Hiring seasonal staff in the photography industry can feel like a revolving door—people come and go, and you’re left scrambling to cover picture day. On this episode of Hot Takes by H&H Color Lab, we sit down with industry pros to talk about what it really takes to build a seasonal team that shows up, performs, and actually comes back next year.
Meet Your Host: Sal Cincotta
Sal Cincotta is an award-winning photographer, educator, and entrepreneur with a passion for helping photographers grow thriving businesses. As the host of Hot Takes by H&H, Sal brings his no-nonsense approach to the biggest challenges in the photo industry—cutting through the fluff to deliver actionable advice from real pros in the field. With decades of experience running his own successful studio and speaking at conferences around the world, Sal knows what it takes to stand out in a competitive market
Meet the Guests
Beth Jones
President of BJK Photos
Based in Oneida, NY
Corey Clark
Owner of a School Photography Business in Gurnee, IL
The Hiring Challenge
If you’re in the school and sports photography game, you already know it’s a seasonal hustle. Contracts roll in, and you need a team ready to hit the ground running. But finding reliable seasonal workers who take the job seriously is no small feat. Ghosting, no-shows, and performance issues can derail even the best-planned season.
When to Hire (and How to Know You’re Ready)
According to Beth Jones, it’s all about timing and contracts. She begins recruiting as early as June and onboards staff through late August—well before the first school portrait is taken after Labor Day. Her key? Constant touch points with new hires to avoid ghosting and no-shows.
Corey Clark takes a different approach: exit interviews in spring to predict who’s returning, then over-hiring to account for inevitable drop-offs. “If you want three solid people,” he jokes, “you better hire five.”
Seasonal Help Hiring Mistakes to Avoid
The panelists shared some hard lessons learned:
- Hiring too late – Start recruiting earlier than you think you need to.
- Using temp agencies – While convenient, they often send “warm bodies,” not committed workers.
- Failing to cross-train – Beth once paid assistants and photographers different rates—causing friction. Now, everyone is trained in both roles and paid equally.
- Skipping marketing – David Drum stressed the importance of treating hiring like marketing. Promote your job listings with intention, clarity, and culture in mind.
Key Tip: Overhire on Purpose
Hiring 30% more than you think you need is a recurring theme. Whether it’s a photographer calling in sick, quitting mid-season, or just not showing up, having backups in place protects your business.
Culture Is Everything
This isn’t just about filling roles. It’s about building a team that believes in your mission. H&H Color Lab has new seasonal hires fill out a personal goal sheet during training week—helping leadership understand what drives their team and how to support them beyond the job.
Beth echoes that sentiment by showing up on training days, taping cords and sweating it out with her team. “If Beth is in a school,” she says, “something has gone wrong”—but her willingness to be in the trenches has earned her team’s loyalty.
How to Scale Without Breaking the Bank
What if you do need to double your workforce? The panel breaks it down:
- Use hiring events – Instead of 1-on-1 interviews, schedule group interview days with multiple touch points: application, skills test, interviews. This increases efficiency and minimizes no-shows.
- Plan cash flow – As Beth points out, hiring ahead of revenue requires careful use of a line of credit. Don’t let cash flow kill your season.
- Extend your season – Shift some contracts to later in the year to ease pressure and allow time to train.
- Leverage technology & outsourcing – H&H’s order entry services can help absorb the spike during peak season without compromising quality.
The Final Word: Grow Smart
Scaling doesn’t mean saying “yes” to every opportunity. As Shawn notes, you need to know your bottlenecks and protect your existing customers. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity might be worth it—but only if you’re ready to execute without sacrificing quality.
Ready to Build a Better Seasonal Team?
Hiring the right people is only half the battle—equipping them with the right tools is what sets great teams apart. Our new solution for schools and sports photographers, imago by H&H, gives you the systems, support, and workflow solutions you need to scale smart and deliver consistently on picture day.
