Black Friday Deals for Photographers and Creatives 2021

It’s time for my favorite post of the year! I’ve put together a list of all the 2021 Black Friday deals for photographers and creatives that I could find. Some favorite deals are Katelyn James’s courses, 50% off Honeybook, my client management software, and $110 off photomechanic, the program I use to cull photos at lightning speed.

Camera Gear

BEST BUY - Save on mirrorless cameras

SANDISK EXTREME PLUS MEMORY CARDS- 64 GB cards for $15. They write at 150 mb/s

SANDISK EXTREME PRO MEMORY CARDS - 64 GB cards for $23. They write at 170 mb/s

Contracts

THE CONTRACT SHOP - 30% off with code V9XQXVQT80R9. Christina sells contracts for Photographers, Calligraphers, Coaches, Designers, and other wedding pros

THE LEGAL PAIGE - 40% off contracts

Client Management Systems

HONEYBOOK- 50% off your first year which works out to $200 (Disclaimer: I use Honeybook and this is my referral link)

DUBSADO- The CRM I would use if I didn’t have Honeybook.

SHOOTPROOF- Save on their yearly and monthly plans. Shootproof is a great all in one CRM. They have photo-proofing, contracts, and client communication all in one system.

CLOUDSPOT - Gallery Delivery service.

FLODESK - My email newsletter site (Affiliate link)

Gear Bags

ONA BAGS - 20% off with code ONASALE20 through Nov 29th

KELLY MOORE BAG - Up to 40% off

Photography Courses

AMY & JORDAN - Sale on all of their courses and templates

JUSTIN & MARY- Up to 60% off the lighting, posing, editing and business course and monochrome presets

KATELYN JAMES - Up to 50% off the entire store

KATIE LAMB- 20% off her courses and presets with code BLACKFRIDAY20

HOPE TAYLOR - Join her membership program The Senior Scoop for $17 a month. Sale on her photography, business, and spokes model course.

SLR LOUNGE - Annual membership $248. Lifetime membership $699

CREATIVELIVE -

BOOKED UP FACEBOOK ADS - Open for a limited time for $497. Samantha Grant is a Facebook genius and she created a course walking you through how to set them up and get leads you love. She’s closing down the education side of her business so this is the last opportunity to take her course.

UNSCRIPTED POSING - 50% off lifetime access (originally $500, now $250) until Nov 29th

REBECCA RICE - 50% off courses and presets, no code needed.

JULIE PAISLEY - Sale on courses, presets, and templates

Photo Sessions (New England Area)

JESSIE WYMAN PHOTOGRAPHY - Sale on her branding sessions

Presets

MERIDAN - Up to 70% off the entire store. No code needed. Dark and moody style presets

NOBLE- 30% off site wide. No code needed. Light and airy film style presets

TRIBE ARCHIPELAGO - Most presets on sale. Dark and moody style presets.

GOODLIGHT PRESETS - All presets on sale. No code needed. Film presets

JANA BISHOP - Save 30% when you buy two or more presets with code BUNDLE30

Products, Prints and Templates

BITTERSWEET DESIGN - 50% off your order with code BLACKFRIDAY

ARTSY COUTURE- 30$ off USBs, presentation boxes, and wood boxes with code SAVE2021 through 11/23

ARTIFACT UPRISING - 10% off all, 15% off $150+, and 20% off $200+ with code VERYMERRY

MINTED - 20% off your order when you subscribe to their email list

CHATBOOKS - $10 off or free photo book with my referral link

VISTAPRINT- Up to 50% off with code HOLIDAY

INTUITION BACKDROPS - 20% off regularly priced backdrops and floors with code THANKYOU

THE MRS BOX -

PHOTOGRAPHER SUPPLY CO -

Social Media Scheduling

PLANN - 40% off all annual plans

Software

STOMPSOFTWARE - Discounts on Blogstomp and Albumstomp

PHOTOMECHANIC - On sale for $229 usually $339. Life changing photo culling software. Photomechanic allows me to cull my sessions in record time without having to wait for Lightroom to load.

PIC-TIME- A gallery delivery platform. $29 for unlimited storage, and gallery migration for 50¢ a gallery. Offer good through November 29

PIXELLU- A album design service. Not currently on sale

PIXIESET- My gallery delivery service. They’re not having a sale but they’re a great platform. It’s very user friendly and you can automatically sell prints and products.

Stock Photos

PIXISTOCK-

SOCIAL SQUARES - Join for $1 for 7 days with unlimited downloads. $39 a month after that. Also, have the option of $109 quarterly and $420 annually.

Website Templates

GOLIVE HQ- 50% off Showit and Squarespace templates Nov 26-29 and get access to their 5-day website workshop

TONIC SITE SHOP - 20% off with code BLACKFRIYAY21

Black Friday Deals for Photographers and Creatives 2020

It’s time for my favorite post of the year! I’ve put together a list of all the Black Friday deals for photographers and creatives that I could find. Some favorite deals are Katelyn James’s courses, 50% off Honeybook, my client management software, and $20 off photomechanic, the program I use to cull photos at lightening speed.

Camera Gear

CANON 5D MARK IV - $200 off. I bought this camera 2 years ago and I love it! My 6D lasted me 4 years but it was time to upgrade (Affiliate link)

CANON 24-70mm - This lens is a versatile portrait lens especially when shooting indoors. (Affiliate link)

CANON 50 mm 1.4 - A good all around portrait lens (Affiliate link)

CANON 85mm 1.8 - This lens is my favorite child. It gives beautiful bokeh and soft creamy backgrounds. It is slow to focus so I only use it for stationary subjects. (Affiliate link)

Contracts

THE CONTRACT SHOP - 40% off contracts starting 11/27. Christina sells contracts for Photographers, Calligraphers, Coaches, Designers, and other wedding pros

THE LEGAL PAIGE - 40% off contracts

Client Management Systems

HONEYBOOK- 50% off your first year which works out to $200 (Disclaimer: I use Honeybook and this is my referral link)

DUBSADO- The CRM I would use if I didn’t have Honeybook.

