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

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.