My Favorite On Camera and Off Camera Flash Gear Recommendations

Flash photography can be intimidating - I totally get it!! You've finally gotten comfortable using your own camera equipment, posing your couples and then you have to add a flash into the mix. Sheer panic ensues! Don't worry, I have been there too! When I second shot my very first wedding I had NO CLUE how to use my flash. My dear friend just said "put it on TTL and don't worry about!". That got me through my very first reception but I knew that I had to really buckle down and learn how to use my flash on and off camera. I wanted to share with you the gear and resources I would highly recommend to anyone just starting out or looking to up their flash game a bit. Once you understand how to use your flash, you can really photograph just about anything anywhere and that is truly empowering!

Flash Education and Resources: The first thing I would recommend would be reading a book or two (and of course read your instruction manual) on how to use flash. The first book I ever read about how to use my flash was Understanding Flash Photography by Bryan Peterson. It's a great photography book that goes over the beginning concepts how to control your flash from capturing motion, to creating motion blur (on purpose!) and so much more. You can pick up a copy here or rent one at your library. I also watched a ton of free Creative Live courses about how to use my flash from other wedding photographers. I am a visual learning so when I saw other photographers share how they use their flash, it all clicked for me and I haven't look back since!

Pro Tip: I can't express how understanding your gear is going to help you be a better photographer in every aspect of your photography.

Flash Equipment and Recommended Gear: I am a Nikon photographer and I have two Nikon SB-910 flashes (discontinued). The Nikon SB-5000 is the latest model of wireless flashes and I will probably upgrade to two of these in the very near future. Since my flashes aren't wireless, I have to use Receiver and Transmitter to get them to talk to each other wirelessly. I use the Pocket Wizard TT1 and Pocket Wizard TT5. I have been using these wireless transmitters for years and they have never let me down. They are so easy to use and very light on my camera which is very helpful for my back. Pocket Wizard releases firmware updates pretty regularly for their equipment so they are always up to date.

Because of how I like to shoot my flash photography, I prefer to use a flash modifier on top of my flashes to create soft pretty light vs. a harsh light on my subjects. The Nikon flashes all come with a light modifier (Canon's do not - sorry folks!) but I was introduced to MagMod about three years ago and their products have changed my life! Oh boy, are they AMAZING and so worth the investment!! I have MagMod MagGrips and MagSpheres for each of my flashes. I also have the MagBounce and MagMod Gel Set if I need to color balance a bad lighting situation (ie. terrible hotel rooms). These magnetic modifiers are 100% safe for your photography equipment and make your on and off-camera flash so so so pretty! I have subsequently gotten a few of my fellow wedding photographer friends hooked as well!

As for light stands, I use two Cheetah Light Stands and carry everything in my Manfrotto Light Stand Bag. I like the Cheetah Light Stands because the tripod legs automatically come down and open as soon as I loosen the bottom screws. It's just a little time saver when I'm busy getting ready for the reception.

Camera and Flash Settings: I will preface this part with - this is how I like to shoot my receptions and use a flash for my wedding photography. There is no wrong or right way to do anything - just the way that works best for you!

Ok, so I do NOT use TTL. EVER!! I never ever use my flashes built in TTL (through-the-lens) metering system. Why? Because I prefer to automatically set my flash power and output vs. letting the camera and flash decide for me. Just how I shoot in Manual Mode (never automatic or program modes) because I want to control my Aperture, Shutter and ISO settings to achieve my desired look for my wedding photography. You are way smarter than any camera could ever be!

For my On-Camera Settings: My flash power is usually between 1/32 to 1/64. My camera's ISO settings are between 1600 or 2000 ISO with an aperture of f/2.2. I prefer to have as little ISO noise in my reception photos and like to keep the ISO low whenever possible. If the reception venue is very dark, I might bump my settings up ISO 2500 and 1/18th flash power but this is very rare.

For my Off-Camera Settings: I like to setup my off-camera setup is really pretty easy and, in most cases, the same for most weddings. I will put one flash connected to my Pocket Wizard Receiver on my Cheetah Stand hidden by the Band or DJ Booth. Usually right at the edge of the equipment and out of the way of the dancing. I don't want my equipment to be too noticeable inside the actual wedding space because lets face it, camera gear is not attractive. I will use the Pocket Wizard Transmitter, along with my second flash, securely tightened on top of my camera. I will test them both to make sure they are talking to each other before the reception begins. Since the flash is to one side of the room at all times, I will photograph the dance floor from usually three of the four sides to ensure I have the same look throughout the images. I like to rim light/backlight and side light my subjects during the dances and toasts. If the venue has white ceilings that I can easily bounce my on-camera flash from, I will not use my off-camera setup.