SHOOTPROOF- Save on their yearly and monthly plans. Shootproof is a great all in one CRM. They have photo-proofing, contracts, and client communication all in one system.

CLOUDSPOT - Gallery Delivery service.

FLODESK - My email newsletter site (Affiliate link)

Gear Bags

ONA BAGS - 25% off with code HOLIDAY25 through Nov 30th

KELLY MOORE BAG - Up to 40% off

Photography Courses

AMY & JORDAN - Sale on all of their courses and templates

JUSTIN & MARY- Up to 60% off the lighting, posing, editing and business course and monochrome presets

KATELYN JAMES - 25% off everything

HOPE TAYLOR - Everything on sale including The Senior Business Course, The Photography Course, and Spokesmodel 101.

SLR LOUNGE - Memberships on sale

CREATIVELIVE -

BOOKED UP FACEBOOK ADS - Open for a limited time for $397. Samantha Grant is a Facebook genius and she created a course walking you through how to set them up and get leads you love.

UNSCRIPTED POSING - 50% off lifetime access with code BLACKFRIDAY until Nov 27th

REBECCA RICE - 50% off courses and presets, no code needed.

JULIE PAISLEY - Sale on courses, presets, and templates

Presets

MERIDAN - 50% off any preset with code FIFTY. Dark and moody style presets

NOBLE- 40% off. Light and airy film style presets

TRIBE ARCHIPELAGO - Dark and moody style presets.

GOODLIGHT PRESETS -

JANA BISHOP - Bundle 3 presets and get 40% off. Use code SALE30 for an additional 30% off

Products, Prints and Templates

BITTERSWEET DESIGN - 40% off with code THANKYOU40

ARTSY COUTURE- 40% off products

ARTIFACT UPRISING - 10% off all, 15% off $100+, and 20% off $175+ with code VERYMERRY

MINTED -

CHATBOOKS - $10 off or free photo book with my referral link

VISTAPRINT- Discounts available with code VP1125

HEIDI HOPE BACKDROPS - 50% off with minimum purchase of $50 with code 50DIGITALS

THE MRS BOX -

PHOTOGRAPHER SUPPLY CO - 20% off with code 2020SUX

Social Media Scheduling

PLANN - Lifetime membership for $297

Software

STOMPSOFTWARE - 40% off BLOGSTOMP3, ALBUMSTOMP2 and a year of ALBUMPRUFR

PHOTOMECHANIC - On sale for $229 usually $339. Life changing photo culling software. Photomechanic allows me to cull my sessions in record time without having to wait for Lightroom to load.

PIC-TIME- A gallery delivery platform. $29 for unlimited storage, and 15% off yearly plans

PIXELLU-

Stock Photos

PIXISTOCK-

SOCIAL SQUARES -

Website Templates

GOLIVE HQ- 50% off Showit and Squarespace templates Nov 27-30

TONIC SITE SHOP - 20% off with code GETBASTED

Black Friday Deals for Photographers and Creatives 2019

It’s time for my favorite post of the year! I’ve put together a list of all the Black Friday deals for photographers and creatives that I could find. Some favorite deals are Katelyn James’s courses, 50% off Honeybook, my client management software, and $20 off photomechanic, the program I use to cull photos at lightening speed.

Camera Gear

CANON 5D MARK IV - $800 off. I bought this camera a year ago and I love it! My 6D lasted me 4 years but it was time to upgrade (Affiliate link)

CANON 24-70mm - $300 off. This lens is a versatile portrait lens especially when shooting indoors. (Affiliate link)

CANON 50 mm 1.4 - $100 off. A good all around portrait lens (Affiliate link)

CANON 85mm 1.8 - $120 off. This lens is my favorite child. It gives beautiful bokeh and soft creamy backgrounds. It is slow to focus so I only use it for stationary subjects. (Affiliate link)

Contracts

THE CONTRACT SHOP - On sale starting 11/28. Christina sells contracts for Photographers, Calligraphers, Coaches, Designers, and other wedding pros

THE LEGAL PAIGE - 40% off contracts

Client Management Systems

HONEYBOOK- 50% off your first year which works out to $200 (Disclaimer: I use Honeybook and this is my referral link)

DUBSADO- The CRM I would use if I didn’t have Honeybook. On sale no code needed. $30/month or $300/ year (Regular $35/month or $350/year)

SHOOTPROOF- 40% off. Shootproof is a great all in one CRM. They have photo-proofing, contracts, and client communication all in one system.

CLOUDSPOT - Gallery Delivery service. $5 a month for 5 months

FLODESK - My email newsletter site (Affiliate link)

Gear Bags

ONA BAGS - Up to 30% off during black Friday weekend

KELLY MOORE BAG - Up to 50% off

Photography Courses

JUSTIN & MARY- Up to 60% off the lighting, posing, editing and business course and monochrome presets

KATELYN JAMES - 40% off the Business Collection or build your own collection for $99 each module. 12 modules in total.

30% off Email Templates, the Bridal Guide, and the Pricing Kit.

