I can't say it any more plainly. If you are starting out in wedding photography, or, if you have had some experience but have hit a roadblock in your business, you are going to need Simple Wedding Photography [affiliate link], Photography Concentrate's newest tutorial in a book.

As I read my complimentary review copy, I had to wonder how much better my own business would have been had such a resource been available when I began in this business back in 2000. Size isn't indicative of anything. But at a whopping 200 pages, Simple Wedding Photography is going to be my go-to playbook if I have a questions about the craft or business of wedding photography. I feel so good about recommending this book to you because its value will be felt for years to come.

The book offers two essential parts: photography and business. It's rich in actionable information. That means the book suggests ways in which you can go out and do what it is teaching you. I personally learn from books like this faster than even going to a workshop.

Rob & Lauren Lim of Photography Concentrate are not new to the wedding business. As wedding photographers, they have created enormous value for their clients. This book, Simple Wedding Photography, is essentially a brain dump of sorts. They have pulled their experiences together and written it all out in logical chapters and as a beautifully designed PDF. It's a jargon-free book, that flows smoothly from one concept to the next.

You can get Simple Wedding Photography today at 40% off. Even at its normal price, of $39.95, this is a steal. Learn more about the book and buy it here. It even comes with a 60-day money back guarantee!

The duo has also published a mini-book: 7 Simple Ways to Market Your Wedding Photography Business. This PDF is totally free and makes for a great companion to the book that is on sale today.

If you buy Simple Wedding Photography, you also get these following bonuses:

A complete client wedding album design to demonstrate storytelling start to finish

We’ll walk you through the sample album with a video screencast commentary

Wedding Day Worksheet to make sure you get all the critical information

Wedding Prep Checklist so you’re completely prepared for the big day

Wedding Day Shot List for a clear look at all the must have images to create

Post-Wedding Report Card for easy review and future improvement

Brand Identity Worksheet to help figure out the message behind your brand

Doug Levy is a photographer based in Acton, MA. He shoots weddings and portraits. Check out his blog. Check out Doug's first guest blog post about second shooting weddings. Doug will be teaching reception lighting techniques at Inspire Photo Seminars. Follow him on Twitter.

When Seshu saw my year in review post with my favorite ring shots of the year and asked me to write a guest blog about rings, my first thought was, “That's not substantial enough of a topic for an entire blog post.” Then I gave it some more thought and realized there might be enough there after all.

With my ring shots, the light is almost always the same, small flash through an umbrella or white diffusion panel, as close as I can get it. Shutter at max sync, aperture in the F/8-16 range (you want that diamond to pop!), and ISO 100 or 200.

There are other tricks too. A few years back Matt Grazier turned me onto the idea of magician's invisible string (to help rings stand up), and though I've never been able to make it work for me, I definitely see how it could be a useful tool.

With the technical formalities out of the way, on to the fun part.

My ring shots almost always about one of two things – humor, or something personal to the couple. Sometimes, it's easy.

The groom was a big Bruins fan, and their wedding was just a few weeks after they'd won the cup, nothing crazy here.

Sometimes though, it's not quite so obvious.

A bottle cap from room service.

The card from the coffee at the end of the night.

A hotel room key (the couple was going to Hawaii on their honeymoon).

The dessert table is a great spot to dig up ideas.

So is the bar.

When I get really stuck, I start looking for text.

It would be easy to put the rings on the flowers or the cake at every wedding. That's easy. That's also, “been there, done that.” And I never want to repeat a shot. To me, that's just throwing in the towel and being lazy. I love it when potential clients come over and wonder aloud what I'll do with their rings – that's the fun part. Then comes the, “I need to step up my game and do this better,” part. But that part should never go away, and that's what makes it fun.

Share links to your wedding ring shots below in the comments section.

This guest blog is by Ellen Petty, the Head Brandslinger at Identity Kitchen, a marketing and design studio specializing in photographers. She and her business partner Marty Thornley launched a new line of affordable all-in-one WordPress portfolio sites designed specifically for professional photographers at PhotographyBlogSites.com.

Just yesterday, they announced new lower pricing on their self managed, all-inclusive BlogSites. As a special thank you to the Tiffinbox audience, they would like to extend an extra $50 off your first year when you use the code TIFFINBOX50.

Let’s Start at the Beginning. What is Branding?

