Black Friday to Cyber Monday are typically the days when people in the US (and perhaps only in the US) go on a shopping spree like no other. Why? Well, because the deals are too good to pass up.

As savvy photographers, I am sure you want to do your shopping and get some of the best products, services or courses at lower than regular prices. I don't blame you. I would do the same thing.

Thankfully, some of those vendors have an even earlier start than Black Friday. So, if you are poking around this site and you hit this post, you can start your shopping spree right now.

Here are three main reasons why clicking on an affiliate link and buying the products in this post is good for you:

1) You will be supporting this site – servers space, new plugins and even a redesign is in the works but they all cost money. By buying products linked here, you aren't paying anything additional. It's just that I get a small commission that I can tuck away to pay for my annual expenses to run this website for you.

2) I curate the very best products, services and courses for photographers. I am told in person and privately how much a particular resource has helped photographers become more efficient or in this case more economical because my goal is to save you money when and wherever possible. Hey, I am Indian and it runs in my blood to cut costs as much as I can!

3) You are going to be buying one or more of these resources for your business before the end of the year anyway, right? (hey, keep that receipt as it is tax deductible if you are running a photography business)

So, if you do decide to buy anything this Black Friday (or sooner) from this website, do know that I am particularly thankful to you this Thanksgiving holiday.

Like last year, I'll do my best to keep adding to the post or editing anything out whenever the need arises. I am watching social media sites and receiving emails constantly with offers that I am happy to pass along to you!

Ready?

1. Online Proofing by ShootProof

The Deal: Save 60% on ShootProof for your first year! Act fast as the discount reduces through Cyber Monday.

Here at ShootProof, we believe in the work that you do. We also believe in simple, intuitive design and freedom of choice for photographers. With beautiful client galleries, integrated professional labs for printing, and immediate digital download fulfillment, we empower photographers to upload, share, sell, and print their work. Plus, with the ability to use their own labs, create invoices and contacts, and design custom mobile apps to drive referrals, photographers can focus on what matters most and let ShootProof do the rest.

Friday 11/27 – New users get 60% their first year. Existing users will receive 30% off a plan upgrade.
Saturday 11/28 – New users get 50% their first year. Existing users will receive 30% off a plan upgrade.
Sunday 11/29 – New users get 40% their first year. Existing users will receive 30% off a plan upgrade.
Monday 11/30 – New users get 30% their first year. Existing users will receive 30% off a plan upgrade.

2. SEO, More Than Letters In Your Alphabet

Did you know Connecticut Headshots, my business portrait business is ranked #1 on Google? Go ahead and type in the words, “headshot” and “Connecticut” to check that out. That didn't happen by accident. Zach Prez of Photography Spark is one of the people I lean on for advise on SEO. Search Engine Optimization is vitally important if you want to be found online and fast. Get between 50% – 60% off his SEO resources. The ROI on this is HUGE, so don't wait around for this deal too long!

First up is Zach's SEO Cookbook for Photographers. For a limited time, get it for 50% off! It is regularly $99. You get it for $49.

Learn more about this resource by watching this video introduction by Zach:

Business Planning Cookbook is a book that Zach co-wrote with my friend Angela Pointon. If you are trying to get your business off the ground, you need this. Lots of worksheets to guide you through the process. This too is $99, but the special offer gives you 50% off!

3. When You Want The Law On Your Side

Nobody knows to help photographers through contracts and other legal intricacies than my lawyer/photographer friend Rachel Brenke. She runs the popular website and blog, The LawTog. If you haven't followed her work before, you will now because getting your legal ducks in a row means you are serious about your photography business.

Get 30% off all her contracts when you use the code – BF30

4. Pricing Your Photography To Perfection

Not sure how much to charge for your photography?

Do you hate math so much that you put off pricing and know you’re probably leaving money on the table?

Ready to transition away from shoot and burn and into a business model that you can keep going as you raise your family? A business model that can replace your current income from your ‘day job'?

If that’s you, know this:

Pricing is not something you need to struggle with. It can be easy, once you know what numbers to pay attention to.

In this 9 module webinar course, you’ll learn from one of the United States most profitable photographers, Sarah Petty, how to set profitable prices so you can move on and make a living doing what you love … PHOTOGRAPHY!

