photos. 

Throw in a healthy dose of analysis paralysis, and you’ve got a bottleneck waiting to happen!

We also knew that photographers are busy and that they don’t have time to learn complicated programs, especially when they are feeling the pinch of jobs that are stacking up that need to be edited. That’s why we designed AfterShoot to be super easy to use; you’ll be up and running on your first gallery within about 15 minutes!

We Want to Help You Be More Productive and More Profitable!

AfterShoot was created for photographers to reduce the time they spend culling photos. All you have to do is set a few easy parameters, and our magical unicorns get to work, doing all the heavy lifting for you.

As you continue to use the software, it learns your preferences. All you need to do is give a cursory glance at what AfterShoot has culled for you to make sure that the unicorns choose well, saving you hours of time.


Let us help you tackle analysis paralysis! Download AfterShoot and let us help free you up to be more creative, happy, and profitable. You can even try for free for 14 days: Sign up for your free trial today.