Plan for the New Year: My End of Year Photography Workflow
This Post May Contain Affiliate LinksAs December comes to a close, I always slow down and intentionally plan for the New Year. This season is about reflecting on the year behind me, protecting the work I’ve created, and setting thoughtful systems in place for what’s ahead.
Taking time to plan for the New Year allows me to start January feeling organized, inspired, and creatively refreshed instead of overwhelmed.
I’m Megan, a photographer based in Malibu, California, and today I’m sharing exactly how I close out the year inside my photography business, from backing up images to planning content and setting goals for the upcoming year.
Plan for the New Year by Archiving & Backing Up Your Images
The very first step in my end-of-year workflow is backing up my work. Before I can truly plan for the New Year, I need to know that every image from the past year is safely archived.
Each calendar year gets its own dedicated external hard drive that contains everything from that year: client sessions, personal work, and video files. Once that drive is complete, it’s stored inside a fireproof bag and placed in a fireproof safe.
This system gives me peace of mind and makes it easy to revisit older work for blogging, re-edits, or portfolio updates without searching through multiple drives.
How I Organize Each Client Session
Every session from the year is neatly labeled and structured with:
A main folder using the client’s name
A folder for edited JPEGs
A folder for RAW images
Once finalized, everything is backed up onto a solid-state external hard drive and safely stored.
✨Why solid state drives?
I personally prefer solid state drives because they’re more durable. If they’re accidentally dropped, there’s less risk of internal damage or corruption compared to traditional hard drives.
How I Plan for the New Year by Looking 6–8 Weeks Ahead
After backups are complete, I shift into forward-thinking mode. A big part of how I plan for the New Year is by mapping out content and marketing six to eight weeks in advance.
December is when I focus on Q1 (January through March) because what I create and publish now directly impacts bookings later.
Flowers are a huge part of my work, especially here in California. Cherry blossoms, almond blossoms, and tulips typically begin blooming in late February through early March, which means I start marketing for those sessions in mid-December.
At the same time, I publish blog posts that align with that seasonal timeline so my website, content, and booking calendar all work together seamlessly.
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Setting Intentional Goals When You Plan for the New Year
Rather than traditional New Year’s resolutions, I prefer setting intentional creative and business goals. When I plan for the New Year, I ask myself what will enhance both my clients’ experience and my creative fulfillment.
Some of my current goals include incorporating more video into sessions so clients can relive their experience beyond still images, as well as continuing to prioritize printed artwork. Wall art and heirloom albums are such an important part of preserving memories, and I love helping clients bring their images into their homes in a tangible way.
Plan for the New Year with a Fresh Creative Reset
The final step in my end-of-year workflow is creating a true reset.
I order new solid-state hard drives so the upcoming year starts clean, with separate systems for photo and video. I also finish editing any remaining sessions before the year ends.
Every year, I intentionally take the last week of December and the first week of January off. That time allows me to:
Finish & Deliver galleries
Clear off working hard drives
Organize files
Mentally reset before the busy season begins
Starting fresh is one of the most powerful ways to plan for the New Year with clarity instead of chaos.
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About Megan W Photography
Megan is a Fine Art Maternity, Couples, and Family photographer who was born, raised, and is still living in Malibu, CA. She is here to capture you and your loved ones in images that you will want to cherish, and pass down to future generations.
Not only is she a photographer, but she is a mother, wife, daughter, and sister.
Maternity, family, and couples hold a special place in her heart because she knows how quickly time flies by. Megan W Photography wants to help you preserve those sweet little smiles, those tender, affectionate moments, and the love you share with each other.
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Hi! I’m Megan
I’m a boutique, Malibu, CA based photographer who specializes in Maternity, Couples, and families. I serve Los Angeles and Ventura County, as well as all of California. I value tangible, heirloom art pieces versus digital and I focus on quality over quantity.
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