You save 70% when you buy this from November 25th through November 30th. Look, the regular price is $799, but you get this for less than $240! Save the money and put it towards marketing your business. I am sure Sarah would approve of that idea.

5. Photo Tutorials That Run The Gamut

Rob and Lauren Lim run a beautiful website called Photography Concentrate. They are photographers who simply know how to teach and they teach quite simply!

All their tutorials are 50% off from November 20th through December 4th. So, you can jump in and check out their site now. While you are there, do be sure to scroll down and enroll in their free 14 day course called, “How To Photograph Life: 14 Days To Better Photos.”

Total bonus, you don't have to buy anything at all, but you can enter to win a $500 gift certificate that you can use on Amazon. Again, scroll all the way down on this page!

6. Pampering Your Clients

Jamie Swanson's The Moden Tog gives you all the tools to really cater to your clients. Everything is $50 off during the sale – November 26th through November 30th. Personally, I would recommend buying the bundle deal where you receive her Photography Pricing Guide and the popular Easy Client & Money Manager applications. Thinking about the benefits, or what's in it for you? You'll get organized fast and your stress level will drop, especially during the holiday season. And who doesn't want that?

7. When Words Matter … Go Psych!

One of my favorite blogs is called Psychology for Photographers.

It's a smart, useful and timely resource and I highly recommend it. Jenika McDavitt who publishes the blog has two amazing resources – Irresistible Website (regularly $159, sale price is $109) and Irresistible Words (regularly $249, sale price is $199).

So, if my math is right, you will save $50 off of each. But if you buy them together as a bundle, instead of paying $408, you would only have to pay $299 (yes, a savings of $109).

If you have struggled to write your “about me” page or even a simple blog post that doesn't sound like all your other blog posts, I would say jump in now and get the bundle now.

Jenika's information is solid and her intent is to elevate everyone's web presence so that you are more customer oriented. I go back to my notes and the coursework often.

8. Keepin' It Real … Like Film

It's time for film emulation that actually looks like real film: clean, with a beautiful color palette and perfect tones.

If a preset is made with care, you don't need a separate toolkit of tweaks to get it right. It just looks right the moment you use it, with minimal fuss and a simple workflow so you can focus on your art and not on hours of post-processing.

Mastin Labs film presets are crafted from real film scans from a Fuji Frontier SP3000. This is the same scanner sought-after all over the world for its special 3D look and clean colors and tones.

If you haven't already tried these presets now is the time to do so. With our Black Friday Sale from Nov 23 to November 30, 2015 you can save 40% on the Fuji and Portra Preset Packs, and 50% on the Ilford B&W Preset Pack.

Mastin Labs rarely has sales, so don't miss out!

9. Look Slick, When You Click

Click Gear Clothing based in Carmel, Indiana is all about giving photographers like you an easy way to look great while you work your magic.

On Thanksgiving Night from 8pm-12am you get 50% off all tees and hats. Use the code: “thankyou”. On Black Friday you'll get up to 40% off everything store wide plus free US shipping and 5 different flash sales and extras during the day. So, watch for these! If you visit their site on Cyber Monday, the discount is 30% off everything store wide plus free US shipping and random 50% off flash sales.

How cool is that?

10. Twalk Like A Human Being

Do you find it tough to come up with the right words when a client emails you? Do you struggle with workflow – don't know what comes first and what comes next when working on your photo sessions or weddings?

Pencil & Lens is here to help ya! Black Friday through Cyber Monday, take 35% off all the templates you can find in the shop. Use the code – tiffinbox35 to get that special discount.

We create professionally written tools and templates for your photography business. Tools that give you a framework to create clear, courteous and prompt correspondence with clients and vendors. Tools that make you and your business look good, and provide you with a system of getting it done, done well and done on time.

11. In Business, Or In Front Of A Camera … Confidence Is Key

Mimika Cooney's Crushing On Camera Confidence course is now available to those of us who have to get in front of the camera and not behind it. Now, if you are thinking … “I'll never be that person that needs to get in front of the camera.” You are dead wrong. Here's why – do you want to be on your local TV station talking about your business in a way that inspires clients to sign up with you? Or, have you ever been interviewed by bloggers (check out TiffinboxTV)? Or, how about when you need present in front of your clients (sure they don't have a camera pointed at you but imagine if they did). You get the picture?

Crushing On Camera Confidence is available now through November 27th at 50% off. Used the code: THANKX15.

