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WHY THIS MATTERS
Most photographers plan their leave carefully, then crash straight back into a full calendar. Planning your return, gently and in phases, protects your recovery, your milk supply, your sleep and your love for your work.
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WHAT TO DO
Fill in your return preferences, read the four phases, then plan one realistic week in the capacity planner.
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<aside> ⏳
WHEN TO DO IT
A first draft before leave (so you know when to reopen bookings), then revisit 4–6 weeks before you return, when you know your baby and your body.
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<aside> 🌿
There is no right time to return. Some photographers come back at 8 weeks, others at 8 months. Your answers here can change, and they probably will.
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| Question | My answer |
|---|---|
| Preferred return month | |
| First session back | |
| Maximum sessions per week | |
| Maximum weddings per month | |
| Working hours | |
| Editing capacity (hours per week) | |
| Childcare | |
| Pumping / feeding considerations | |
| Travel limits | |
| Weekend boundaries | |
| Communication boundaries (email hours, reply times) |
Check emails at set times, reply to inquiries, look at your numbers, open your calendar. No sessions, no editing.
Move on when: you can sit with your laptop for an hour without it feeling like too much.
One short, local, low-pressure session (a mini session, a past client, a family you love). Edit it slowly.
Move on when: you've seen how your energy, childcare and feeding cope with a shoot and an edit.
Open your calendar with a firm cap (e.g. one session a week, one wedding a month). Keep your automations and delegation in place.
Move on when: a few weeks feel steady, not survivable.
Not "back to normal." A business shaped around the life you have now: the services, hours and clients you chose on purpose (see What I Don't Want to Go Back To).