Every wedding venue is different but knowing how to properly use your photography gear and flash equipment will help you feel 100% confident going into ANY situation. Whenever I get asked if I've shot at a certain venue before and I haven't, I can confidently say I can light any room and capture my couples wedding in my signature reception style. 

What are some of your flash tricks and tips? Do you have any questions? Please feel free to leave a comment below and can't wait to hear from you!

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Top 3 Tips How to Minimize Ghosting with New Client Inquires

Last week, I asked everyone in the Facebook group which topic they wanted me to discuss on the next on Tea with Jainé on my IG TV channel. I offered a few different topics but Ghosting clients was the clear winner. It's so interesting how people will just disappear after they've spent the time inquiring about your services but never follow up. Never heard of Ghosting? Well, let me explain!

The term "Ghosting" started in the dating world. Let's say you would start seeing someone, go out on a few dates, think everything was going fine and then out of nowhere they would disappear. Never to be heard from again. This Ghosting! It also translates nicely into the business world. Your a business owner, you receive a promising inquiry from a potential client and reply letting them know more about your services. You wait and wait for their response but they've disappeared into thin air and vanished just a like a ghost. Ghosting can be very frustrating and potentially upsetting, if you let it get the better of you, so I wanted to share my top 3 tips on how to help minimize ghosting with new client inquires. 

No. 1 - Be Transparent! When a couple begins to search for their wedding photographer, where is one of the first places they'll look after they've found you? Yep, your website. They'll browse your photos, read your "about" page, and if they've decided that they like you enough to inquire, they are going to want to know how much your services start at. F A C T. What do you do once you've found a top, or bag you like in a store? You look inside and find the TAG to see if you can afford it or maybe, sort of afford it, right? If you do not clearly list your starting price on your website, you are going to have a very high ghost rate because nobody likes surprises, especially when it comes to to money. The number one reason someone doesn't reply to your email, is probably because they got a bit of "sticker shock" after you've shared your pricing information with them. I would also stay away from the thought process of "I'll tell them my rates AFTER we've met", or "during our meeting", or "after our phone call". Honestly,  you are wasting everyone's time by "hiding" this information. Be transparent on your website and in your communications with your potential couples! I strongly believe that if you list your starting price on your website, on a few different pages (mine are located on my Contact & FAQ pages) your ghosting rate will decrease immediately. Couples want to know if they can afford you, so help them out!

No. 2 - Be Honest (with yourself) I know, it's tough to admit but you probably are not the only wedding photographer the couple has inquired with for their special day. They've looked online, asked their friends, family and co-workers for recommendations and luckily, you made the list. However, if they simply don't reply to you, please don't take it personally. It's taken me a long time NOT to get upset when a couple I really like and the venue I've dreamt about, didn't work out but hey, that's ok!! You can't be everyone's cup of tea! You have to focus on the wins and the positives in every single situation. Focus on the couple you DID book you, who is obsessed with your work, and cannot wait to have you be part of their day. Think of ways to make their experience with you even better so once the wedding is over, they'll be telling everyone about you! Look, rejection is apart of being a business owner and having a thick skin is necessary. Knowing in the back of your mind that couples are probably inquiring with a few different photographers will help keep your expectations in check AND more "ok" if they never reply.

No. 3 - Follow Up. Follow Up. Follow Up! Let's take a minute and think about everything we have to get done for today. Boy, it's a lot and I'm sure we have so much more on our never ending "to-do" lists. We are ALLLLLL sorts of busy these days and people have good intentions but then they don't follow up just for the sheer fact that life got in the way. A potential client will inquiry and then never respond. They actually might not be ghosting you, they might just really really busy. How do you know the difference? Follow Up! Not once, but twice!! I have found that following up twice works the best for me and isn't too much of an annoyance if they have really moved on. First, I'll reply to their initial inquiry and include my starting collections - again I'm reminding them what my services start at so there is no "shock" if they didn't see it on my website. Next, if I don't hear back within the first 48 hours, I'll send a quick follow up and make sure my email made it through their SPAM filters. You'd be surprised how often this still happens!! Last, if I haven't heard from them in another 48 hours after my second email, I'll send my own version of the "Magic Email". If you don't know what the "Magic Email" is, just do a quick google search to find out more. I simply send a final email letting them know that since I haven't heard from them, I'm going to assume they've hired another photographer and I'm going to be closing their inquiry and reopening the date on my calendar for future couples. I want them to know that I'm interested in talking with them but I also have other inquires and need to keep the date open if they aren't serious. My time is just as important and valuable as theirs and I don't want to waste either of them.