$200 off Lighting and Locations, the Posing Course, and the Consistency Course. Get all 3 courses for $999 (Regularly $1,791)

KJ All Access $29/month

Mini Guide Bundle for $69 (Regularly $156)

HOPE TAYLOR - $50 off the Photography Course, the Senior Posing and Experience Course, and $140 off the Spokesmodel 101 Course

SLR LOUNGE - 30% off SLR lounge store

CREATIVELIVE - Up to 60% off everything

BOOKED UP FACEBOOK ADS - Open for a limited time for $497. Samantha Grant is a Facebook genius and she created a course walking you through how to set them up and get leads you love.

Presets

MERIDAN - 50% off any preset with code FIFTYPERCENT. Dark and moody style presets

NOBLE- 30% off. Light and airy film style presets

TRIBE ARCHIPELAGO - 30% off until Dec 3 with code BF2019. Dark and moody style presets.

GOODLIGHT PRESETS - 30-40%off

Products, Prints and Templates

BITTERSWEET DESIGN - 50% magazines and marketing sets off with code BLACKFRIDAY50

ARTSY COUTURE- 40% off products

ARTIFACT UPRISING - Up to 20% off

MINTED - 15-20% off with code BF2019

CHATBOOKS - $10 off with my referral link

VISTAPRINT- Up to 50% off with code BIGDEAL

HEIDI HOPE BACKDROPS - 50% off with minimum purchase of $50 with code 50DIGITALS

THE MRS BOX - 25% off on Black Friday

Social Media Scheduling

PREVIEW APP - 30% off with code PREVIEW30. I switched to this Instagram planning app from Planoly because it allows you to easily toggle between your accounts. My only problem with it is that you can’t post to stories like you can with Planoly.

Software

STOMPSOFTWARE - 40% off BLOGSTOMP3, ALBUMSTOMP2 and a year of ALBUMPRUFR

PHOTOMECHANIC - $20 off. Life changing photo culling software. Photomechanic allows me to cull my sessions in record time without having to wait for lightroom to load.

PIC-TIME- A gallery delivery platform. 12% off yearly plans

PIXELLU- Smart albums and smart slides. 40% off

Stock Photos

PIXISTOCK- 365+ Day, Social Media Content Creation Calendar, FREE with Annual or Lifetime membership signup

Website Templates

GOLIVE HQ- 50% off Showit and Squarespace templates

TONIC SITE SHOP - 20% off with code TALKTURKEYTOME

How to Start a Photography Business

How to Start a Photography Business

Congratulations on your new business! Photography is an amazing field that allows you to be creative while making money. There are so many different specialties and styles and everyone has an opinion on the”right” way to do things.

My biggest piece of advice is if you’re going to start a photography business treat it like a business. You’'ll have expenses (photography gear isn’t cheap either) and if you’re putting in a lot of hard work you deserve to make a profit.

Here are 11 things to focus on in the very beginning of your photography business if you’re overwhelmed and don’t know where to start.

1. Choose Your Camera System

   I went with Canon simply because I borrowed my roommate’s Rebel and I felt comfortable with it. If you want to use Canon, I recommend starting with the Canon 6D. It’s a full frame camera that does very well outside. It’s biggest limitation is low light situations, if you increase the ISO too much it gets very grainy. It also has only has one slot for SD cards. If you’re going to shoot weddings you need two slots in order to have a backup. I started with a 6D and now I shoot on a Canon Mark IV. As far as lenses I would start with the 50mm. It’s extremely versatile and it’s an excellent portrait lens.

2. Shoot Everything

   This next one is one I feel strongly about. In the very beginning when you’re just starting to learn your camera don’t try and pick a niche. Shoot anything and anyone you can. (Two exceptions: Newborns & weddings. If you want to shoot newborns make sure you watch newborn safety videos first and understand that many newborn photos are composites. They’re extremely fragile and you don’t want to be the person that hurt a newborn. If you want to shoot weddings ask another photographer if you can assist them before you even think about shooting solo, there are no redos on a wedding day!)

3. Choose a Business Name

   Just keep it simple and go with Your Name Photography. I was Past Perfect Photography for awhile and I eventually changed to Erica Pezente Photography. You can read more about that switch here. I recommend going with your name for a few reasons. You friends and family won’t know that you’re a photographer in the beginning. It will take them a little while to make the connection that their friend Sarah the teacher is now Sarah the photographer. If you name your business something like Tiny Moments Photography it’s going to be a lot harder for your friends to recommend you if they can’t remember your name. They’re much more likely to remember Sarah Smith Photography instead.

4. Register Your Business

   Look up the rules for your state, I had to apply for an EIN number from my state and register with my town.

5. Get Business Insurance

   I use The Hartford and I’ve been happy with them so far. You never know when someone is going to break your gear or fall and injure themselves. It’s important to protect yourself.

6. Find an Accountant

   A good small business accountant will find you deductions you didn’t know about and make sure you’re on the right track with your taxes. If you’re charging people money you need to pay taxes. The IRS will find you and they’ll want their money. I use Quickbooks Self Employed to keep track of my income and spending.

7. How to Find Clients

   Start with family and friends. Tell them you are practicing and building your portfolio and you’d like to offer them a few free photos for their time. I would recommend asking people to model for you privately. If you post on your Facebook page that you’re offering free shoots people may come to expect that from you. Once you have a portfolio start posting to social media consistently. Only show your best work and only show what you want to shoot more of!

8. Start a Website

   I recommend Squarespace, Showit, or if you’re good with coding; Wordpress. I use Squarespace and it was a little bit of a learning curve but now it’s super easy. I love that I can modify pages and rearrange my content. Your website is your storefront. It legitimizes your business and provides potential clients with information they need to trust you.

