Creating Custom Photography Proposals that Book with Sam Jacobson of Ideaction Consulting

May 12, 2020 Jaine Kershner

I’m so excited about today’s podcast episode because I am chatting with Sam Jacobson of Ideaction Consulting! I’ve been a big fan of Sam’s for a long time and I’m thrilled to have him on the podcast. Last year, I make a conscious effort to learn more about sales and the sales process as a small business owner. It’s not something that you are just automatically “good at” and if you are anything like me, you actually hate the thought of “selling”.

When I found out about Sam and his services that were specifically tailored to Wedding Photographers, I knew it was going to be a great match. I invested in his online course and changed my entire sales process from start to finish with immediate success. You guys, he’s the real deal and I’m so excited he’s on the show today! We are chatting about the importance of taking the time to create a wedding proposal for your clients and how to finally ditch the PDFs! Seriously, delete them asap!

Sam and his wife Katy, run Ideaction Consulting and they host in-person workshops, 1-1 Mentoring, copywriting and so much more. You have to sign up for his newsletter too!

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Favorite Travel Gear for Photographers

May 6, 2020 Jaine Kershner

I wanted to share three items that I have come to love using when I’m traveling. When we visited the Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree National Park, and the Mojave Desert earlier this year. I brought along my new travel tripod from Peak Design that I had pre-ordered it on their Kickstarter campaign and waited almost 8+ months for it to arrive. You guys, it was WORTH the wait and every single penny! I fell in love HARD for this tripod which made me try out other items from this brand. Safe to say I’m a fan! Below are my three favorite items I am currently loving from Peak Design.

Travel Gear for Photographers - Peak Design Recommendations

1 - Peak Design Travel Tripod - Without a doubt, this tripod is the best ever! It is so well designed it floors me that no one has done this sooner! I purchased the ALUMINUM version (they offer a Carbon version too!) and boy, it’s so light! Weighing only 3.4 lbs it’s incredibly lightweight and well made! The tripod ball head system easily adjusts, pivots and tilts seamlessly. The legs are super easy to set up with a flip of the locks and I LOVE that I don’t have to twist and tighten anything. It also has a built-in smartphone adapter to take your epic selfies which we did at the Grand Canyon. It comes with its own carrying case & hex wrench so you are never without the tools to set up the plates. I love that there is a built-in level and an easy to understand knobs system. I still have a tripod from another brand that I still cannot figure out how to use! For me, this tripod is a MUST HAVE and an excellent investment for any photographer.

2 - Peak Design Leash Camera Strap - As I was using my new tripod, I quickly realized that I wish I had purchased a camera strap to carry it on me when I moved from location to location. Since the travel tripod is so light, I can carry it on my shoulder along with my cameras and not be in pain. I checked out Peak Design’s website and purchased the Leash camera strap in black. It works seamlessly with the travel tripod and it will work with my camera’s while I’m on the go. It arrived when we got home but you can use it in three different ways including around the neck, standard crossbody, and crossbody with easy access to your shutter buttons.

3 - Peak Design Everyday Sling v2.0 - So what did I carry my gear in when I’m exploring new places and taking photos? I love the Peak Design Everyday Sling v.2 bag in black - size 6L . It comes in a 3L and 10L size too. I prefer the middle size because it can hold my Sony AR7iii and two lenses plus accessories perfectly. When I travel, I tend to travel light with my gear so I only need my mirrorless camera, a tripod, and possibly my film gear depending on where I am going. It’s very comfortable to wear and you can wear it over your shoulder or as the intended sling bag across your chest. I love the fabric and feel of the bag. It also comes with detachable straps so I can hold my travel tripod too!

4 - Peak Design Extra Anchors - I love Peak Designs’ entire anchor system because everything seamlessly connects to one another. My Leash camera strap can easily hook on to my tripod via the Peak Anchors. I can also connect it to their hand strap and other items in their line. It’s always a good idea to have a few extra anchors on hand just in case!

*this post is NOT sponsored by Peak Design but hey, I’d love if they contacted me :)

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Will Your Market Bear Another Wedding Photographer?