So, there you have it. Theses are my top 3 tips to avoid ghosted by potential new couples. For myself, my ghosting rate has decreased each year and I'm happy to say that just about everyone replies. So, will people really stop ghosting you? Probably not but I think implementing these tips and shifting your mentality a bit, will help you experience less ghosting and not take it personally.

I'd love to hear your thoughts about ghosting? How does it effect you? What have you done to minimize getting ghosted by potential clients? Let me know in the comments below!

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How I Backup and Archive My Wedding Photography

I was recently asked by one of my viewers what is my process after the wedding has been photographed. She wanted to know what I do after each wedding and how do I backup and archive my photos, which I thought would be a great topic to discuss. However, I'd like to preface this post with a friendly disclaimer that this is just my way of doing things. There is absolutely no right or wrong way to do something but I would strongly suggest that you have one additional back up somewhere other than your on camera and computer. I'm happy to share my some-what lengthly data backup and archiving process so grab a fresh cup of tea, and get ready to read along!

My Gear:

The most important part about backing up and archiving system starts with what gear you invest your money in. Without reliable gear, it really won't matter how you back it up. This is what I use:

Digital Camera - I have two Nikon D810 cameras in my gear kit at all times. They are identical copies of each other and setup the same way so that if one goes down, I can just pick up the second one and continue photographing my couple without any down time. One of the reasons I purchased the D810 was because it offered Dual Memory Card slots - Compact & SD Flash Memory Cards. I prefer to use the secondary slot as my in-camera backup as it automatically writes a duplicate JPG version of the RAW file that is being written to the primary card. You can set this up to be your "run off" card, duplicate RAW copy and sort forth. There are a few setup options and this just happens to be the best for me because if anything happens to my Compact Flash card (RAW) I will have already have a duplicate copy (JPG) on my SD Flash card. 

Compact Flash Cards - The ONLY brand I use is SanDisk for my memory cards. They actually invented the technology so why not stick with the best, right? I purchase a few new Compact and SD Flash cards every year and retire cards at the beginning of every wedding season. I label each new card with their purchase year so I can easily see which ones need to be discarded.

Card Reader - I have two card readers - Lexar USB 3.0 and the EC Technologies Card Reader in Rose Gold (which I keep out on my desk and use the most). The Lexar is a bit faster than the EC Tech but that's ok with me because well, it's just prettier.

Hard Drives - Western Digital is my favorite brand for portable hard drives. I've been using them for as long as I can remember and (knock on wood) I've never ever had a problem. My preferred model is the Western Digital Passport 3.0 USB because it's so light, compact and well designed. I purchase 2-3 per year and rotate them throughout my entire backup process.

My Backup and Archiving Process:

Import, Sort and Copy:
After my wedding or session, I import my photos using Photo Mechanic. Once the import process is completed, I will sort by Capture Time and then Rename the photos to be in the correct order. I will do this for my own photos as well as my second photographers. Next, I copy the Photo Ingested folder (a Photo Mechanic term) and copy it to my RAW FILES hard drive. I like to keep a clean, untouched copy of the RAW files in case of any data corruption once my editing begins on my computer. I keep the RAW files for a certain amount of time and then replace the data on the drives.

Culling & Backing Up:
A few days after the wedding, I will sit down and cull the images to a smaller more manageable amount of files. I will create the couples folder layout and copy the selects to their images folder. Next, I will copy their folder to TWO hard drives (Backup A and Backup B) that are exact duplicates of each other. This way, I have two working backups of their images and complete working Lightroom Catalogue at any moment in time. Each week I will go through my working files and copy the new data to each of these two hard drives. How do I know what I'm working on? I label my "in progress" folders in Green and my "completed" folder in Red. You could use Carbon Copy Cloner to do the same exact thing. Finally, I will copy the FINAL folder one last time to the hard drives for safe keeping.

Uploading and Delivery:
Once the images are completed, I will upload them to my online hosting provider and deliver the final images to my clients. They receive the high resolution jpg images with all of their collections. Their images are hosted anywhere from 90 days to a year and each receive a 30 day reminder that their gallery is about to expire. As soon as I deliver their gallery, it becomes my couples responsibility to archive and back up their images. After their gallery expires, I move their folder into my online archives which gives me another yet another backup of the final images. If a past client contacts me because they lost their images, there is a fee to reinstate their gallery.