Your brand is your touchpoint. Everything from how you answer your phones to the auto-responder on your email. Yes, it’s the big picture items; your website, your business card, your space, but it is the cohesiveness, that glue that gives a clear picture to your potential clients. There are some companies, (Starbuck’s anyone?) They do this very, very well. Talk about the Starbucks cup, how it fits perfect in your hand. Not a waxy exterior, not styrofoam, a little thinner than a regular takeout coffee. How much planning do you think went into just the coffee cup? Now let’s talk interior, advertising, their charities, the music, the Wifi.

“That's great for Starbucks”, you say, but how can I create a killer brand for my photography business? Here are 9 steps to not only get you started, and make sure you stay on track.

1) What’s Your Mantra?

Your brand essence, sometimes called your brand mantra, is the heart and soul of your business. Sometimes defined in a few words. Your brand essence is “Who you are”. Try and define your brand in six words or less. If I said “Maiden voyage…iceberg…not enough lifeboats” you would know Titanic. How can you define who you are?

Start with describing your work, yourself, your approach. Ask, who am I, who is this business? Choose 5-6 words that best describe you and your business.

2) Who Am I?

This is your brand positioning; what makes my business different from my competition? Is it the service that you give? Is it the kind of photographs you take? Is it the kind of photographer you are?

One of the most important rules in positioning your business and your brand is to know your competition. Once you know what you are up against, once you understand your competition you can figure out how you are different AND create a unique business perspective and carve out your very own market share.

3) Define Your Target Audience?

Do you know your target customers? Who are you going after? Engaged couples? Parents? Parents to be? What is their demographic? How do you want to come across to them?

This is where you really think about who your client or potential client is. Where do they shop, what toothpaste they use, how much disposable income they have, are they like you are they not like you?

4) Get Inspired

Now that you know who you are, what makes you/your studio different, who your competition is and who you are talking to…it’s time to get inspired, and really push that creative envelope. Look to places outside the photography industry for inspiration. Fashion, architecture, music, fine art, even food. Wherever your muse lies, don’t be afraid to interpret. Pinterest is a fantastic place to create style boards and have a sneak peek into other creative formulas.

Below is an example of an inspiration board and how we translated it into the online brand design for Studio Diana.

5, 6 & 7) The 3 C’s; Get Creative, Make It Cohesive, Keep It Consistent

Ok, you have your strategy, you have your inspiration boards, now it’s time to get creative. Whether you are designing your brand yourself or hiring an outside designer, this is where the magic happens. The “Ah-­?ha” moment. The spark, that can be realized as your own personal touchpoint or brand.

Once you choose a design path make sure there is a thread or a few that keeps your brand cohesive and consistent across all mediums. Print, online, advertising, promotion, and sales. Don’t be afraid to loosen the reins on your brand as you move between mediums, keeping your brand consistent, does not mean choking it. This is where it may be helpful to bring in a professional.

Below are some examples of the creative process of Partridge Lane Studios. Also, an example of how we kept the look cohesive from printed material to the online presence.

8) Choose Your Best Work

If you have completed the last 7 steps, we know you can make choices. Don’t question yourself now. It’s time to choose your best work. Go through your body of work and choose your best 5, 10 and 20 pieces. Those should always be front and center on all your promotional vehicles. Be strong, if you feel a piece does not live up to the standard of these choices, they should not appear in your portfolio. Your online galleries should be between 20 & 30 photos per gallery. Always aim to put your very best foot forward.

9) Be Unique

If you have followed these steps you should arrive at a brand that is unique, because it is you. If it is true to who you are as an artist, it is right.
One of my favorite sayings when it comes to finding your true voice in life and in branding is by Oscar Wilde, “Be yourself, because everyone else is already taken.

This post and the one I just published about pre-designing albums have to do with wedding photographers but I am willing to bet portrait photographers can also glean quite a bit of useful information from the online webinars I am about to mention.

Let me be very clear (again) that I don't promote products, services or events if I don't personally feel they are valuable to me and by deduction, to you. So, with that being said, I have to tell you that in about an hour from now, wedding photographers will have the distinct opportunity to listen to some of the very best in our business – about the way they do business. The goal here isn't to blindly copy them, but to extract what you can and adapt it to your own unique situation.

The event is called I Do. It's a Joy of Marketing production and the awesome Sarah Petty and Erin Verbeck have brought us the following luminaries to chat with us about their businesses and what has made them successful in the past. If you are looking to do things differently in 2012, you'll want to register to listen for free or simply buy the recordings and the transcripts.

Full disclosure – I received a complimentary set of just the transcripts and was blown away by how accurate and thorough they were. You can print them off one by one, as you are listening to each one of them and take notes or highlight whatever they are saying. This is how I plan on using them. The recordings are of course awesome because you can always go back to them and listen to them while you are on the road, working out in the gym or working on your edits on your computer.

