It's perhaps one of the few times in the year when I think living in Connecticut is cool. No, really, when the Mystic Seminars are announced by Walter van Dusen, its founder, I get quite giddy. As I have mentioned in the past here and here, there are a ton of reasons you should go to this photography conference.

This year, like the last few years at Mystic Seminars, the speakers set to present are from around the world. This probably makes Mystic Seminars the only regional conference that is international in scope.

So, you are probably wondering why it's important to hear from photographers outside of the US. The simple answer is to glean a different perspective. Right around this time of the year when business grinds to a halt for some, it's easy to get stuck in the way you did things back in 2013. I've been there and done that too.

What's great about the timing of the Mystic Seminars is it's the first thing you get to do when things are slow that jolt you back into action. And, hearing from photographers who live far away from you can be just the thing your creative brain is looking for in January.

So, I highly recommend Mystic Seminars.

The early-bird discount is already in effect now though December 23rd, and you get the 3-day conference for $469. I just spoke with Walter and he is offering a special discount code (TIFFINBOX) where you can get an additional $25 off. Apparently no other discount codes exist, so thank you Walter! I hope to see some of you there.

If you do decide to go and you use the code above, would you please come back here and let me know? I don't get paid to promote the conference. I just think it is incredible value for photographers.

The first 10 of you to send me your receipt (showing me your mailing address and that you have paid for the conference) will receive Gary Vaynerchuk's new book, Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How To Tell Your Story In A Noisy, Social World. Receipts may be emailed to me here – seshu AT tiffinbox dot org. There will be other goodies mailed to you as well, but you'll have to wait and see what those are.

Seattle wedding photographer Kirk Mastin has appeared on Tiffinbox before. I invited him back recently to chat about Mastin Labs, a new venture he launched a few weeks ago.

Mastin Labs is dedicated to producing film emulation presets that look just like film. First up is Portra 400. Mastin has plans to bring other film emulations, but emphasized that he had to be sure they were a perfect match to their film counterparts.

Other film emulation presets being planned are Fuji 400H and the famous Tri-X. If you have shot any of these film emulsions before, you should be plenty excited about what Kirk Mastin is bringing us.

Listen to our chat below about this Portra 400 hybrid pack:

Tonight, actually for another 6 hours, you can buy Portra 400 at Mastin Labs for nearly $50 off, thanks to Cyber Monday.

For examples of this new preset and comparisons with film, please visit Mastin Labs now or click on the graphic below. In the weeks ahead, I'll post a review here using my own images. If you have already bought this product, please feel free to comment below. Your thoughts and feedback are welcome.

On November 17th, I excitedly published a post about SmartAlbums here. I was given access to the beta version of the program that allows photographers to quickly and efficiently design albums for wedding and portrait clients.

When I connected with Daniel Usenko, a wedding photographer based in Seattle who is a part of the team that created SmartAlbums, I asked to speak with him at greater detail about the program and how it is positioned to help photographers speed up the album-creation process.

So here is that chat:

Here are some screenshots from the SmartAlbums program:

Do know that there is a special sale going on right now through 11.59 pm PST (that's west coast of the US, for my international friends) for $199. The price will jump to $299. From what I have seen, I do recommend locking in the lower price now and buying SmartAlbums. Click the graphic below now.

Will you be using SmartAlbums in 2014 to design albums for your photography clients? Let me know below!

Quick: When you pitch your photography services to a potential client (be it in person or via your website), what are the first 3-5 things that run through their mind?

Write them down (no really, grab a post-it!):

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

If you don't know what they are, make it your business to find out.

Because what runs through their mind at first is often what keeps them from hiring you.

For example, the sequence might go something like this:

1. That sounds great!
2. Oh, if only…..my husband would never agree to do this.
3. I need to save money for a vacation/new roof/pet wallaby instead.
4. Plus, my hair needs to grow out before I even think about pictures.

Often times, we think the star of this little mental drama is money, and sometimes it is.

But money-related concerns often come with a whole supporting cast of other issues. (In the example above, the money concern snowballs with spousal and appearance worries. And even the money concern isn’t really about money – it’s about priorities.)