Backing Up My Computer:
I am a Macintosh user and use Apple's built-in backup software called TimeMachine. I run this once a week to have a complete backup of my computer on a separate Western Digital Passport hard drive. In the rare chance my computer were to fail, I could buy a new machine and install the latest version of my TimeMachine backup and could (potentially) have little to no downtime. I always like to be prepared for the worst!

Offsite Archiving:
The last and final step to my backup process is to physically take my hard drives off site to my safety deposit box at my bank. I like to have at least one hard copy some place other than my home just in-case of theft or fire. But, if the bank burns down, there isn't much I can do about that now, right? So I like having my online and off-site archives to work together.

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How to Plan Your Wedding Photography Timeline

As a wedding photographer, one of the best things you can do to ensure your couples get the most photos out of their wedding day is help plan their wedding photography timeline. Your experience and thoughtful insight are invaluable assets to your couples. Mostly likely, this isn't your first wedding and for your couple, it probably is, so they are looking to you for guidance and advice. I wanted to share with you how I help each and every one of my couples plan their wedding photography timeline with or without a planner. 

No. 1 - Educate Your Couples - Approximately 90 days before each wedding, I send all of my couples my "Tips for Your Wedding Day" email and a link to fill out my Wedding Prep Questionnaire online via 17 Hats. I include a list of my recommended timing for their wedding day and request detailed information about their wedding inside my questionnaire. Giving them this information 90 days in advance gives us enough time to plan accordingly and make any timeline modifications and overall photography coverage. Below is what I usually suggest for each part of the wedding day. 

// 1.5 hour for details & getting ready photos *not always possible, but I request it
// 30 mins for final prep & getting into the dress
// 1 hour for First Look (15 mins), Bride & Groom (45 mins)
// 30 minutes for Bridal Party photos *depending on size
// 30 minutes for Family photos *depending on size

No 2 - Create the Photography Timeline -  Once my couple completes their wedding prep questionnaire, I create their wedding photography timeline first draft. This is a complete breakdown of their wedding day from start to finish including their locations and photography requests for the day. With a well organized document, my couple can visually see how the day is scheduled and make timeline adjustments if necessary. For instance, if they have a lot of family photos requests, some couples might opt to move some pairings to cocktail hour or their even their reception to save some time during the beginning of the day.

Quick Tip: Be sure to include the travel time to each location. From the hotel, to the First Look, to Ceremony to Reception Venue. It all adds up and can eat up a lot of their wedding photography coverage which sometimes get lost when wedding planning.

No 3 - Work with the Planner (*if they have one) - If your couple has hired a wedding planner, I highly recommend introducing yourself and saying how excited you are to work with them. Next, I would send them your wedding photography timeline draft and coordinate with their master timeline. Wedding planners are scheduling the wedding day from start to finish and know all the little details that maybe your couple hasn't shared with you just yet. Having great communication with the wedding planner is so helpful for you, the photographer, and the couple to ensure get they get the best photos on their wedding day.

No. 4 - Plan for the Season and Sunsets - Another great tip is to plan for the season and sunset on your couples wedding day. With a quick google search you can find out when the sun is scheduled to set on their wedding day. Winter weddings usually means less light and Summer weddings have longer days with lots of sunlight. Letting your couple know when the sunset will occur is helpful in planning their ceremony start time and taking photos outside before it gets dark, especially if you prefer to photograph your couple in as much natural light as possible.

Everyone wants great wedding photos on their special day and being organized is the first step in ensuring a happy outcome for each and every one of your couples!

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Top 3 Tips to Culling Wedding Photos Faster

It's true what they say about being a wedding photographer, it's 10% photographing weddings and 90% everything else. You spend a lot of time in front of the computer vs. behind the camera which can be frustrating. Over the course of my wedding photography career, I've picked up a few helpful tips and tricks on how to cull and edit my photos faster which I'm so excited to share with you! Here are my top 3 tips on how to cull your wedding photography faster.

No. 1 - PHOTO MECHANICby CAMERA BITS - This is hands down my NUMBER ONE recommendation for ANY photographer who photographs events, weddings or simply takes a large amount of photos at one time. The magic of Photo Mechanic is that it processes your RAW files instantly and loads the previews on your screen faster than you can blink. This makes the process of selecting your best photos incredibly fast and efficient. If you were to import your photos using Adobe's Lightroom, you'd be sitting there waiting for the files to render before you could even start your cull. You'll be waiting a painfully long amount of time before you can even start to select your photos - it's incredibly slow. Photo Mechanic is 100% worth the financial investment because it will speed up your workflow by hours and you need that time to get back out there and photograph your clients!