12. Be Seen & Heard Online … Standing Out Has Never Been Easier (you still need the elbow grease)

The truth is, you have so many things to focus on in your business, the idea of writing blog posts or planning out your social media is one of those things that goes by the wayside – and you know it is hurting you.

You believe in the power of storytelling marketing, but you just don’t know where to begin – and you’re not sure anyone is going to be reading your site anyways.

You are frustrated because it seems like everyone just cares about what you charge for your work, and they don’t understand how passionate you are about why you do what you do.

You wish that you had a plan to make marketing easy.

That plan? It's called Business Brilliantly and it is being taught by Christine Tremoulet. Read all about it here. If there is anything you need to rock 2016, it is Business Brilliantly.

13. Selling Your Photography In Person

Selling doesn't have to be scary at all. In fact, here's a quick mindset shift that I force myself to make every time I schedule a sales session. I tell myself it isn't “selling,” but “helping.”

Here are two courses that you can consider. One is definitely more in-depth than the other.

First up is called Salesographer. Chris Scott who developed the Preveal app now owns this course and so his deal is this – the sale starts on November 27th. The first 20 people to enroll will get a free copy of the Preveal app and $50 off their first year of his other product called Swift Galleries.

Rosie Suerdleck of Reflections by Rosie has a short ebook for sale right now for only $25 that goes over her Show & Tell Selling System. She swears it is “kindergarten-easy” to master. Give it a shot!

14. Got Photographs, Now What?

Look, I'm there right with you. You have a short stack of photographs that you are proud of and feel like these might be your jam. Then you start thinking if only other people could see them. You know hobbyists do? They drop those bad boys into Flickr and call it a day. Now, if you are a hobbyist, that's a great way to go, but if you want your clients to take you seriously, you need a WordPress based blog or website to show of your wares.

Allow me to introduce you to Imagely. Imagely is the WordPress photography company. It is offering 40% off it's powerful NextGEN Pro WordPress gallery plugin and the epic Photocrati WordPress theme for photographers. To celebrate the upcoming launch of their turnkey WordPress websites for photographers, they're also offering 3 months free website hosting to anyone who signs up pre-launch. 

NextGEN Pro with Ecommerce – 40% off, Regularly $99, Now $59
NextGEN Plus – 40% Off, Regularly $49, Now $29
Photocrati WordPress Theme – 40% Off, Regularly $79, Now $47

15. Jonathan Canlas Has Portrait Photographers Covered

Quick, what comes first? Your business or your photography? My answer: your photography. Gotta learn craft first. And Jonathan Canlas, who shoots using film, is one of the best to teach you. His FIND: Ohana Family Guide is top class. If you are a family portrait photographer like me, you'll want this guide. At 50% off for the Black Friday through Small Business Saturday, this is a STEAL at only $125!

So, you have your craft figured out but your business is tanking? No fear. Canlas has a business guide that tons of photographers swear by. Canlas walks you through his successful system and gives you useful and executable tips on setting up yours. This too is 50% off. Buy it now for only $174.

Buy them both as a bundle for $290 and you will be all set.

I'll add more offers as I hear about them here, so please bookmark this post and share it with your photographer friends and family enthusiasts!

There is something here for everyone this holiday season. I am truly honored that you are supporting this website by buying what you need for your photography business from the links you see on this site.

Again, thank you for shopping here on Black Friday and Cyber Monday!

Melissa Welsh is a lot more than a photographer. She is a problem solver. Especially, if it is a problem photographers are having.

One major topic of contention among photographers is how to respond to clients who ask for digital files. If you are reading this post, I know you have had a client who has asked or demanded for “their” digital files. And, you have struggled to find the right words that will satisfy both them and you.

Am I right?

Most of the wedding industry now “gives” the files to the couple. Some portrait photographers sell the files. Some photographers bundle it with other products. There isn't one industry standard that makes everyone happy. Either the clients are miffed because they were expecting or assuming the files would be included in the fee, or the photographer is upset because she or he is now having to deliver more value with no or a negligible monetary return.

Something had to be done and Melissa Welsh, a Victoria, British Columbia photographer with 20 years of experience as a photographer set out to find a solution that will be a win-win for all. Information about the Pixel Cents app is available here.

So what is this elixir? It's called Pixel Cents. It's both an ebook and a iOS application. The ebook is smartly bundled together with a few other tools you will find useful.