9. Learn to Edit

   You’ll need the editing program Lightroom and I recommend finding a course that teaches you the basics and what each slider does. Creative Live has a lot of great courses and their are photographers who teach editing too. It took me a long time to learn how to edit and find my style. Like years. Don’t get frustrated if you can’t create beautiful images right from the get go. Let yourself be terrible for a little while, you’ll eventually figure out your style! There are lots of great presets out there but try and identify your style goals before you buy a bunch of presets.

10. Client Management

    I recommend Shootproof to any new photographer. You can sign contracts, take payments, and deliver images all on one platform.

11. Social Media

    Create a Facebook page and Instagram account for your business. Try to post a few times a week sharing your work and what your company is about. What makes you different and what’s it like working with you?

Here’s my list of must haves to start a photography business:

Camera - Canon 6D or Canon Rebel

Lens - 50mm

Lightroom- The software I use to edit

Squarespace- For website hosting

Quickbooks- To keep track of profit and losses

Shootproof- The client management software I would recommend to any new photographer. You can sign contracts, take payments, and deliver images all on one platform.

7 Game Changers in my Photography Business

Let me start by saying I’m not fond of the term “game changer.” I don’t think there’s one program or preset that will fix every problem in your business and instantly make you 6 figures. There’s a lot of trial and error in business but these are the 7 things that have positively influenced my business.

1. HONEYBOOK:

   Honeybook keeps all of my client communication organized and I love that you can integrate it with Calendly, Quickbooks, and even Facebook ads! I can send contracts, get paid, and make sure I follow up with leads. My other favorite features are the brochures (no design experience needed) that detail my packages and pricing, questionnaires that allow me to get to know my clients and what they’re looking for, and contact forms that I embed right on my website. I also have the app on my phone which notifies me as soon as I receive an inquiry.

   For 50% off your first year click here!

2. KINDRED PRESETS:

   I struggled with my editing for the longest time. I don’t consider myself an artist by nature and I would get so frustrated trying to figure out how to make my photos look “good” or like other photographers I admired. I only started to love my work when I found Kindred Presets. I mainly use the essential low contrast preset and occasionally the technical preset. While you don’t have to get the same preset as me I would highly recommend finding one you love and using that as a base to discover your own style.
   

3. PHOTOMECHANIC:

   Who here loves culling? That’s right, no one. Before I got photomechanic I would cull in Lightroom and it would take FOREVER. Now I can cull a portrait session in 5 minutes and I don’t dread editing!
   

4. SQUARESPACE:

   I tried out a few other website hosting platforms but ultimately fell in love with Squarespace. It’s so easy to use and customize plus there’s a lot of beautiful templates for sale if you don’t like the free Squarespace ones.
   

5. QUICKBOOKS:

   It sounds boring but organizing my finances and seeing what I was spending in my business gave me the confidence to raise my prices.

6. PICTIME:

   There are a lot of great gallery delivery platforms but I switched to Pictime because of their built in online store. Clients can see how their products will look and you can even design albums right within their platform!
   

7. EDUCATION:

   There are A LOT of educational resources out there. It seems like everyone has a course, a preset, or a digital download that will change your life. That being said I think continuing your education should be a lifelong process and there are excellent resources out there, you just have to hunt for them. I would recommend identifying one or two areas of your business you would like to improve and then doing some research on your options.

   Here are some of my favorites and the areas they cover:

   Katelyn James: Katelyn is the gold standard for wedding photographer education. She is simply the best at everything she does. She has a course on Lighting & Locations, Posing, and Consistency as well as a membership to monthly behind the scenes videos that follow her to weddings and photo shoots.

   Samantha Grant: Sam is a photographer and also a Facebook Ad wizard. I’ve read a lot of tutorials on Facebook ads but they never really made sense until I found Sam. She also has a Facebook group for photographers and wedding professionals as well as 1-1 trainings and self taught courses. 

   Amy & Jordan: I have their Shooting and Editing course as well as their Posing course. They’re wedding photographers and former teachers so all of their courses are well thought out and clearly presented.

   Megan Martin: In addition to beautiful website templates she’s also a brilliant marketer. She puts out monthly free guides that are jam packed full of wisdom! If a custom website isn’t in the cards for you she also has a course on making sure your current website converts.

   Laura Foote: If you’re just starting out in photography or just want to learn how to take better photos I highly recommend Laura’s shoot in manual course! She teaches virtually so you don’t need to leave your house. (Unless she sends you outside to take a photo) If you have a photography business and want to learn how to edit faster and streamline your workflow she also has a 1 hour workflow course.

Black Friday Deals for Photographers and Creatives 2018

Anyone else overwhelmed with the amount of Black Friday ads yet?! If you’re a photographer or creative I’ve created a list of all my favorite Black Friday deals. That being said, it can be easy to get swept up in the hype and feel like you need to buy everything.

Whenever I’m buying something for my business I think about the following things first: 

1. Is this purchase going to move the ship forward? If I buy that course/gadget/program is it going to have a clear positive impact on my business? What positive return will I get from this purchase?

2. Does it solve a problem I’m having? If you’re struggling with lighting a course on lighting specific to what you’re trying to learn would be helpful. If your client communication is disorganized a good CRM would improve their experience.  

 (I’ll be updating this list as I find new deals. Some of the names don’t have links because their deals aren’t released yet or I haven’t found them) 

Camera Gear

SAN DISK - Extreme Plus 32 GB for $12.99 (originally $25.22) I like these ones because they write extremely fast. I was using a different type of card and it would lag if I shot too fast.