Past experiences. Weight. Hair. Time concerns. Feeling busy. Feeling overwhelmed. Procrastination. All these are heavy-hitters in swatting clients away.

So when it seems like clients aren't nibbling, here is something bold to try:

Quote those exact concerns, in your clients' own words, and address them directly.

You can try this on your blog, in an FAQ section, or even on a booking page.

For example:

Now, you might be thinking: “But Jenika, I already talk about the importance of getting pictures taken. I already say why newborn photography is great. Why do I need to quote my clients like this?”

The answer is – well, you don’t need to.

But have you ever read an article online somewhere, where someone said something you've secretly been thinking – and it made you gasp a little?

There is power in finding your private thoughts splashed across the screen, coming from someone else.

For one thing, you freeze in your tracks a little when someone calls you out on something you’re thinking, at the exact moment you’re thinking it.

For another, it connects you with the author of those words. They know what I’m going through, too? Like, someone else has experienced this exact thing? Wow!

It makes you feel understood. Startled. Intrigued.

When you're writing about your own work, your reader knows you're trying to “sell” them. And while you're busy listing all the reasons why they should hire you, they're busy listing all the reasons why hiring you is impossible.

So list those reasons yourself, and don't give the ideas a chance to take root in your client's mind.

In professional sales writing, this process is called “overcoming objections.” (I prefer calling it “making the client feel like you can read their mind.” It sounds more jazzy.) We all have objections, and only buy once they're overcome. But when the objections seem to loom larger than the benefits, that's when you lose people.

So stop them in their tracks. At the very moment they're thinking those things, call them out on it. Address those thoughts directly, and diffuse them. Dispel myths. Provide more information. Use the very same words they're thinking, and offer an alternative way to think about it.

Why not find a way to give it a try in your business?

Did you enjoy reading this tip? If so, you'd probably love Irresistible Words – an entire course dedicated to helping you sell more of your work. By the time you're done, you'll have an entire toolbox to help you connect with your audience and persuade them into buying.

Irresistible Words rings in at $249 only $199 from Black Friday through Cyber Monday.

Oh, and did I mention that along the way, you'll learn how to write a blog post in 20 minutes? Check it out here!

If you are in the US, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are huge days for online and big box stores. The savings can be enormous if you play your cards right. After searching far and wide I've curated the best offers I believe will elevate your craft and business.

BUSINESS

Psychology For Photographers is offering Irresistible Words for $199 and Portfolio to Profit Engine for $109 or get both for $299.

Joy Vertz offers $50 off her popular course, Referral Plan That Works

WORKFLOW & SALES

Queensberry Albums offers you 40% off the first year of any annual paid plan for Workspace

Preveal is being offered at a steep discount at $25 $49 – grab this!

ShootProof is offering its 1500 image plan at only $35 (regularly $100)

Jared Bauman's new Wedding and Portrait Email Templates – use: black2013friday

PHOTO EDUCATION & TUTORIALS

Photography Concentrate – 40% off all ebooks and tutorials

Modern Tog has several products for sale for a limited time:

Easy Client Manager at 66% off

Easy Client & Money Manager – $50 off

Easy Client & Money Manager + Photography Pricing Guide – $50 off

The Go To Guide To Client Emails – $50 off

Photographer's Questionnaire Library – 59% off

Enter here for The Modern Tog's iMac Giveaway

DESIGN TEMPLATES & SOFTWARE

Fundy Software is offering 30% off on the following products:

Album Builder
Blog Collage
Image Brander

BUSINESS FORMS

Business Forms By Nifty Knowledge Rocks – 75% off – use: “blackfriday”

Rachel Brenke's The Law Tog is offering 30% off of all of her business forms – use: “BlackFri30”

WEB RELATED

Get 27% off the awesome Photocrati theme

NextGen Galery Pro, one of the best known WordPres gallery plugins is 25% off for a limited time

Gravity Forms – one of the most crucial WordPress plugins you need to use on your site. Use: “wpbeginner”

Flothemes – Use: 25GOODNESS to receive 25% off any Flothemes WordPress theme

SEO Cookbook by Photography Spark: Easy Recipes To Rank Higher – $60 off –

LIGHTROOM PRESETS & PHOTOSHOP ACTIONS

Totally Rad – 35% off all presets and actions

Mastin Labs – 50% off the Portra 400 Preset Pack – film emulation at its best!