May 5, 2020 Jaine Kershner

I’m excited about this week’s episode because I’m chatting with Kinsey Roberts from She Creates Business Podcast and asking her the hard question, will your market bear another wedding photographer? Kinsey is a wedding venue owner, educator and podcast host. She's the host of the long-running podcast She Creates Business, a Podcast for Wedding Pros and co-host of her newest project, The Venue Podcast. When she's not knee-deep in the wedding world, you can find Kinsey spending time with her husband and their two boys on their family ranch in Colorado.

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Best Camera Gear to Record IGTV Videos

April 30, 2020 Jaine Kershner

Over the last few weeks, I have asked to share what I gear I use to create my IGTV videos. So I put together the blog post for you along with a brand new episode of Tea with Jainé on Instagram. I want to preface this post (and video) by saying you do NOT need a lot of gear to make videos. Your phone is just fine! Hey, that’s how I got started in the first place! I decided to invest in additional lighting so I could film when it’s dark out and I am a wedding photographer, so I’m bound to love gear. Right?! I hope this post is helpful & if you have any questions, please leave me a comment below.

iPhone Setups:

Joby Tripod with Level - I love this bendy flexible tripod for recording with my phone or camera. It has a built in level that is super handy when filming alone.

Manfrotto Table Top Tripod - If you are looking for a smaller table top tripod, I love this Manfrotto one. It’s perfect for sitting on my desk and giving my iPhone a bit of extra height. It’s great for vlogging as well!

Square Jellyfish 360 iPhone Mount - This is my favorite mount for my tripod to easily attach my iPhone. I love this one because of the 360 ability. I can flip from Vertical to Horizontal landscapes in a second and there is no additional piece of equipment required. IGTV is vertical video so this is best for me!

Mirrorless Camera Setups:

Sony AR7III - I wanted to use a great camera for video and Sony is where it is at. The quality is great and it’s super easy to use and setup. I also use this camera as my “personal” camera when I’m not photographing weddings or sessions with my clients. It’s an investment but for me, it was worth it.

Sony 35mm 1.8 Lens - I recently added the 35mm 1.8 Sony lens into my kit because I needed a wider lens. It’s great for recording in a horizontal landscape and then zooming in to edit my videos vertically.

Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II- I don’t personally own this camera but I know it’s awesome for vlogging. It has a built-in swivel screen so you can easily see yourself when you are recording. This feature is SO important if you are doing everything on your own. Trust me! You want to make sure you are in focus!!

SmallHD Focus Screen Kit for Sony - I purchased this additional focusing screen for my Sony camera so I could see myself while I record my videos. The swivel arm allows me to rotate the screen and adjust how I see myself with helpful on-screen markers to let me know when I am out of focus or not!

Manfrotto 190 Go! Aluminum Tripod - This tripod is one of my favorites for a lot of reasons, but the 190 Go! is amazing because the tripod column comes out and re-inserts into the tripod so you can fully have your camera horizontal to record your hands, flat-lays, and more. This is great if you are a crafter, doing DIY’s, or want to record how you style your wedding invitations.

Cheetah Light Stand - One of my favorite light stands because the bottom legs automatically open up thus saving you time for setup.

On Camera Microphone - One of my next purchases will be this Rode VideoMic Pro + Camera Mount Shotgun Microphone because it’s so compact.

Lighting Setups:

Neewer Ring Light Kit - (similar to shown in video) My lighting kit is no longer available but this is a great substitute for your home recording needs. It includes a ring light, diffuser panels, wireless remote, and light stand all in one. It’s a great deal!

Ring Light Kit with Remote & Stand: If the Neewer kit is out of your range, this is a great 10” ring lighting kit that you can attach your iphone too and make videos from anywhere. It’s dimmable with three settings and perfect for Instagram, Tiktok, and Youtube videos!

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The Ins and Outs of Corporate Events with Something Fabulous

April 28, 2020 Jaine Kershner

I’m excited about this week's episode because I’m chatting with Jennifer Charles and Kimberly Allen from Something Fabulous all about The Ins and Outs of Corporate Events. The timing could not be more perfect because with what’s going on in the wedding industry now, we all need to be thinking about different ways to expand our portfolios. Jennifer and Kimberly are the sister duo behind something fabulous which is an event management and experience design firm with locations in DC and Detroit. They have a combined 25 years of experience in the industry and have been recognized as one of the top 25 Women-Owned Businesses by Working Mother Magazine.

