90 DAYS TO PORTFOLIO-READY
NO SHORTCUTS / NO PERMISSION / NO WAITING
FOR
JOSH / PHOTOGRAPHER / VIDEOGRAPHER / MODEL
THE BET
SKIP THE DEGREE / BANK THE HOURS / BUILD THE WORK
THE TARGETS
ADIDAS / PUMA / TOMMY / URBAN OUTFITTERS
NO SHORTCUTS★REPS OVER THEORY★FINISH EVERYTHING★STEAL SMART★SHOW LESS BETTER★NO SHORTCUTS★REPS OVER THEORY★FINISH EVERYTHING★STEAL SMART★SHOW LESS BETTER★
§ 01 — STRUCTURE
THREE ACTS.
Ninety days is not enough to become Drew Cronin. It is enough to lay the foundation that gets you there in three years. Each phase has one job. Do that job before moving on.
DAY 01 — DAY 30
FOUNDATIONS
Master the tools. Learn the language. Shoot daily — even if it's bad. The point is reps, not results. By Day 30 you edit in Resolve and Lightroom without consulting a tutorial.
I
DAY 31 — DAY 60
STYLE
Find your voice. Run real concepted shoots with collaborators. Develop a recognizable look — your lighting, your grade, your eye. By Day 60 you have 3–4 completed projects worth showing.
II
DAY 61 — DAY 90
REACH
Build the portfolio, build the network. Launch your site & reel. Pitch assistant gigs. DM thoughtfully. Submit to magazines. By Day 90, you are findable — and being found.
III
§ 02 — DAILY ENGINE
EVERY DAY.
Skill is built in small daily deposits, not weekend binges. These four habits run for all 90 days. No exceptions. No streaks broken.
30 MIN / AM
STUDY ONE SHOT
Pull one image or 10-second clip from a photographer you admire. Reverse-engineer it: lighting, lens, composition, color. Write it down.
60 MIN / PM
SOFTWARE REPS
DaVinci Resolve, Premiere, or Lightroom. Tutorial first, then apply it to your own footage. No tutorial without application.
30 MIN / ANY
MAKE SOMETHING
Shoot a photo. Film a clip. Edit a sequence. Your room, your shoes, your reflection — doesn't matter. Lift the camera daily.
15 MIN / EVE
NETWORK + LOG
Comment thoughtfully on one creator's work. Note today's lesson in a journal. Build relationships and receipts simultaneously.
§ 03 — PHASE I / DAY 01–30
FOUNDATIONS.
The phase nobody posts about. Boring, technical, essential. Skip it and your work will always look like someone who skipped it.
01
SETUP / SURVEY
INSTALL EVERYTHING. WATCH THE MASTERS.
Before you shoot a single frame, set up the workshop and learn what excellent looks like in your specific lane.
Download DaVinci Resolve (free) and start Blackmagic's free official training
Sign up for Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan ($10/mo — Lightroom + Photoshop)
Build a reference library: 50 stills + 20 videos that represent the work you want to make
Start a notebook (physical or digital) — every shoot, every lesson, every reference goes here
END OF WEEK
A reference document with 50 stills + 20 videos, tagged by what you love about each (lighting / color / composition / movement).
02
RESOLVE BOOTCAMP
LEARN DAVINCI RESOLVE FRONT TO BACK.
You called this out specifically. Spend the week here. By Friday you can take raw footage from import → edit → color → export without searching for buttons.
Casey Faris's "DaVinci Resolve for Absolute Beginners" YouTube series — watch all of it
Learn the seven pages: Media, Cut, Edit, Fusion, Color, Fairlight, Deliver (focus on Edit, Color, Deliver)
Master keyframes — animate position, scale, opacity on at least 3 practice clips
Color basics: lift / gamma / gain, primary wheels, color wheels vs curves, scopes (waveform + vectorscope)
Build your first LUT or import a free one and learn what it's actually doing under the hood
END OF WEEK
A 30–60 second edited and graded video using your own footage (phone footage is fine). Export, post privately for review.
03
STILLS / LIGHT
LIGHTROOM + THE FUNDAMENTALS OF LIGHT.
Pivot to photo. Same intensity. Lightroom is faster to learn than Resolve — use the extra hours on lighting theory.