CANON 5D MARK IV - $500 off. I just bought this camera and I am so incredibly excited!! No more driving to the camera rental place every time I shoot a wedding or something inside. My 6D lasted me 4 years but it was time to upgrade :) (Affiliate link)

CANON 24-70mm - $300 off. This lens is a versatile portrait lens especially when shooting indoors. (Affiliate link)

CANON 50 mm 1.4 - $100 off. A good all around portrait lens (Affiliate link)

CANON 85mm 1.8 - $120 off. This lens is my favorite child. It gives beautiful bokeh and soft creamy backgrounds. It is slow to focus so I only use it for stationary subjects. (Affiliate link)

Client Management Systems

HONEYBOOK- 50% off your first year which works out to $200 (Disclaimer: I use Honeybook and this is my referral link)

Dubsado- The CRM I would use if I didn’t have Honeybook. On sale until November 27th no code needed. $25/month or $250/ year (Regular $30/month or $300/year)

Shootproof- 40% off. Shootproof is a great all in one CRM. They have photo-proofing, contracts, and client communication all in one system.

THE CONTRACT SHOP - 40% off contracts starting at 10PM 11/22. Christina sells contracts for Photographers, Calligraphers, Coaches, Designers, and other wedding pros

Gear Bags

HOLDFAST- 10% off with code BLACKFRIDAY18 on Friday. 17% off with code CYBERMONDAY18 on Monday

ONA BAGS - 30% off during black Friday weekend

Photography Courses

JUSTIN & MARY- Discounts on the lighting, posing, editing and business course and monochrome presets

AMY & JORDAN- $200 off courses, 45% off style guides, 50% off templates,

KATELYN JAMES - 20% off Lighting & Locations, Consistency, and Posing course. 30% off KJ all access, the bridal guide, and pricing templates.

HOPE TAYLOR - Sale on her photography course and senior posing course

LAURA FOOTE- Laura has a sale on her shoot in manual course, one hour work flow, and coaching calls.

SWIFT GALLERIES PRINTMAKER SYSTEM - $50 off In-person sales training

SLR LOUNGE - 30% off SLR lounge store

CREATIVELIVE - Up to 60% off everything

Presets

KINDRED - The presets I use and love. They haven’t announced their sale yet but I’ll update when they do!

MERIDAN - 50% off any order on Nov 23rd with code BLACKFRIDAY. Dark and moody style presets

NOBLE- 30% off. Light and airy film style presets

MASTIN- 25% off. Film style presets

TRIBE ARCHIPELAGO - 30% off Nov 22-26 with code THANKFUL30. Dark and moody style presets.

Products, Prints and Templates

BITTERSWEET DESIGN - 50% magazines and marketing sets off with code BLACKFRIDAY50

ARTSY COUTURE- 40% off products until Nov 25

ARTIFACT UPRISING - 20% off with code GIFTJOY

MINTED - 20% off with code NCHOL18

CHATBOOKS - 20% off everything with code JOY

VISTAPRINT- 60% OFF

HEIDI HOPE BACKDROPS - 30% off with code BLACKFRIDAY

ABBY GRACE PHOTOGRAPHY - 50% off email templates, pre-wedding questionnaire, and posing guide.

Software

STOMPSOFTWARE - Includes Blogstomp, Albumstomp, and Albumprufur. 50% off when you buy all 3

KAJABI - Save up to 60% on their course hosting platform

PHOTOMECHANIC - $30 off Nov 23-26. Life changing photo culling software. Photomechanic allows me to cull my sessions in record time without having to wait for lightroom to load.

PIC-TIME- My personal gallery delivery platform. 15% off yearly plans

PIXELLU- Smart albums and smart slides. 40% off

Stock Photos

SC Stock Shop - 40% off with code FALL40. The SC Stock Shop is the gold standard for stock photos

SOCIAL SQUARES - On sale for $19/month with code FALL4YOU for unlimited social media images. SC Stockshop’s sister company.

PIXISTOCK- 40% off and lifetime access

KATEMAX STOCK - 15% off annual membership with code blackfriday2018

HAUTE STOCK - $100 off annual membership

Website Templates

GOLIVE HQ- 50% off Showit and Squarespace templates

MEGAN MARTIN- 30% off showit templates. Megan’s work is so unique and beautiful, her websites are thoughtfully designed to be easy to use and to convert!

TONIC SITE SHOP - 20% off Nov 22-26 with code THANKSGIMME

How to Make a Landing Page for Instagram Links

If you're reading this you've probably discovered that Instagram is blocking Linktree from working. While it's great to have a platform that will easily link content for you this serves as a great reminder that you only own two things on the internet: 

1. Your website

2. Your e-mail list.

This is a tutorial on how to create a landing page on your own website with multiple links to your content. I use Squarespace as my hosting platform but I imagine other platforms will allow you to do similar things.

1. First, I created a duplicate of my homepage. 

On your PAGES page click the gear icon to the right of HOME and this will appear.  

2. I named this duplicate page 'INSTAGRAM LINKS' and I dragged it down to the NOT LINKED section. That way it won't show up in my main navigation and people will only be able to access it from my Instagram bio or if they know the exact web address. 

3. At the top of the duplicate homepage I created a 'welcome from Instagram' header. That way whoever clicks on the link knows who I am and what they can find linked below.

4. Next I added link buttons. I have a separate tutorial on how to create website buttons in Canva. I also detail how to create a row of links using Squarespace buttons.  

5. Then I added a click through link to my buttons. When someone taps on that button it will take them directly to that page.  

6. This is what it looks like when you're on your phone and click the link in bio

I hope this was helpful for you! If you create custom buttons DM me on Instagram @erica_pezente so I can see what you made!

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Related Posts

How to create website buttons in Canva

This is the second part to my blog post on creating a website landing page for Instagram links. I use Squarespace but the same idea can be applied to any hosting platform. 