If you haven't clicked on any of the links above and simply want to know who will be speaking, here is the list of presenters:

Christopher Becker
Zach & Jody Gray
Julia Woods
Kevin Jairaj
Mark Garber & Jennifer Gilman
Dan Doke
Steve & Jennifer Bebb
Joy & Jules Bianchi
David Ziser
Laura Novak
Scott & Adina Hayne

Learn more about the speakers.

The event is spread over 3 days – December 28th (that's today), January 4 and January 11. Here is the full schedule.

To be able to listen, you have to register. If you find the information useful, as I did, you can then make a decision to buy the recordings or the recordings and the transcripts. If you are reading this before the event launches at 12 pm EST, you may still be able to buy the recordings for $79. I know the price is going to go up after today. So, jump to it, if you are interested. And yes, if you click a link, say this one, and you end up buying the recordings, I get a small commission.

This guest blog post is written by Eric O'Connor, a Chicago wedding photographer, owner of Allori Photography and mylife-pages. Follow Eric on Twitter.

2012 will soon be here.

January is the perfect time to take a hard look at how to maximize profits in the upcoming year. These are a few recommendations that have helped me, follow all three and I know they'll work for you too.

1. What's in it for me?
2. Stay in Touch
3. Share the Love

What's In It For Me?

Your clients want information. They want to know every detail about their purchase. Give it to them! You are the expert. Share your knowledge and process with them. Whatever you do please don't wait until after the wedding to inform your client about the pre-design process. If you do they will feel cheated.  After they book with you make sure to take time or create a wedding album FAQ to walk them through the album process. This doesn't have to be complicated. Just a simple step by step from the day you shoot the wedding to the day you deliver their album. Set expectations and then deliver on them. It is important they understand you will be telling the story of their wedding day and you'll use as many pages as it takes to get it right. I always like to mention it gives them a great starting point. They can then customize the album to exactly what they want. Your clients will love this idea. Anytime they can take ownership in the process, you win!

Stay in Touch

Take a minute and think about the excitement leading up to the wedding. Your clients are excited about their wedding and then … BAM! … the wedding is over. It doesn't take long and they are back to real life. Catch your bride and groom in that first 30 days and their wedding day excitement will do the selling for you. You likely only have a 30 day window to take advantage of the wedding high. If 30 to 90 days go by and your bride hasn't seen pictures or a draft of her album it is much harder to add pages or sell additional albums. I make it a point to have everything to my brides 7 days after their wedding. I used to deliver images 30 days after the wedding and routinely life got in the way and the brides wouldn't even think about their album for a few more months. There were always a lot of album edits and very little pages added. Now, 7 days after their wedding they can view their Animoto slideshow, image gallery, and album pre-design right on their wedding website. I make sure to give my clients a deadline. We want to have the album completed and ready to print in 3 to 4 weeks. This helps give them a target to have their changes complete. Extra albums page sales have gone from a few or none to five, ten or more from every wedding.

Share the Love

Quick turnaround time is essential but I find coupling that with excitement from friends has really helped additional album page sales. A few years ago I emailed PDFs to my brides and they would leave me comments for changes. This was pretty efficient but didn't help me much when it came to advertising or extra album pages. I don't pay for ads in magazines and only have one ad online that I tested out this year and will discontinue Jan 1.  Word of mouth, SEO, social media, and over the top customer service do the job for me. The next iteration of album sharing was a slideshow posted on YouTube. I found I was getting quite a few hits and at the same time album sales started to increase. Brides started telling me their friends loved watching their wedding album movies. This was one of those common sense moments when the light goes on in your head. Friends of the bride love the album and they start telling the bride about their favorite pages. This process makes it harder and harder for the bride to remove or change pages.

Finally I arrived at the perfect solution, Share the Love! Wedding album movies on a post wedding website are essential to higher album page sales. With a favorites gallery, Animoto slideshow, and movie of the album, my brides have a constant flow of compliments from their friends about how much they love the wedding images and album pages. As you can see in the graphic the album movie in this wedding was viewed over 200 times in 6 weeks. I have been completely removed from the album page sales process. Yes, I have to take images my clients love but my brides' friends do the rest of the work for me. I do not meet with my clients to sell or add pages. These days they all add pages without sitting down with me.

Test out the three steps above. They are easy so don't cheat yourself and pick just one. Do all three. You will start to see a difference in sales. Click the image below to see how I display sample albums on post wedding websites.

Want to try a post wedding website? Your first site is FREE. Surprise one of your favorite clients with a wedding website with colors to match their wedding.