Anthony Morganti's Lightroom Classic tutorials — work through develop module, masking, presets
Study the 5 lighting setups: Rembrandt, butterfly, loop, split, broad. Recreate each with one light source (window, lamp, phone flashlight)
Learn the exposure triangle cold: aperture, shutter, ISO, and how each affects the image
Shoot 50 photos a day this week. Anywhere. Subject doesn't matter. Compose deliberately.
Build your first preset in Lightroom — your version of a "look"
END OF WEEK
10 edited stills demonstrating intentional lighting + composition. Same subject if you want — variation is the point.
04
FIRST CONCEPT
PLAN + SHOOT A CONCEPTED SELF-PORTRAIT SERIES.
You want to model too — start here. Self-portraits force you to direct, light, compose, and perform. Every fashion shooter who can model has done this.
Pick a mood board: 8 references that share a feeling. Write a one-sentence concept.
Build a lookbook plan: 5 shots, locations, outfit, lighting setup for each
Shoot Saturday. Use a tripod, phone timer or intervalometer. Move between shots.
Edit Sunday: 5 finals in Lightroom, plus a 30-second video cutdown in Resolve
Critique brutally: which shots actually work? Which are filler? Save only the real ones.
END OF WEEK
Project 01 — your first complete concepted shoot. 3–5 hero stills + 1 short video. The floor of your portfolio.
"
YOU LEARN MORE SHOOTING BADLY FOR TEN DAYS THAN READING ABOUT SHOOTING FOR A HUNDRED.
— RULE 01 / MOVE FIRST
§ 04 — PHASE II / DAY 31–60
STYLE EMERGES.
Now you collaborate. Other people in front of the camera force you to direct, communicate, deliver. Three real shoots in 30 days.
05
FIRST COLLAB
BOOK YOUR FIRST TFP SHOOT.
Trade-for-portfolio. You shoot, they get images, nobody pays. This is how everyone starts. Don't skip it because it feels awkward.
Find 3 models on Instagram in NYC / Hudson Valley who are also building portfolios (search: #nycmodel #tfp #testshoot)
DM template: brief, specific to their work, attach mood board + 2 of your references, propose date
Lock one collaborator. Send a detailed shoot plan 48 hours before: call time, location, looks, references
Shoot the session. Bring a shot list but stay loose. Direct gently ("chin slightly down, eyes to the window")
Deliver finals within one week — unedited gallery for selects, then your edits. Professionalism > talent at this stage.
END OF WEEK
Project 02 — your first TFP shoot, fully delivered. Note what went wrong. That's the lesson.
06
COLOR DEEP-DIVE
BECOME A COLORIST, NOT JUST AN EDITOR.
Going from "applies LUTs" to "understands color" is the single biggest leap in perceived quality. Spend the week here.
Cullen Kelly's YouTube — start with his "color grading fundamentals" playlist
Learn nodes in Resolve: serial vs parallel vs layer. This is where keyframing color happens.
Master qualifiers + power windows — selectively grading skin tones is the secret to fashion-quality color
Study the color palette of three references frame-by-frame: pull stills, sample colors, log the hex values
Recreate one Drew Cronin–style grade on your own footage. Don't aim for identical — aim for the feeling.
END OF WEEK
Re-grade one of your earlier videos with everything you now know. The "before / after" should be obvious.
07
FASHION PROJECT
ONE FULL FASHION-CODED SHOOT.
Brand-aspirational work. Pick a brand vibe (Urban Outfitters streetwear, Adidas athletic, Tommy preppy) and produce a shoot that could plausibly belong in their world.
Pull a campaign reference from the brand you're aspiring to — study its art direction
Find a collaborator who fits the casting. Stylist if you can — even a friend with taste counts.
Shoot 8–12 looks, 2–3 setups, mix of stills and motion
Edit as if it were a real lookbook: clean, consistent grade, intentional sequencing
Deliver as a mini campaign — 6 hero stills + 30-second video cut to music
END OF WEEK
Project 03 — your first brand-coded campaign mock-up. This piece needs to look like real work.
08
FITNESS PROJECT
YOUR OTHER LANE — FITNESS + ATHLETIC MOTION.
Different muscles. Motion-heavy. High shutter for sharpness, gimbal or controlled handheld for video. Build a piece in this space too.
Find an athlete, dancer, or fitness-focused friend — they need content too
Plan for movement: golden hour outdoor, gym, or urban environment. Wide + tight coverage.