There are two ways to create buttons:

1. You can create custom buttons in a program like Canva or Indesign.

2. You can use the button feature within the Squarespace website. I created custom buttons for my site. It's a little more work but I like how it looks.

HOW TO CREATE BUTTONS DIRECTLY ON SQUARESPACE

1. Click on 'page content edit' and click the tear drop shape that appears on the left margin. Click on the button content block.

2. Rename the button to whatever you are linking to. You can link to content on your website or external links. Repeat this process for all the content you want to link on your landing page. 

This is the easiest way to create a landing page and swap out content. 

HOW TO CREATE BUTTONS IN CANVA

If you want to create custom buttons it's pretty easy to do in Canva. I chose custom dimensions of 300 x 100 px.    Next select a background color and add your text. I chose the simple sans serif font 'GARUDA' for readability. Download all of your buttons and then go the landing page to upload them.

To add the custom buttons to your landing page just add them as an image and then link your content. 

This is what my landing page looks like when someone clicks on my Instagram bio link:

I hope this was helpful! To see the full post on how I created an Instagram landing page on my website click here.

Spring Cleaning Tips for Instagram

Are you tired of Instagram consuming your life and getting stuck in the never ending scroll? Are you frustrated with the algorithm and the follow/unfollow game? I’ve written a 2 part series on how to clean up your Instagram account and how to deal with the frustrating changes.

Image from Twigy Posts Stock

Instagram Spring Cleaning Tips:

1. Unfollow anyone you don't enjoy following. Whether they make you jealous, give you FOMO, or you just don't want to follow them anymore. Clean up your following list to just the people you truly enjoy following. I went from following 528 to 304. Now I only see posts from people who motivate and inspire me.

2. Mute stories: Did you know you can mute people’s stories so they don’t show up in your story feed? You’re still following them and can see their stories if you want to but when you’re watching your feed it won’t jump to them automatically.

How to mute stories:

1. Press on the story circle of the person you want to mute. 2. Tap mute username at the bottom. Now you won't see their stories unless you scroll all the way to the end! To un-mute someone just scroll to the end where their username is grayed out and tap their circle and choose un-mute username at the bottom. 

This has been a huge time saver for me. I love watching stories but I get sucked in and waste so much time. Watching other people’s stories doesn’t advance my business. I also like completing things and I could never ‘finish’ my stories reel.

Now I only watch people who talk to the camera, teach me something, or are entertaining.

3. Spruce up your bio: Do people clearly know who you are and what you do when they land on your feed? Do they know where you’re located? You can write out your bio in the notes app and copy and paste to your Instagram bio for a cleaner look.

4. Follow relevant hashtags: I follow local hashtags so I can engage with my peers but I don’t have to follow every local creative. When you follow a hashtag, posts under that tag will pop up in your photo feed.  

5. Organize your highlights. I have a detailed blog post on how to make cover photos for your highlights. Add any pertinent information and delete your highlight clutter.  

Image from Twigy Posts Stock

I hope these tips help you clean up your Instagram and get you thinking about who’s content you consume and why.

Next week I’ll be posting my thoughts on the Algorithm and the follow/unfollow method that’s driving everyone crazy. I’ll share my tips for dealing with it and why you shouldn’t care if people unfollow you!

How to Make Cover Photos on Instagram Story Highlights

By now you've probably seen accounts with cover photos on their Instagram story highlights.

Instagram story highlights can be used as mini video channels to showcase helpful information for your followers. I have some FAQ's, an about me channel, wedding tips, and my favorite portfolio images.

With highlights new followers can learn about you quickly and it takes away some of the pressure to post daily. 

I created my images in Canva and you could also use Phonto, Photoshop, or any other platform that allows you to create graphics. 

I created a Canva tutorial so you can make icon cover photos for your account!

1. In Canva go to the "Use custom dimensions" button on the top right. Enter 1080 x 1920 for the dimensions.

2. Next choose a background color for your image. You can choose any background you like but I prefer a solid color. You can choose from Canva's pre-selected colors or add you own custom color.

3. In the "search" bar enter the name of an icon you want to use. For instance, 'camera', 'house', 'leaf'.

4. Choose an icon, I prefer simple outlines. I center the icon in the middle of the page and enlarge it to about 230 x 230.   You can also change the color of the icon, I chose white for all mine. 

5. Save your image. Now it's time to upload to Instagram stories. There are many ways to do this, I prefer to add to my scheduled stories using Planoly on my desktop. I then post to my stories using the Planoly app on my phone. 

6. Once you've posted to your stories, go to your story and tap the 'highlight' icon 

7. Tap 'new' to create a new highlight.

8. Name your highlight whatever you'd like.

9. The new highlight will appear on your feed!

10. To change the cover image or adjust the placement go to the highlight and tap 'edit highlight'

11. Tap 'edit cover'

12. You can now change the cover image or recenter the placement of your icon.

13. To add to your highlighted story go into 'edit highlight' and simply tap any story you'd like to add to that section.

That's it for this tutorial! If you found it helpful let me know in the comments and if you make your own covers tag me in a story so I can see what you created @erica_pezente! 

Black Friday Deals for Photographers & Creatives

Anyone else overwhelmed with the amount of Black Friday ads piling up in their inbox?! I've rounded up my favorite deals for photographers & other creatives so you don't miss out!

Photography Courses

KATELYN JAMES: Sale starts on Black Friday. KJ Collection is 30% off, KJ Courses open for enrollment, 20$ off, and a payment plan will be offered

AMY & JORDAN: EVERYTHING of theirs is on sale. I have their Posing Course, Shooting & Editing Course, e-mail templates, and timeline pack. Amy & Jordan's products are worth every penny. They're former teachers and they create their courses with meticulous attention to detail. If you're going to buy one course on Black Friday I would get one of theirs. 