VSCO Presets

Adobe Cloud – Photoshop & Lightroom for $9.99/month

Code + Hustle – Storyboard and Batch+ at insane prices!

WEB HOSTING

WPEngine – Tiffinbox is hosted here! Totally awesome customer support. Get this if you can!

Small Orange – my headshot portrait site, Connecticut Headshots, is hosted here. Very reasonable monthly rates and also prompt email based support.

BlueHost – my old host but an old favorite if you are starting out.

HostGator – a well known low-cost web host that is quite popular as well.

BOOKS

Craft & Vision books are all 50% off for a very limited time

Simple SLR Complete e-book bundle

Christopher O’Donnell Ebooks:

The Art of Color Processing
The Golden Hours
The Golden Hour Portfolio
The Art of Bokeh
The Portfolio of Bokeh
The Complete Ebook Collection

Angela Pointon's ebook will get you thinking about how you are Worth More

Create, share and learn lighting at Strobox through their e-books that are now all $4.75 each.

Strobox Volume 1
Strobox Volume 2
Strobox Volume 3

Which vendors would you like to see here? Whom am I missing? Let me know in the comments below. I will do my best to include them as I update this post today, Black Friday and through Cyber Monday. So, please bookmark this post and keep coming back as I find other awesome deals for you.

Thank you again for supporting Tiffinbox!

Friends from Inspire Photo Retreats, welcome!! Read the post, watch the interview below and then scroll down some more for some special offers just for you!

Gary Vaynerchuk knows a thing or two about selling wine. But he also knows how you (yes, you) can stand out in a noisy, social world. He has even written a book about it and it comes out today!

Gary is an energetic entrepreneur who someday wants to own the NY Jets. He is also frenetically involved in social media. Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr are his chosen platforms and he dominates each one like no other. I've been following him online, watching his videos (about wine or running business) and have read his books, Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion & The Thank You Economy, cover to cover. I love his tell-it-like-it-is style of writing and his fearlessness to experiment to see what works and what doesn't.

Like the last time, when Gary launched his book, The Thank You Economy, I had the opportunity to sit down with him to about his new book, Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How To Tell Your Story In A Noisy, Social World.

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook launches today, so if you get the chance, buy it right away. Make it part of your winter reading.

Here, however thanks to this interview's sponsors, ShootProof & Queensberry Albums, you now have a chance to win ONE of 50 copies that will be given away.

Simply follow these 5 steps to be entered into the drawing:

1) Post a comment or ask a question that's pertinent to this new book below (include a valid email address)
2) LIKE Tiffinbox on Facebook – http://facebook.com/tiffinboxmedia
3) LIKE ShootProof on Facebook – http://facebook.com/shootproof
4) LIKE Queensberry on Facebook – http://facebook.com/queensberryalbums
5) Share This Post on your Twitter or Faceboook accounts and use these hashtags – #tiffinbox #jjjrh

Winners will be notified by email. So, please include an email in the comments section below. If you don't have a valid email address or if I can't contact you, you forfeit the book and it will be shipped to the next person I choose.

Good luck and happy reading!

My friends Lauren & Rob Lim of Photography Concentrate are Canadians. And, they celebrated Thanksgiving back on October 14.

But for the US Thanksgiving holiday and for Black Friday and Cyber Monday especially, they wanted to do something special. They have gone ahead and offered all of you a 40% discount on ALL their tutorials and ebooks. This is huge and it isn't something they will likely repeat for another year.

Look, we all want to be better at photography than we were last year. At least, I would hope those of you who read Tiffinbox feel that way. From several of you who have privately emailed me and thanked me for introducing you to resource, a website or a tool that has elevated your craft or business, I know I am pretty good at curating the very best offers out there for you.

