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Welcome — here’s the whole system, in plain English.
There are two parts. First you set up your studio once — your brand, your packages, and your templates. Then, for every client, you follow the same simple flow from booking all the way through to delivery. Tap Take me there on any step to jump straight to it.
Set up your studio — do this once
1
Your brand & packages
This is the most important setup — everything else pulls from it. In Brand & settings, add your studio name, logo, colors, session types, and email signature. Then in Products & services, add your packages and prices so they’re ready to drop onto any invoice.
Brand & settings → Packages & prices →2
Your templates
Build your invoice, contract, and email templates once, and every client after that is just a tap — the details fill in automatically. Add a payment link to your invoice template and it carries through too.
Take me to Templates →Then, for every client
3
Add the client
Go to Clients and add the family — one at a time, or import a whole list from a spreadsheet. This is the foundation everything for them hangs on.
Take me to Clients →4
Book their session
Open the client and add a session — the type, date, time, location, and price. It shows up on your calendar and on their portal automatically.
Take me to Sessions →5
Invoice & get paid
Create an invoice from the session, drop in your packages, and send it. Your client can pay by card right on their portal once your Stripe account is connected — or add your own PayPal/Venmo link instead. Take a deposit to hold the date.
Take me to Invoices →6
Contract to sign
In Templates, open a contract, tap Use for client, pick the client, and hit Email. It lands on their portal with a live sign link — they read it, type their name, and sign from their phone. The signed copy comes right back to their profile.
Take me to Templates →7
The session
Shoot day! Send a little prep ahead of time — attach a guide (what to wear, what to expect), or let a workflow send your reminders automatically so nothing slips.
Take me to Guides →8
Share the gallery
Create a gallery, upload the photos, turn on sharing, and send the link. Your clients favorite and select their images — no separate gallery service needed.
Take me to Galleries →9
Their order & delivery
Once they’ve chosen favorites, invoice their print or product order (pull straight from your Products & services), take payment, and deliver their final images through the gallery.
Invoice their order → Products & services →10
The portal ties it all together
Every client has one private portal link where they see their sessions, balance, galleries, and any contract to sign — all in one place. You don’t build it; it fills itself in from the steps above. Open any client and tap Send portal.
Take me to Clients →Optional layers — reach for these when you want them
Leads — a pipeline to track inquiries and see what’s converting, then turn a lead into a booked client.
Session requests — a public link new families use to request a session. You approve every one before anything’s booked.
Mini sessions — bookable time slots for your minis; clients grab a spot (and sign your contract) and it locks instantly.
Workflows — optional email & to-do sequences (like “two weeks before, send my prep guide”). Handy, but never required for anything else to work.
Templates, questionnaires, guides, packages & expenses — the supporting pieces that make the steps above faster.
Dashboard — your day at a glance, plus a nudge on who to follow up with.
That’s the whole thing.
Start with step one — the rest falls into place as you go.
Your active pipeline — clients show up here once they’re in motion (an inquiry or consult, a booked session, or their first checked-off step). Check off steps on their profile and they move along automatically, or nudge them with the arrows.
Set your prices once — sessions, prints, albums, digital files, add-ons — then add them to any invoice from a dropdown instead of retyping. Mark each one taxable or not, and set a default sales-tax rate that fills in automatically on new invoices.
Default sales-tax rate
Auto-applies to taxable items on every new invoice. You can still change it on any single invoice.
%
Just shipped
The newest things now live in your studio.
Your Board View is now just your active pipeline
If you brought in a big client list, your Board used to stack everyone into the first “An inquiry comes in” column — hundreds of past families all in one spot. Now the Board shows only the clients you’re actually working: anyone marked Inquiry, Consult or Booked in your pipeline, anyone with an upcoming session, or anyone whose first workflow step you’ve checked off. A brand-new inquiry drops in the moment you set their status — and your past clients stay tucked in your Clients list, not cluttering the board. Need the full view? Tick Show all clients up top and everyone’s right back. Your clients and their steps are untouched. (Thank you, Kristina — 701 clients in one column was a lot! \ud83d\ude05) \ud83e\udd0d
Newsletters now greet each person by name
Type Hi {first_name}, at the top of a newsletter and every subscriber gets their own name filled in when it sends — not a blank. You can use {client_name}, {partner}, even {children} too, and they personalize per person. Tap the fields above the message to drop them in; the Preview shows a sample name so you can see it working. A warmer newsletter in one small tap. \ud83e\udd0d
Customize your contracts with fill-in fields
Open a contract template and scroll to Signing fields to add exactly what you need — initials lines, a date, a checkbox to agree to a specific clause (like your retainer policy), a short answer, or extra signature lines. Reorder them, and they appear on the contract your client signs, the preview, and the printed copy. Your existing contracts are untouched. (Thank you, Amber!)