A PRACTICAL WEDDING WORKSHOP BY ABBY GRACE: $347 (Usually $457) Abby takes you through her thought process of the entire wedding (Including pre-wedding prep and her post wedding workflow) 

JUSTIN & MARY: Their posing, business, and lighting course are on sale

HOPE TAYLOR: Get $250 off her in person workshop early bird rate with code THANKFUL. Workshop is in February and it is in Richmond, VA

Actions & Editing 

 LAURA FOOTE'S 1 HOUR WORKFLOW: The 1 hour workflow will help you reduce your culling and editing time so you can spend less time behind the computer. Use code EARLYBIRDBFF for $40 off

LIGHT & AIRY PRESETS: By photographers Annamarie Akins & Caroline Logan. $60 off regular price of $179 with code BLACKFRIDAY119. Only available for 50 people!  

GREATER THAN GATSBY: 50% off entire shop with code SALE50. Photoshop & Lightroom actions and overlays

PHOTOMECHANIC: The best photo culling software. 20% off Nov 24-27 with code SHOPSPEEDY17

BLOGSTOMP: 40% off until November 29th at midnight. Blogstomp is blogging software that allows easy image resizing and collages 

ALBUMSTOMP: 40% off until November 29th at midnight.Easily create albums 

SIMPLY JESSICA MARIE: 20% off with code HOLIDAYCHEER.  Jessica is a watercolor artist with tons of prints and products. My favorite product is her 2018 Cocktail calendar. It comes with double sided cards, one side has a watercolor print, the other a cocktail recipe! 

Website Templates

GoLiveHQ- 50% off Squarespace and Showit website templates starting Friday at 12AM

TONIC SHOP: 20% off all website templates 

SHOWIT: 30% off over 130 website designs. Showit is a website hosting platform

Products & Prints

ARTSY COUTURE: Up to 50% off products

PHOTOGRAPHER RISING: Heidi Hope's product and backdrop shop. Only running Friday the 24th from 8AM-8PM. Her signature artist rising course is on sale as well as her other business courses. 

BITTERSWEET DESIGN BOUTIQUE: 50% off everything with coupon code GIVETHANKS. Every template you could ever need! From magazines to business cards to website templates. 

MEGAN MARTIN CREATIVE: 40% off everything, no code needed. She has beautiful templates for welcome packets, brand boards, and email marketing to name a few. 

SOCIAL MAGGIE: $10 off her 2018 social media prompt calendar with code 10OFF. Her extensive hashtag list is only $15, I use it all the time for Instagram posts! 

SOUTHERN WEDDINGS: 40% off everything. No code needed. The have magazines, wedding planners, prints, vow books, and more!

 ASHLYN WRITES: Everything 40% off.  

Stock Photos

PIXISTOCK: 50% off membership plans with code CYBERSTOCK

SC STOCK SHOP: Everything 40% off with code STOCKUP40 through Friday 

KATEMAXSTOCK: $50 off annual membership with code blackfriday2017

TWIGYPOSTS: Spend $25 get $10 off code TWIGY1o. Spend $50 get $20 off code TWIGY20. Spend $75 get $35 off code TWIGY35

Client Management Systems

DUBSADO: $19/month (reg $25/month) or $190/year (reg $250/year) No code needed. Price good until Tuesday November 28th at 4PM

17 HATS: 37% off 2 year subscription. 

Gift Ideas for Clients & Vendors

It's the most magical time of year! Time to celebrate, reflect, and give gifts to the people who matter most. Don't forget the clients and vendors that make your business possible. If you're at a loss on how to thank them, I've compiled a list of my favorite holiday thank you gifts below.

Sugarfina is the perfect gift for any sugar loving client. They have every candy and gummy option imaginable. I like that you can go as simple or crazy as you want. They have single boxes all the way to the candy truck with 20 boxes.

Sugafina gingerbread cookies

Metal ornaments from proDPI

Crate & Barrel Silver Pearl Ornament

Seacoast Sweets Chocolate Pattes. They're based out of Newburyport, MA and they have 4 flavors, peppermint, peanut butter, coconut, and s'mores.

Ellery Mae Candles

She has so many yummy flavors on her etsy shop like pecan pie, frosted gingerbread, and cinnamon bun.

The Mistletoe gift box from Teak & Twine. Pre-made gift boxes re a little pricey but if you have a high end business or don't want to spend the time putting a gift together these are a great option.

Love & Found Box Festive Treat

Compartes Chocolate.

From single bars to chocolate towers there are so many options. Their packaging is gorgeous as well!

2017 Goal Setting With Powersheets

How is everyone's new year going?! Are you sticking to your goals? This year I started using Powersheets by Lara Casey to stay on track. They've been a great investment so far!

One of my favorite things about the Powersheets are the monthly tending lists. The lists are broken down into your monthly, weekly, and daily goals with space to check off your progress. It has been so helpful seeing my goals in front of me every day. The days often pass in a blur and suddenly a month has gone by and I'm not sure where the time went. With these lists I can clearly see if I am achieving my goals or not. I was sick for about a week this month and I would probably have a hard time getting back on track with out my daily check in. Lara stresses progress over perfection and while I didn't accomplish everything I set out to it's nice to see that I made progress in most areas!

