Before pruning a camellia or azalea, inspect the plant and identify its buds. A tidy outline is not the only consideration if the growth you are about to remove carries the next display.
Confirm the plant's identity and the suitable pruning timing for that variety in your climate. The month mentioned in a general guide may describe a different growing season from yours.
Decide what needs removing
Separate dead or damaged material from healthy growth that simply extends beyond the shape you prefer. If the plant has become too large, plan the job rather than shortening every branch by the same amount.
Keep clean tools ready and step back regularly to assess the structure. A plant can be made smaller without becoming better balanced.
If flowering has been disappointing, review pruning history alongside light, water and root conditions. Additional fertiliser cannot replace buds already cut off. Photograph the plant before the work and note the date. That record will help connect the following season's growth and flowers with the cuts you actually made.
The RHS says camellias can be shaped after flowering and that rhododendron flower buds begin forming in late summer. These are different plants: use their own pruning guidance and local season rather than one date for both.
Related reading: Camellia and Azalea Care: Soil, Feeding and Pruning.