The tutorials and ebooks that Photography Concentrate has offered in the past have always been mentioned here because Lauren and Rob Lim consistently produce useful, actionable resources for photographers. Every ebook I receive from them is so full of incredible examples that are not only expressed succinctly but also illustrated beautifully.

These are books you will use over and over again. I promise. How do I know? Because I use them again and again all the time.

The sale starts on Black Friday (that's this Friday) and ends on December 2nd, Cyber Monday. Buy the e-book or tutorial you really need for yourself or your business.

And Lauren and Rob are sweetening the deal even more, giving you a chance at winning a $1000 shopping spree at B&H. Bookmark this post and come back here between Black Friday and Cyber Monday to buy your favorite Photography Concentrate e-book or tutorial. You won't regret it!

Learn more about this special, time-sensitive offer here.

I recently had a wonderful chat with Doug Boutwell, who founded Totally Rad, Inc. Scroll down a bit!

We spoke about Replichrome, about film emulation presets and about Photoshop actions. As a long time patron of Totally Rad (I think I own pretty much everything that they have produced), I was particularly interested in hearing Doug's thoughts on what may be coming next from Totally Rad. Totally Rad has been one of the leaders in the industry, allowing photographers Lightroom presets, Photoshop actions and some unique tools that help enhance images.

Listen to it all here:

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday right around the corner, Totally Rad, has some sweet deals where you save 35% off of everything you add to your cart. You won't be disappointed!

Choose to buy the following (which I use) right here on Friday (yes, I am inviting you all back here!) – simply click the image below and you will be taken to Totally Rad Inc.'s website! Happy shopping … and saving!

Thanks to Flothemes, you now have a chance of winning their newest theme, Splittone – for vidoegraphers and photoraphers. Check out the demo here.

To win, all you need to do by Friday, November 22nd is to do the following:

Follow Flothemes on Twitter

Then send this Tweet out:

“Hey @Flothemes, help me win my Splittone theme! RT to win!”

Simple, eh?

Here are are more screenshots of this exquisite WordPress theme:

If you are a photographer or a videographer, I would highly recommend you enter to win this $249 value Word Press theme. One winner will be announced on November 22nd, at 5 pm EST.

If a piece of software is in beta, I usually wait for it to launch and only then post about it. That's probably because I have been burned before. An enthusiastic developer emailed me (now years ago) and told me about a program that on paper looked great but what I didn't realize was it hadn't found any funding and it wasn't even being tested. It was a bit of a pipe dream, but I was much too eager to announce it and so I did. Well, when it never came to pass, I looked a little foolish. But live and learn, right?

This time, though, I made very sure that the piece of software I was approached about was legit and it was being beta tested.

About a year ago, Daniel Usenko, a photographer based in Seattle, Washington, released two tutorials for wedding photographers (though after viewing them, I've to say that they apply to portrait photographers as well): The Perfect Shot & The Perfect Edit (use TIFFINBOX to get those at 50% off).

I get the distinct feeling that Daniel is the kind of guy who sees a problem and is off looking for a solution right away. Take a look at the clips on the page showing you both tutorials and I am willing to bet you'll learn something new.

Now, Daniel is tinkering with album design and wants to make that process fast and as painless as possible. I suspect it was a slow and agonizing for him personally and he figured out a solution. Well, that solution is called SmartAlbums. Check out the demos below:

The 1-minute version:

SmartAlbums 1-Minute Demo from Pixellu on Vimeo.

The 5-minute version:

SmartAlbums Beta Demo (5 min) from Pixellu on Vimeo.

This is still in beta, but Daniel tells me that it will ship in two to five weeks. In other words, by the end of this year! Sign up to beta test it here.

In the next few weeks, I am going to interview Daniel. Do me a favor please. Once you get access to this program, please use it. Then come back here and comment. What did you like about it? What could be different or better? Your questions will help me during my chat with him. So will you do that for me? This is where you beta test SmartAlbums.