Here is a list of my January goals:

Monthly: 

• Revamp website

• Start saving for Brazil

• Read 4 books

• Prep for accountant

• Create content calendar

• Hire SEO & Social Media Consultant

• Attend 2 rising tide meetings

• Email bloggers about collab photo shoots

• Plan & Market for Valentine's Day Mini's

• Reorganize Pinterest

• Visit Mimi (my grandmother)

Weekly:

• Horse back riding

• 1 blog post

• 3-5 Instagram posts

• 1 styled shoot

• Read 1 book

Daily:

• Gym

• Read 20 mins

• Quiet time 20 mins

• Education 30 mins

• Sleep by midnight

How I did (Bold items are ones I've made progress on)

Monthly: 

• Revamp website- I am NOT a web designer but I've been playing around with my photography website (I use Squarespace) and it's starting to come together the way I envisioned. I still need to shoot some head shots and update my galleries.

• Start saving for Brazil- I go to Brazil every year to visit my almost adopted daughter. She's going to be 12 and she's amazing. Plane tickets are very expensive this year

• Read 4 books- I'm failing at this one. For some reason I can't sit still and concentrate on a book. I blame this on the election.

• Prep for accountant- I've stated receiving W-2's and I need to finalize my expenses for the year. I use Quickbooks to track my income and expenses.

• Create content calendar- I've been using Trello to organize my blog posts and ideas and I love it! My favorite feature is the calendar scheduling option that lets you see all of your posts at a glance.

• Hire SEO & Social Media Consultant- I've been researching different coaches and options, I want to make sure I'm using SEO effectively on my photography website and make sure I'm using social media to it's fullest potential. I haven't hired anyone yet but I have a few good options.

• Attend 2 rising tide meetings- Did this! I went to a Rhode Island and a Central Massachusetts meeting. I love having other creatives around to bounce ideas off of.

• Email bloggers about collab photo shoots- I recently discovered I love shooting lifestyle fashion for bloggers. I've compiled a list of bloggers I want to work with and I'm in the process of emailing them and asking to do a shoot together.

• Plan & Market for Valentine's Day Mini's- I already have the set up from last year and I've been marketing it via Facebook Ads

• Reorganize Pinterest- An ongoing project. I've deleted a lot of the boards that no longer apply to my business. As my business grows and evolves I'm discovering the things I love to shoot and I'm phasing out the things I don't enjoy.

• Visit Mimi- I love visiting my adorable grandmother. She lives in gorgeous assisted living and they treat her like a queen. We always end up talking about the past ad it's so cool to hear about her experiences.

Weekly:

• Horse back riding- This one was easy! I just started riding again after 12 years out of the saddle. It is soo much fun and I'm still wondering why I ever stopped. I ride at Blue Meadow Farm in Sudbury, MA and they are amazing.

• 1 blog post- Once I set up Trello it was a lot easier to stay on track of my blogging schedule. I also purchased a few stock images from Sublime Styled Stock on Etsy. Having a cohesive look is important to me and styled images make it easy.

• 3-5 Instagram posts- I've been slacking on my Instagram lately. Again I blame the election.

• 1 styled shoot- Didn't happen. This was a result of not enough time/daylight.

• Read 1 book- See above. I have been reading the New York times a lot, so that has to count for something!

Daily:

• Gym- I was doing great with this one until I got sick. This seems to happen a lot, I'll start working out, get sick and then get derailed for months. Having the power sheets has actually helped me stay on track. It's very helpful to see the days slipping by and makes me more inclined to take action. I've gotten back to the gym and I'm slowly working on my strength and stamina. I feel 100 times better when I'm working out so when I don't feel like going I just remind myself that I'll feel great after.

• Read 20 mins- oops

• Quiet time 20 mins- You know how you get all your great ideas in the shower? That's because your mind is free to wander and you don't have any external forces demanding your attention. I try to let my mind rest every day so new ideas can flow.

• Education 30 mins- I have quite a few video photography courses to work through. I am currently working on Amy & Jordan's Shooting and Editing course, Brooke Shaden's fine art photography course on creative live, and Kimberly Ann Jimenez's YouTube channel.

• Sleep by midnight- Not a thing. I'm not sure where I got the idea that I could go to sleep this early so next month I'm shooting for 1AM as a bedtime.

I'll be posting my February goals in a few days, what are some of the ways you stay on track during the year? Let me know in the comments!

New Year, New Me

I have an announcement to make! After careful consideration I have decided to change the name of my photography business. Past Perfect Photography will now be known as Erica Pezente Photography. Why the switch? Here's a few reasons why:

1. Erica Jacobson Photography was already taken. Bummer.

2. I started my photography business before my fiance and I got engaged. It would have been a little presumptuous (and possibly alarming) if I started a business with my then boyfriend's name tacked on. Luckily Rafael was kind enough to offer his last name to me and now I am free to plaster it wherever I like!

3. There's only one Erica Pezente. Like in the whole USA. Possibly the world, but if there's another Erica Pezente out there she definitely doesn't have a computer.    

4. My friends and family didn't know I was a photographer. To be fair, I only started photography about two years ago, but I would share my images from my business Facebook page onto my personal page and no one ever knew that I took them. This one still puzzles me as I tried several experiments with how I posted images to my personal page and my friends still didn't recognize them as my images. Maybe I don't "look" like a photographer. Who knows.

5. People want to do business with people. All of my favorite businesses are personal brands. Heidi Hope, Jenna Kutcher, Asia Croson, Paige Poppe, Amy & Jordan Demos. When I think of their businesses I think of their personalities. It's also one less thing for clients to remember. You and your business are one and the same and that builds a personal connection.

I'm very excited for this re-brand and I can't wait to design a new logo and packaging! Also, thank you to my fiance, Rafael, for having such a unique last name.