Shoot in slow motion if your camera allows (60fps minimum, 120 if possible) — slow-mo is the language of athletic content
Edit with rhythm: cuts on beats, motion blur transitions, dynamic pacing
Put yourself in front of the camera for half the shoot with a tripod + remote — this is where your "model" side comes in
END OF WEEK
Project 04 — a fitness-coded shoot, stills + 45-second cut. Now you have range across both your target lanes.
"
THE PEOPLE SHOOTING FOR ADIDAS PUT IN A DEGREE'S WORTH OF HOURS. JUST ON SHOOTS INSTEAD OF IN CLASSROOMS.
— THE ONLY DIFFERENCE
§ 05 — PHASE III / DAY 61–90
GET ON THE RADAR.
The work is the work. Now it has to be seen. Portfolio, reel, outreach, submissions. This is the phase that converts skill into opportunity.
09
PORTFOLIO BUILD
CURATE RUTHLESSLY. BUILD THE SITE.
8–12 hero stills, one 60–90 second reel. That's it. Better to have 8 perfect than 30 inconsistent. Agencies decide in 30 seconds.
Pull every image you've made in 60 days. Print thumbnails. Lay them on the floor. Cut to the strongest 12.
Build the reel: open with your best 3 seconds, no slow intro. Cut to music. End on something memorable.
Set up a portfolio site — Squarespace, Format, or Carbonmade. Custom domain (yourname.com). Clean, no widgets, no distractions.
Write a 2-sentence bio. Not your life story. What you do, who you do it for.
Get critique from 3 working photographers/videographers via DM. Specific question: "what would you cut?"
END OF WEEK
Live portfolio site + reel. Both findable. Both linkable. This is your business card now.
10
ASSIST OUTREACH
THE SINGLE HIGHEST-LEVERAGE MOVE.
Assisting working photographers is how you learn what no tutorial can teach: how real sets run, who's who, what the work feels like. NYC is an hour away. Use it.
Build a list of 20 photographers/videographers in NYC whose work is one or two levels above yours
Sign up on ProductionHUB and Staff Me Up — apply to PA / assistant calls weekly
DM template: "Hey [Name], I've been studying your [specific work] — the [specific detail] is masterful. I'm based in Hudson Valley, building toward fashion/fitness work. Would love to assist on a shoot, any role. Portfolio: [link]."
If anyone says yes — show up early, work hard, ask smart questions, don't post about it without permission, follow up with a thank-you
END OF WEEK
50+ thoughtful outreach messages sent. Tracked in a spreadsheet. At least one reply.
11
SUBMISSIONS
GET PUBLISHED.
A first publication — even in a small magazine — changes how you're perceived. It also forces editorial standards on you.
Submit to Vogue Italia's PhotoVogue (free, no fee) — they publish emerging photographers
Submit to Schön Magazine, Fucking Young, Lucy's Magazine, Phases Magazine, Vanity Teen
Submit one project per magazine — your strongest fashion-coded piece. Read submission guidelines carefully.
If you also model — submit photos of yourself to commercial / fitness agencies' open calls (Wilhelmina, Ford, IMG, Bicoastal). Polaroid style: minimal makeup, fitted clothes, neutral background.
Track every submission. Expect rejection. The first acceptance changes everything.
END OF WEEK
At least 5 magazine submissions sent. If applicable, 3 modeling agency submissions sent.
12
THE REVIEW
AUDIT. PLAN THE NEXT 90.
You're not done. You're started. Last week is for honest assessment and laying the next quarter's track.
Review every project. What's your strongest piece? Why? What's your weakest? Why?
Identify the gap between your work and your references. Be specific: lighting? Casting? Locations? Movement? Grade?
Pick one technical area to specialize in for the next 90 days (color, lighting, motion, direction). Specialists get hired faster than generalists.
Set three concrete goals for Days 91–180: e.g. "assist on 3 paid shoots / shoot for one local brand / hit 1,000 followers with intentional growth"
Celebrate. You went from CapCut to a real portfolio in 90 days. That's not nothing.
END OF WEEK
A written reflection (yes, written) + Days 91–180 plan. The plan that follows this plan.
§ 06 — KIT
THE KIT.
You do not need a Sony FX3 on day one. Start with what you have, upgrade when the work demands it. Below is the realistic progression.
CAMERA / START
WHATEVER YOU OWN
Your phone shoots 4K. Recent iPhones shoot flat color profiles ready for grading. Use it until it limits you — not before.