Attach any guide to a workflow email
The attach-a-guide option on an email step is now a full picker. Choose your session-type guide (auto-matches the session) or pick a specific guide straight from your Guides — like your Maternity Prep Guide — and it rides along automatically when that step comes due. Any workflows you’ve already set up keep working exactly as before. (Thank you, Janine!)
Your own Model Call form — goodbye, Jotform
There’s now a built-in Model Call signup form you can embed right on your website — a clean, full-width form in your studio colors that blends into your page. Applicants land straight in your Leads, tagged Model Call, with their session type, dates & details — and if they tick the box, they join your newsletter too. Everyone gets a warm thank-you email automatically. Grab the embed under Leads → Model Call signup form. (Thank you for the idea!)
A confirmation email for new subscribers — in your words
When someone joins from your signup form, they now get a warm confirmation email right away. Write your own under Newsletters → Confirmation email — drop in {first_name} and {studio} and they fill in automatically — or leave it and we’ll send a lovely default. Prefer not to send one? Flip it off with a single switch. We also tightened up the signup form so it only says “You’re on the list!” once you’re truly saved. (Thank you for catching this!)
See who opens & clicks your newsletters
Your newsletters now show real results. Open any newsletter you’ve sent and tap Stats to see how many opened, how many clicked — and the part you asked for — exactly who hasn’t opened yet, so you know who to gently follow up with (or text down the road). New sends are tracked automatically. (Thank you, Kristina!)
Every client list now reads A–Z
Anywhere you pick a client — booking a session, starting an invoice, sending a contract, creating a gallery, adding a to-do — the list now sorts alphabetically by name, so you can find someone fast instead of scrolling. It reads that same friendly order no matter how you’ve sorted your Clients page, and folks without a last name (or a brand-new add) tuck in right where you’d expect them. (Thank you, Crystal!)
Clients can see where they are in the process
Your client portal now shows a friendly progress tracker — Booked → Session → Gallery → Finished — that fills in automatically as things happen (a session gets booked, the shoot passes, a gallery goes up, the balance clears). It answers “where are we?” before they even ask. On by default; toggle it under Brand & settings → Client portal. (Thank you, Kristina!)
Contract preview now shows your color & font (and two fixes)
A few things you asked for: the contract Preview now actually uses your chosen accent color and font, and section headings (the H button) pick up your accent color — on the preview and the real signed contract. We also cleaned up the calendar: cancelled sessions no longer clutter it (they’re still under the “Cancelled” filter on your Sessions page). (Thank you, Amber & Kristina!)
The Board — see where every client is at a glance
There’s a new Board in your menu: a card for each client, sorted into columns that match your workflow steps. As you check off a client’s steps on their profile, their card moves to the next column automatically — or nudge it yourself with the arrows (or drag it on desktop). Customize your workflow and the board reshapes to match. Flip on Hide finished to focus on who still needs you.
A friendly “what’s new” welcome
When we deploy something new, you’ll now get a little pop-up on your next visit showing what changed and where to find it — so you never miss an update. Tap Got it and it won’t show again until the next deploy. You can always revisit everything here on the Updates page.
A tidier menu, and a floating “where am I” tracker
Your day-to-day stays up top (Dashboard, Start here, Clients, Leads, Sessions, Calendar, Invoices, Galleries), and everything else tucks into tidy, collapsible sections — Bookings, Content, Marketing, Setup & more — so the sidebar isn’t overwhelming. And a little workflow tracker floats in the corner showing how far along you are and what’s next; tap it to jump to your workflow, or tap × to tuck it away.