No. 2 - SHUTTLExPRESS by CONTOUR DESIGN - I know, this looks a bit intimidating but trust me you will learn to love it. The ShuttleXpress is a keyboard extender with programable buttons to help speed up your workflow and edit as fast as possible. I used the ShuttleXpress with Photo Mechanic and Lightroom. Since it's a programmable device, you can set it up with multiple software profiles which is amazing! For culling in Photo Mechanic, I use the ShuttleXpress to pick (T key) my selects which saves me time and my hand from cramping up by using my keyboard. In Lightroom, I use the ShuttleXpress mostly in the Develop module to copy & paste my settings, crop and rotate images, pick and flag my photos and so much more. Using the ShuttleXpress allows me to use keep one hand on the mouse and the other on the ShuttleXpress without ever having to touch the keyboard. I never have to look down to find a key to use a keyboard shortcut, which slowly eats away at my editing time by taking my eyes off of my screen. I've been using this device for several years and by now, it's second nature to me. I simply cannot work without it. 

No. 3 - START BACKWARDS - This is a tip I picked up from another wedding photographer and think it's absolutely genius! For wedding photographers, the end of the wedding usually means reception photos. LOTS and LOTS of reception photos which may or may not be your favorite part of the day :) To quickly get through this section, I suggest starting at the end of the wedding and moving your way backwards through each part of the day. This will speed up your culling time and you'll also move into the ceremony, portraits, getting ready sections more quickly. Also, specifically for digital photographers, you might take a few shots until you are happy with the final photo, which means you might have 2-3 images before you get to the final shot. If you start backwards, you will see the best image FIRST and skip over the rejects so much faster. This is such a simple tip but has efficient impact on saving you time in your culling process.

I hope you found these tips helpful but I want to hear from you! What are some time saving tips you've discovered while culling your images? Please share in the comments below!

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Top 3 Tips on How to Find a Photography Mentor

When I announced on my Instagram stories that I was going to be starting my weekly "Tea with Jainé" series, I asked my viewers to direct message me questions that they were struggling with. One of the very first questions I received was "How Do I Find A Photography Mentor?" which is such a great topic to discuss!! It can be very overwhelming starting your own photography business. There are a lot of choices and financial decisions to be made such as "what hosting company should you use?, "what equipment should I buy?", and "where should I advertise?" and I found that having someone to help guide you is invaluable. For myself, my photography teacher became my mentor and I'm so grateful for the time and advice he has given to me over the years. But what if you didn't go to photography school? Or you don't know anyone who is successful wedding photographer? Well, I thought I'd share my top three tips on how to find a photography mentor that is right for you!

No. 1 - ASK - I would simply ask other wedding photographers you know if they are interested in being your mentor. Don't know anyone? Research the local photography groups in your area and join a few photography groups on Facebook specific to the type of photography you want to pursue. Maybe someone in the group is looking to give back to their community or maybe they want to start their own mentoring program and would love your feedback? You'll never know until you ask for help.

No. 2 - INQUIRE - I'm sure there is a photographer out there whom you admire and would LOVE to learn from. Well, why not email them as see if they are open to being your mentor? Maybe they don't have an official mentor program (just yet!) but you could always offer your time as an intern for their help and guidance in return. What's the worst they could say, no? No big deal - ask the next person on your list! Don't let the fear of rejection stop you from contacting those whom you admire. I'm sure they will be flattered to get your email in their inbox!

tip: please be sure to make it personal! whenever you are emailing someone, please be sure to use their first name "Hello Jainé" vs. "Hi," in the heading. To me, this immediately makes me think you aren't serious about asking for my help OR you are emailing every photographer in the area and cannot be bothered to fill out my name. Want to stand out? Fill out their name and make your note personal to them!

No. 3 - INVEST - Plenty of wedding photographers offer paid mentorships or mentor programs which can be a great investment for you and your business. I found a range of  mentorships are focused on learning how to use your camera and find your style. There are business focused mentorships all about streamlining your business and marketing plans. You name it, it's out there! The options are endless but I would do your homework and make sure you know exactly what you are getting before you invest your hard earned money in any type of mentorship. For me, I created my own mentoring program Tea-a-Tet in an 'Ask Me Anything' type of setting because I wanted it to be casual, relaxed and open environment. I believe having direct access to a professional wedding photography is invaluable to any type of photographer venturing out on their own.

I hope this was helpful and would love to hear your thoughts! Have you invested in a Mentor program? Are you still searching for your perfect match? Leave a comment below!

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