CAMERA / UPGRADE
SONY FX30 / A6700
When you're ready (Month 3+): the FX30 is the entry-level cine standard. Used a7iii bodies hit a sweet spot for hybrid photo/video.
LENS / FIRST PRIME
35MM F/1.8
One sharp prime beats three mediocre zooms. The 35mm is the fashion all-rounder. Sigma 35mm 1.4 DG DN when you upgrade.
LIGHT / KEY
APUTURE AMARAN 60D
One COB light + a softbox modifier teaches you everything about controlled lighting. Under $200 to start.
AUDIO
RODE WIRELESS GO II
Phone audio is dead audio. Wireless lavs are the only acceptable solution. Get this before any other accessory.
SUPPORT
TRIPOD + GIMBAL
A Manfrotto Befree for stills/video; a DJI Osmo Mobile (phone) or RS3 Mini (when you upgrade) for motion.
SOFTWARE / FREE
DAVINCI RESOLVE
Free. Industry-standard color grading. Premiere isn't worth paying for unless your agency requires it. Start here, stay here.
SOFTWARE / PAID
ADOBE PHOTO PLAN
$10/mo. Lightroom Classic + Photoshop. The photo workflow standard. Worth every dollar from Day 1.
§ 07 — STUDY
WHO TO LEARN FROM.
The internet's a firehose. These channels and creators give you the highest signal-to-noise. Subscribe, watch deliberately, don't doomscroll.
SOFTWARE + COLOR
DAVINCI RESOLVECasey Faris — beginner-friendly
DAVINCI RESOLVEMrAlexTech — deeper dives
COLOR GRADINGCullen Kelly — fundamentals
COLOR GRADINGWaqas Qazi — Hollywood-level
PREMIERE PROJustin Odisho
LIGHTROOMAnthony Morganti
OFFICIALBlackmagic Design Training
CRAFT + CINEMA
LIGHTINGAputure YouTube channel
CINEMATOGRAPHYIn Depth Cine
PHOTO + TRAVELMango Street
FASHION PHOTOJessica Kobeissi
PORTRAITJulia Trotti
FASHION REFERENCESHOWstudio archive
EDITORIALVogue / i-D / Dazed archives
WHO TO STUDY
CONTEMPORARY FASHIONTyler Mitchell
EDITORIAL MASTERSteven Meisel
ATMOSPHERICMario Sorrenti
MOVEMENT + MUSICCole Bennett
STREET + PORTRAITAundre Larrow
ATHLETIC / BRANDDonté Maurice
YOUR REFERENCEDrew Cronin (DCL)
§ 08 — NON-NEGOTIABLES
EIGHT RULES.
Tape these to your wall. Re-read on Day 30, 60, 90, and every day you feel like quitting.
RULE 01
REPS OVER THEORY
You will learn more shooting badly for ten days than reading about shooting for a hundred. Move first, refine after.
RULE 02
STEAL SMART
Recreate references exactly. Then bend them. Then break them. Originality is what's left after you've copied your heroes properly.
RULE 03
FINISH EVERYTHING
Half-edited projects are worth zero. A weak finished piece teaches you more than a strong unfinished one. Always deliver.
RULE 04
SHOW LESS, BETTER
8 great images beat 80 okay ones. Your portfolio is judged at the level of its weakest piece. Cut anything you're unsure about.
RULE 05
BE UNREASONABLY PRO
Reply fast. Show up early. Deliver when promised. Half the people at your level are flaky. Don't be them.
RULE 06
NETWORK IS CRAFT
The people you collaborate with at this stage are the same people who will be art directors, producers, creative leads in 5 years. Long game.
RULE 07
SPECIALIZE TO SCALE
"Fashion and fitness photographer-videographer-model" is too wide for Day 1. Pick one lane to be known for. Add the others once you have leverage.
RULE 08
3 YEARS, NOT 3 MONTHS
Ninety days builds the foundation. Three years builds the career. Anyone telling you a faster timeline is selling something.
DAY 01 BEGINS TOMORROW★GO TO WORK★NO SHORTCUTS★BANK THE HOURS★DAY 01 BEGINS TOMORROW★GO TO WORK★NO SHORTCUTS★BANK THE HOURS★
§ — WEEKLY OPS
THE WEEK.
Built around the 8 AM — 4 PM day job. Weekdays are skill-building: study + edit + shoot small. Weekends are real production: full shoots, deep work, recovery. Job hours show greyed-out — they're locked, the goal is to protect everything around them.