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Fixing Common Mistakes that Wedding Photographers Make with Alan Berg

April 21, 2020 Jaine Kershner

I’m excited about this week’s episode because I’m chatting with Alan Berg! If you listened to this podcast you know that I love his book “Why don’t they call me?” And when I ran into Alan this past Nov. at the Knot Gala I had to ask him to be a guest on the show. Today we chat about some of the most common mistakes wedding photographers make when they receive a new inquiry and how to fix them now! Alan is one of the leading international speakers and experts on the business of weddings. with over 25+ years of industry experience, working at The Knot, educational guru Wedding Wire, and written 5 books all about the wedding industry.

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Super Cute Tech Accessories with LAUT

April 19, 2020 Jaine Kershner

When I was contacted by LAUT to try a few of their trendy and lifestyle tech accessories to review for the blog, I was SOOO excited because I actually already used their products. Talk about a perfect match!

I was able to pick out a few items from their super fun line of tech accessories. I chose the FLURO for iPhone XS case in crystal along with CONFETTI series for iPhone XS in Confetti Party. I also picked out the AirPods Cases - Dotty in Crystal (gold polka dots) and Ombre Sparkle in Peach.

I am obsessed with my new cases for my iphone & airpods. They are so much fun and I love all the patterns you can choose to mix and match. I used to have a rubber case for my airpods but that was only to protect it from scratches. The Dotty Case will actually protect them when I accidentally drop them on my hard wood floors.

I also love that they make really stylish USB to Lighting Cables to charge your gear too. I totally want to pick up Link Metallic cables in Gold and Rose Gold.

I always use and recommend adding a PopSocket to any iphone case. This gives you an extra grip to use your phone for Instagram Stories and my latest obsession TikTok! Here is my favorite to use with my LAUT Fluro iPhone Case.

So, Who doesn’t love to dress up their tech? I know you are going to really enjoy using LAUT products!

I received a complimentary iphone xs and airpod cases in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you LAUT for partnering with me!

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Marketing Jump Start Guide is Here!

April 15, 2020 Jaine Kershner

It brings me great joy to announce that our online shop and first digital product is available now - YAY!

I’ve been hard at work putting together our very own online resource shop for wedding photographers! I had originally planned on launching this by Summer but with the “gift” of extra time, I was able to accomplish this HUGE goal a lot sooner than expected. So, who’s excited to learn more? Yay!!

Our very first digital product is our brand new Marketing Jump Start Guide!! 🎉

Think of it as the full-size, in-depth companion to the Marketing Quick List I released a few days ago!

Ok, so let me ask you a question, are you frustrated because you don’t know where to start or how to promote your wedding photography business?

Well, I’ve got some exciting news for you!

Inside this 29-page guide, I’m sharing 10 ways to successfully market and promote your wedding photography business. Including simple and actionable steps, long term recommendations, and proven strategies that have transformed my own wedding photography business over the last decade.

If you are struggling to jump start your marketing strategy, attract your ideal clients, and book weddings you are truly excited about, then this guide is especially for you!

Oh, and the best news, it's only $27 🎉

Visit the shop for more information about and GET your copy today!!!

I cannot wait to continue to bring you digital resources to help you succeed in your wedding photography business. Oh, and if you visit the shop, you can also download a few of our past FREEBIES too!!

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How to Strengthen Your Relationships with Wedding Planners with Renee Dalo

April 14, 2020 Jaine Kershner

I’m excited about this week’s episode because I’m chatting with Renee Dalo from Moxie Bright Events and Talk with Renee Dalo about how to strengthen your relationships with wedding planners. Renee is a boutique wedding planner located in sunny California! She’s been in the wedding industry for 12+ years and helps other wedding professionals with her online courses, resources, and her B2B podcast Talk with Renee Dalo.

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Marketing Quick List for Wedding Photographers

April 8, 2020 Jaine Kershner

I’m so excited to share that our brand new FREE Marketing Quick List is available starting today!!!

This FREE Marketing Quick List includes 10 tips for wedding photographers to market their business. I'm sharing my favorite tips that anyone can do especially when we have a little more time at home!⁠

This is a BRAND NEW guide that is a great companion to the first marketing checklist we released earlier this year.