Plan the whole photoshoot
on one page of decisions.

Write it in the order its decisions depend on each other. Start with purpose, usage and deliverables, then get the moodboard approved, since it fixes the light, styling and poses. Write the shot list from the deliverables, group it by location, light and wardrobe, and schedule the groups with call times and buffers. Location, team, gear and releases follow, then delivery terms. Storyflow's AI can draft the shot list and schedule from the brief and moodboard for you to edit.

Ten sections cover most shoots: purpose and usage, deliverables with sizes and crops, the concept and approved moodboard, the shot list, a timed schedule with call times and buffers, location details with a backup, the team and contacts, gear and lighting, wardrobe and props, and model or property releases and permits. Add a delivery section stating how many selects, the retouching level, file formats and deadlines, because that is the part clients and photographers most often remember differently.

Work backwards from the fixed points: the location's access times, the talent's availability and, outdoors, the light. Group shots into setups by location, lighting and wardrobe, estimate how long each setup takes including moving lights, and add buffers after every change of look or location. Put hair and makeup, lunch and a wrap time in the schedule as real blocks. Share the schedule with everyone's call time on it so each person knows when to arrive.

A shot list is one part of the plan: the individual frames you intend to capture, with their setup and look. The photoshoot plan is everything around it: why the shoot exists, the deliverables and usage, the moodboard, the schedule, the location, the team, the gear, the paperwork and the delivery. A shot list tells you what to photograph; the plan tells everyone how the day will run and what the client will receive.

Date each part backwards from the shoot day: the moodboard approval first, then bookings for the location, talent and crew, then releases and permits, then a final sign-off of the whole plan. A simple portrait session can fit that into a few days, while a brand or fashion shoot with a location, talent, stylist and client approvals usually needs weeks. Put each step in the plan as a dated row, so everyone can see what is due next.

Share one version everyone reads rather than sending the moodboard, shot list and schedule separately. In Storyflow a view-only link opens the whole plan in a browser with no account, so the client can check the approved look and deliverables while the stylist, assistant and talent see the schedule and their call times. Invite collaborators who need to edit, such as a producer or second shooter, and they join free when a paid member invites them.

Everything in a standard plan, with extra detail on consistency and variants: a master list of products, the angles required for each, background and colour variants, cutout or shadow requirements, props and styling per product, and the exact crops each marketplace or channel needs. Group the shot list by setup so lights stay fixed while products change, and add a check column so every product and angle is confirmed before the set is struck.

Yes, most of it, from real inputs. Given the brief, the deliverables and an approved moodboard, Storyflow's AI reads the board, drafts a shot list grouped into setups, proposes a timed schedule and lists what the plan does not cover yet, such as a weather backup or a missing release. The photographer then edits it against how they actually shoot. The AI proposes; the frames, the light and what is promised to the client remain the photographer's decisions.

Start with how the brand will use the images: the website, product pages, social formats and campaigns, and for how long. Build the moodboard from the brand's visual identity, then write the shot list from the usage, covering people, product, detail and environment shots in the crops each channel needs. Plan the day around the brand's locations or a set that reflects them, and agree approvals, selects and delivery in writing before the shoot.

No. Storyflow is for planning the shoot and pitching it: the moodboard, shot list, schedule, logistics and the treatment you send before the client books. Delivering finished images through client galleries with proofing and downloads is what tools such as Pixieset and ShootProof are built for, and editing belongs in Lightroom or Capture One. Many photographers plan in Storyflow and deliver through a gallery tool.

Not yet. Storyflow is paid-only during early access, with plans from $7.99 a month billed annually ($9.99 monthly). A free plan launches before the end of 2026, and anyone a paid member invites to a board joins free. An assistant or stylist you invite can work on the plan with you, and clients and crew reading it through a view-only link never need an account.