§ — AT A GLANCE
WEEK MAP.
MON
01
Software Study
TUE
02
Editing Reps
WED
03
Lighting Practice
THU
04
Color Grading
FRI
05
Plan Weekend
SAT
06
Shoot Day
SUN
07
Edit + Deliver
Day Job (8–4)
Craft Block
Priority Block
Rest / Life
MONDAY
SOFTWARE STUDY.
FOCUS / LEARN THE TOOLS
6:30 — 7:00 AM30 MIN
Morning Study
Coffee + study one reference shot from your saved library. Reverse-engineer it: lighting direction, lens, composition, color palette. Write 3 lines about what makes it work.
DAILY HABIT
7:00 — 7:45 AM45 MIN
Commute Prep + Travel
Shower, dress, eat. Queue up a photography podcast for the drive — Hot Frames, A Small Voice, or VisionaryPhotography. Passive learning while moving.
LIFE
8:00 AM — 4:00 PMDAY JOB
Work Hours
The bills get paid. The hustle stays in the back of your mind, not the foreground. Show up, do the job well, save brain energy for the evening block.
LOCKED
4:00 — 4:45 PM45 MIN
Decompress + Move
Commute home. Eat something. 10-min walk if possible. Don't skip straight to the laptop — burnout starts when you treat your job as Phase 1 of an 18-hour grind. Reset.
LIFE
4:45 — 6:00 PM75 MIN
Software Reps — DaVinci Resolve
The big Monday block. Casey Faris tutorial of the week, then apply it to your own footage. Don't watch passively — pause, do, fail, retry. Goal: leave the chair able to do something new you couldn't do this morning.
PRIORITY BLOCK
6:00 — 7:00 PM60 MIN
Dinner + Reset
Eat real food. Step away from screens. Talk to someone. This block protects the long game — relationships and energy are part of the plan, not a distraction from it.
LIFE
7:00 — 7:30 PM30 MIN
Make Something Small
Shoot one photo. Or film one 10-second clip. Or edit one. Doesn't matter what — the daily rep is non-negotiable. Phone or camera. Bedroom or kitchen. Just lift the device.
DAILY HABIT
7:30 — 8:00 PM30 MIN
Optional Bonus Block
If energy is high: extra Resolve practice, or research for the weekend shoot. If energy is low: skip without guilt. Consistency > intensity.
FLEX
8:00 — 8:15 PM15 MIN
Network + Log
Comment thoughtfully on one creator's work (not generic praise — specific observation). Write today's lesson in the journal. One line is enough.
DAILY HABIT
8:15 — 10:30 PMFREE
Wind Down
You're done. Show, friends, gym, reading — your call. Aim for lights-out by 10:30. Tomorrow's reps depend on tonight's sleep.
LIFE
TUESDAY
EDITING REPS.
FOCUS / BUILD THE WORKFLOW
6:30 — 7:00 AM30 MIN
Morning Study
Today study a video reference instead of a still. Watch the same 10-second clip 5 times. Note cuts, motion, color, sound. Write what you'd steal.
DAILY HABIT
7:00 — 7:45 AM45 MIN
Commute Prep + Travel
Routine reps. Keep mornings on autopilot — decision fatigue is real, and you need it for the evening block.
LIFE
8:00 AM — 4:00 PMDAY JOB
Work Hours
Day job. Stay focused. Don't burn yourself out scrolling photo references on company time — save the energy for tonight.
LOCKED
4:00 — 4:45 PM45 MIN
Decompress + Move
Commute home. Reset. Snack. Don't open the laptop with a stress headache — you'll do bad work and resent it.
LIFE
4:45 — 6:00 PM75 MIN
Editing Reps
Take last weekend's footage (or any footage) and cut a 30-second sequence. Focus on pacing — when does a shot need to be 2 frames longer or shorter? This week's micro-skill: trimming on motion, not on dialogue.
PRIORITY BLOCK
6:00 — 7:00 PM60 MIN
Dinner + Reset
Eat. Step away from the screen. Move your body.
LIFE
7:00 — 7:30 PM30 MIN
Make Something Small
Photo or clip. Lift the camera. Even if it's bad. Especially if it's bad.
DAILY HABIT
7:30 — 8:00 PM30 MIN
Lightroom Stills Edit
Edit 2-3 stills from this week's daily photos. Apply your developing preset. Notice what your "look" is becoming. Save your favorites to the portfolio bank.