Photographers can use our industry standard cents per pixel (cpp) rates and calculate the value of their photos for all types of personal, commercial, editorial and advertising photo use.

A few weeks back, when Melissa was about to launch Pixel Cents, she emailed a bunch of her friends to introduce the idea to us. Some of us received the Pixel Cents ebook to read in advance and to possibly review.

Most often, I download an ebook, I let it sit for a few days before reading it. Pixel Cents was different. I dove in and couldn't stop reading it. If you could have seen me then, I was nodding in agreement to what Melissa has written. It's a well-crafted, lucidly written alternative to the craziness that is currently our lives. I quickly wrote back to her and asked if she would spend a few minutes speaking to us about her big idea – Pixel Cents. So click the video below and watch the interview:

Pixel Cents is bringing both efficiency and profitability to my family portrait photography business. And, I am no longer struggling to explain whether digital files are or are not included. Who wins? Everyone. Clients receive their files and I am compensated fairly. Hand wringing is history.

Need more convincing? Here in a nutshell is Melissa's solution.

The Pixel Cents Formula is the simple, easy way to value your photographs for personal, advertising, editorial and corporate use.

I trust this post will stir a pot a bit and we are all open to having a healthy dialogue here. So, comment below. We would love to hear from you. If you buy Pixel Cents, let us know what you think. Could this business model be the new industry standard? I really think so.

So, let me ask you again, do you have any Pixel Cents?

Matthew Jordan Smith first appeared on Tiffinbox to pitch his personal project, Future American President.

The FUTURE AMERICAN DREAM project is a personal way to educate, empower and inspire kids by creating a special edition version of the book, Future American President, featuring any child's photo on the cover.

There are only 5 days left for you to support Matthew Jordan Smith's Kickstarter campaign. I want you to imagine having this book at home or giving it as a gift by personalizing it. Imagine the look on that child's face as she or he grows up seeing what's possible of her or him. Imagine a world where dreams can come true with focus and hard work.

Can you see yourself inspiring a little one to the highest office in the land or something even greater? Can a book like Future American Dream do it? I believe it can.

Back in the 1960's if you wanted to make it big in the entertainment industry, you needed to get a nod from Ed Sullivan. Most of this generation missed watching The Ed Sullivan Show but it was what launched The Beatles in America.

Yesterday, I was listening to This American Life and Act One was about a comedy duo, Charlie Brill and Mitzi McCall who were going to be on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. As David Segal narrates it, the duo had rehearsed rigorously for their big break on the show. It was an exciting time for them, no doubt. They were going to be superstars. Or, so they thought. Then Mr. Sullivan, after watching their rehearsal, asked them to change their show up. Yes, right there and then. Weeks of planning had started to circle the drain for the couple. They really had no choice. They had to get in there and make the most of it.

If you listen to the show, you'll understand why Ed Sullivan requested a change in their skit. There must have been hundreds of 14 to 16-year old girls in the audience that evening. Ed Sullivan instinctively knew which comedy skits would work and which wouldn't. But Brill and McCall had no concept of their audience.

Why were the teenage girls in the audience? Yes, it was The Beatles they came to see that night. There were five or six other acts in addition to The Beatles but nobody really remembers any of them.

So, what does any of this have to do with photography and perhaps your photography business? Not knowing your audience is going to hurt you. Worse, you are going to be quickly forgotten. If you want to be a hit in your community, figure out who is going to scream their heads off for you and the work you love to produce.

Thankfully, Jamie Swanson of The Modern Tog, shows us how to do just that through her six-week marketing course called Marketog. She will help you define your ideal clients who not only love what you do for them but will gladly pay you for it without making a fuss. When there is a balanced value exchange between you and your clients, everyone wins. Right?

Enrollment for Marketog closes today, for the last time this year. The next time you will be able to take the course will be sometime next year. Jamie consistently adds content to the course and therefore more value. The fact that this course is being offered for only $79 a month (for 12 months) baffles me. You can also pay the one time payment of $799 and save yourself some money in the long run. Jamie is also offering a 45-day risk free guarantee. You can go through the entire course, do the work and see the results for yourself.

This is what Jamie says – “It doesn’t even matter if you’ve never booked a client in your life, or if you already have some experience under your belt. Because Marketog takes you from step 1 all the way to success.”