SKILL
8:00 — 8:15 PM15 MIN
Network + Log
Comment, journal, done.
DAILY HABIT
8:15 — 10:30 PMFREE
Wind Down
Your time. Lights out by 10:30.
LIFE
WEDNESDAY
LIGHTING PRACTICE.
FOCUS / CONTROL THE FRAME
6:30 — 7:00 AM30 MIN
Morning Study
Study lighting specifically today. Pick a reference and identify: where's the key light? Fill? Backlight? Hard or soft? Sketch the setup if it helps.
DAILY HABIT
7:00 — 7:45 AM45 MIN
Commute Prep + Travel
Routine. Audio = Aputure's "Tips" series or "In Depth Cine."
LIFE
8:00 AM — 4:00 PMDAY JOB
Work Hours
Midweek grind. Pace yourself.
LOCKED
4:00 — 4:45 PM45 MIN
Decompress + Move
Reset. Walk if possible — fresh eyes help you see light better.
LIFE
4:45 — 6:00 PM75 MIN
Lighting Drill
One lighting setup. One subject (you, an object, a plant). Recreate Rembrandt, then butterfly, then split — one light source, change position only. Photograph each setup. Compare. This is the most underrated rep there is.
PRIORITY BLOCK
6:00 — 7:00 PM60 MIN
Dinner + Reset
Eat. Hydrate. Move.
LIFE
7:00 — 7:30 PM30 MIN
Make Something Small
Apply today's lighting lesson to your daily make-something. Even just photographing dinner with intentional window light counts.
DAILY HABIT
7:30 — 8:00 PM30 MIN
Mid-Week Project Check-In
Are you on track for the current week's goal from the 90-day plan? If yes, plan tomorrow. If behind, adjust now, not Sunday night.
PLAN
8:00 — 8:15 PM15 MIN
Network + Log
Comment, journal, done.
DAILY HABIT
8:15 — 10:30 PMFREE
Wind Down
Halfway through the week. Sleep well — Thursday is heavier.
LIFE
THURSDAY
COLOR GRADING.
FOCUS / FIND YOUR LOOK
6:30 — 7:00 AM30 MIN
Morning Study
Color reference today. Pull a still from a Drew Cronin video. Sample the shadows, midtones, highlights with a color picker. What's the temperature shift? Where's saturation pulled down?
DAILY HABIT
7:00 — 7:45 AM45 MIN
Commute Prep + Travel
Audio: Cullen Kelly's podcast or his short-form color theory videos.
LIFE
8:00 AM — 4:00 PMDAY JOB
Work Hours
Almost Friday. Stay sharp.
LOCKED
4:00 — 4:45 PM45 MIN
Decompress + Move
Eat, walk, reset.
LIFE
4:45 — 6:00 PM75 MIN
Color Grading Deep Block
The week's most technical block. Pull a clip from your footage and grade it three different ways: matched to a reference, warm/orange, cool/cinematic. Save all three. Compare. This is where your eye for color sharpens.
PRIORITY BLOCK
6:00 — 7:00 PM60 MIN
Dinner + Reset
Eat. Step away. Long screen days fry your color perception — give your eyes 30 mins minimum.
LIFE
7:00 — 7:30 PM30 MIN
Make Something Small
Daily rep. Lift the camera.
DAILY HABIT
7:30 — 8:00 PM30 MIN
Outreach Block
Send one DM. One. To a photographer or model whose work you respect. Specific, short, kind. Building the network is a skill — practice weekly.
SKILL
8:00 — 8:15 PM15 MIN
Network + Log
Standard habit. One more day.
DAILY HABIT
8:15 — 10:30 PMFREE
Wind Down
Big weekend tomorrow. Sleep early.
LIFE
FRIDAY
PLAN THE WEEKEND.
FOCUS / SHARPEN THE AXE
6:30 — 7:00 AM30 MIN
Morning Study
Today: study one shot from the same genre you're shooting this weekend. Free your brain to plan.
DAILY HABIT
7:00 — 7:45 AM45 MIN
Commute Prep + Travel
Audio: anything energizing. You earned it.
LIFE
8:00 AM — 4:00 PMDAY JOB
Work Hours
Finish strong. Don't coast.
LOCKED
4:00 — 5:00 PM60 MIN
Long Reset
Friday gets a longer reset. Walk, eat well, talk to people. The weekend is heavy work — recover first.
LIFE
5:00 — 6:30 PM90 MIN
Weekend Shoot Prep
The most important Friday block. Build the shot list for Saturday. Confirm location, lock the call time with collaborator, pack gear, charge batteries, format cards, scout reference images. Pre-production wins every shoot.
PRIORITY BLOCK
6:30 — 7:30 PM60 MIN
Dinner + Reset
Eat well. You'll need fuel tomorrow.
LIFE
7:30 — 8:00 PM30 MIN
Make Something Small + Log
Quick daily rep. Then write tomorrow's plan in one short paragraph: location, time, key 3 shots, what success looks like.
DAILY HABIT
8:00 PM — LateFREE
Friday Night
Optional: go out, see friends, recharge socially. Or rest. Just be in bed by 11 — Saturday is the most important day of your week.
LIFE
SATURDAY
SHOOT DAY.
FOCUS / MAKE THE WORK
7:00 — 8:00 AM60 MIN
Slow Start
Sleep in 30 mins, then breakfast properly. Review the shot list one more time. Confirm with collaborator. Mental run-through.
LIFE
8:00 — 9:00 AM60 MIN
Final Gear Check + Travel
Cards, batteries, lenses, light, audio, tripod. Snacks and water. Pack twice as much water as you think. Travel to location.
PREP
9:00 AM — 2:00 PM5 HOURS
The Shoot
Show up 15 mins early. Greet your collaborator warmly — make them comfortable first, shoot second. Work through your shot list but stay open to better. Take more than you think you need. Keep energy up. This is what the whole week's been pointing at.
PRIORITY BLOCK
2:00 — 3:30 PM90 MIN
Wrap + Lunch
Thank the collaborator properly. Confirm delivery timeline. Travel home. Eat a real meal — shooting drains more than people realize.
LIFE
3:30 — 5:00 PM90 MIN
Backup + First Pass
Dump everything to a hard drive. Then a second drive (always two backups). Quick scroll through — flag the obvious heroes. Don't edit yet. You're too close.
SKILL
5:00 — 8:00 PM3 HOURS
Saturday Off
Step away. Do anything that isn't this. Brain needs distance from the footage before tomorrow's edit. Go out, see friends, watch a movie. You earned it.
LIFE
8:00 — 8:15 PM15 MIN
Network + Log
Today's reflection: what worked on the shoot? What didn't? One sentence each.
DAILY HABIT
8:15 PM — LateFREE
Saturday Night
Rest or play. In bed by midnight — Sunday is the edit grind.
LIFE
SUNDAY
EDIT + DELIVER.
FOCUS / SHIP THE WORK
8:00 — 9:00 AM60 MIN
Slow Morning
Coffee, breakfast, slow start. Re-look at yesterday's footage with fresh eyes. Flag selects. Don't start editing yet — just look.
LIFE
9:00 AM — 1:00 PM4 HOURS
Edit Block — Stills
Lightroom session. Cull first (X to reject, P to pick — Lightroom shortcuts your friend). Then edit selects. Aim for 6-10 finals from a session. Consistent grade across the set. Save as a collection in Lightroom.
PRIORITY BLOCK
1:00 — 2:00 PM60 MIN
Lunch + Walk
Real food. Real break. 20-min walk minimum — color fatigue is real after 4 hours of grading. Eyes need recovery.
LIFE
2:00 — 5:00 PM3 HOURS
Edit Block — Video
Resolve session. Rough cut first — get the sequence in order, no color, no music. Then color pass. Then sound. Export a 30-60 second cut. Always export, even if imperfect — done beats perfect every Sunday.
PRIORITY BLOCK
5:00 — 6:00 PM60 MIN
Deliver + Eat
Send finals to your collaborator with a kind message. Snack while you're at it.
SKILL
6:00 — 7:00 PM60 MIN
Weekly Review
The most important hour of your week. What did you learn? What worked? What didn't? What's the goal for next week? Write it down. Plan Monday's first block.
PLAN
7:00 — 8:00 PM60 MIN
Dinner
Eat with someone you care about. Talk about anything other than photography.
LIFE
8:00 — 8:15 PM15 MIN
Network + Log
Final daily habit of the week. End on a positive line in the journal.
DAILY HABIT
8:15 — 10:00 PMFREE
Sunday Wind Down
Prep for the week. Lay out clothes. Pack lunch. Charge devices. Sleep early. Monday's reps start in the morning, and you've already designed the day to win.