Now, can you afford NOT to be in front of the right audience? Is your big break just around the corner, but you are just not prepared for it? With Marketog, you learn the most powerful business skill – attracting the right clients for your photography business. I outline everything Marketog covers here.

Look, I am going to be real with you. If you are making $5000 to $6000 a month in your photography business, you could still learn to do better from enrolling in Marketog. But if you are retooling your business or starting from scratch, Marketog is the best thing you can do for yourself.

Yes, being careful about your spending is a wise move until you simply don't act when a great opportunity like this presents itself. That's what worries me about most photographers. I see their excitement to create photographs, but the thrill simply isn't there with the business side of things. Until you start attracting the right clients for your business, you are in essence a hobbyist. I suspect most of us started at that point, but when it comes time to upgrade equipment or software or pay our mortgage, a hobbyist wage isn't going to cut it. Your photography business is going to need a boost.

Couple of years ago, Marketog gave me that kick in the pants I needed to invigorate my photography businesses. It might help you too.

Remember, enrollment closes today. At least seven of your peers have used the links in this post already to begin their new journey. Will you join them or do you prefer to remain anonymous?

Looking for a sample lesson? Here you go! Also Jamie just released a short PDF on “How To Educate Your Clients On The Value Of Professional Photography.” Click the graphic below to download it for free. Not only do you get a bonus lesson out of it, you get a glimpse of Marketog's quality. Jamie's writing is engaging, lucid and always useful.

The drive to the nearest town was measured in how many songs she listened to on the radio, songs that included static as the car dipped through the valleys in the road.

She lived in the middle of what felt like nowhere. Her family roots in the county stretched back through multiple generations, deep enough that her great-great-great grandfather named one of the local towns.

Her habit was to stare at the fields and the forests out her car window, imagining that maybe one day she could make an impact on the larger world.

Her best friend wanted to be President of the United States, so she promised to run as her Vice President. They would be a mighty duo that would work diligently to bring joy and peace to their country and the world.

Life continued on, the girl started college, got married, quit college, and had three children. But the dream was still there.

Sitting there patiently, the dream was just ahead of her. Her life experiences, her hobbies and interests, her successes and failures, all were building the path to her dream that lay quietly up ahead.

She was walking in faith that she would one day reach her dream.

When would it be? Then I looked around and knew that the path I was walking already was my dream. That each person I encouraged, listened to, and hugged was bringing peace. I was slowly creating brilliant spots of joy.

I looked back at the chain reaction of what one person could do on her own. I looked ahead to where I wanted it to go.

I took stock of my talents, my education, my experiences, and my gifts. Then, I set out to change the world.

This, my friends, is how you and I together can spread joy to families across the globe: by not creating photos of those families.

Yes, you read that correctly. You can bring joy to a family without ever taking their portrait or ever seeing them.

What is this mad, crazy method I speak of? It is the lifeblood of the first stage of an experience that is a catalyst for family memories.

The experience is called a vacation in the United States and called a holiday in many other parts of the world.

The first stage of the vacation or holiday is the planning stage, choosing where to go, where to stay, and what to do during the experience.

The lifeblood of this first stage of vacation is photos. Photos of places. Photos of activities. And most importantly, photos of where a family spends half their time – in bed.

Many people spend their vacations at hotels, but more and more families are traveling to stay at what is called a vacation rental. A vacation rental could be a house, condo, apartment, boat, or even a tree house at the base of a volcano in Hawaii.

Vacation rentals are offered through the owner directly or through a management company, but every single property needs photos. Travelers rely heavily on the photos of a property when choosing where to lay their head each night while away from home.

And most of the vacation rental property photos you see online are horrid. They are dark, uninteresting, and unappealing.

How many properties need help? Millions.

Go take a look at the two largest listing websites, HomeAway.com and AirBnB.com. The majority of those vacation rental properties need professional photos.

They need a professional photographer. They need you.

At one point in your life, you may have had the strong conviction to change the world … somehow. And, you can.

And simply by reading these words, you have already joined me on my path to carry encouragement and joy to families everywhere.

If you would like to learn more about vacation rental photography, I have written The Ultimate Guide to Vacation Rental Photography just for you.

It launches officially on September 15, 2015, but I also have a free excerpt available when you sign up for my newsletter here.

And let me know how I can help you on your own dream path.