Clearer: there’s no payment link to hunt for
The Send to book screen now tells you exactly how your client will pay. If your Stripe is connected, it confirms they’ll get a Pay button automatically on their portal — you don’t create or paste any link. If Stripe isn’t connected yet, it points you to Session requests → Payments & deposits to turn card payments on. No more wondering where the payment link comes from.
Booking now pulls from your packages & session types
The Send to book screen just got smarter. Your session type and package are now dropdowns pulled straight from your own settings — pick a package and it fills in the amount for you. And you choose whether this payment is a deposit to hold the date or the full payment. Building your workflow now asks that too, so booking defaults to the way you work. Plus: your client gallery now has a clear close button on enlarged photos, so viewers can always get back to the gallery.
The workflow, simplified to how you actually book
We collapsed the confusing separate steps. Now it’s: an inquiry comes in — and right after you add them you choose Save & close (just an inquiry) or Book the client. Booking is one screen that sends the invoice, contract, and payment link (deposit or full) all at once, and they’re marked Pending until they pay and sign. No more doing payment, then contract, then booking as three steps. To load the new flow, open Start here, tap Start over, then Use the recommended flow.
Send to book — payment and contract, together
Booking a client shouldn’t mean juggling a separate invoice and contract. The Send to book step now opens one screen: set the amount to hold the date, pick the contract, and send — and your client gets both in their portal to pay and sign in one place. The booking stays Pending until they’ve done both, then it’s truly booked. You’ll find it as the Send to book button on the booking step, or on any client’s workflow.
Every workflow step is now a real button that does the thing
No more being sent to a page where you can’t act. Each step on your workflow now opens the actual form, right there: New inquiry pops open the new-client form, Send payment opens an invoice, Book a session, Send a contract, Send prep, New gallery — each one launches the step for you. Check it off when you’re done and move to the next.
Your workflow now runs each client, step by step
Open any client and you’ll see their workflow — your steps, tracked just for them. Each step has a button that actually does the thing for that client: Book a session, Create invoice, Send contract, Email prep, and so on — already pointed at the right client. Check off each step as you finish it, watch the progress bar fill, and Reset when you start the next family. Start here still defines your flow; the client’s page is where you run it.
Check off your workflow — and never lose your place
Your workflow now has a checkmark on every step and a progress bar, so you can tick off where you are with a client and see how far along you are at a glance. There’s a Start fresh for a new client button to reset, and a little workflow card right on your dashboard showing what’s next — tap it to jump back in. We also added a note on invoices: if your Stripe is connected, you can leave the payment link blank — clients get a Pay button automatically.
Build a workflow that fits how you work
On Start here, tap Build my workflow and answer five quick questions — when clients pay, when they sign, whether you send questionnaires or prep, whether you sell prints — and we lay out your client flow in your order. Reorder any step with the arrows, turn steps on or off, and jump straight to each one. Brand-new? Tap Use the recommended flow and you’re on the proven path with zero setup. Either way, nobody starts from a blank page.
Clients can keep their own details current
The client portal now has a Your details section where clients can update their own email, phone, and mailing address. It saves straight to their profile in your books — no more chasing people for a new number or address. (Their name stays yours to manage, so records don’t get scrambled.)
Make the client portal yours
Under Brand & settings → Client portal, you can now add a header image, show your phone number, add an “Email us” button, and a “Book another session” button that links to your booking page. Your clients’ portal now feels like an extension of your studio, not a generic page.
Clients can pay their invoice by card — in one tap
Once your Stripe account is connected, every unpaid invoice on a client’s portal now shows a Pay button. They tap it, pay securely by card, and the invoice marks itself paid automatically — the money goes straight to your account, never through us. No Stripe yet? Your own PayPal or Venmo link still works as before. Connect on Session requests → Payments & deposits.
Start here, rebuilt so it actually guides you
The Start here page now splits into two clear parts: set up your studio once (your brand & packages first, then your templates), then the same simple flow for every client — book, invoice & get paid, contract, the session, gallery, their order & delivery, and how the portal ties it together. Every step has a Take me there link that drops you right onto the matching screen, so there’s no more hunting through the menu.
Send a portal to any client — even a brand-new one
The Send portal and Copy portal link buttons now show on every client’s profile, right from the moment you add them. If a client doesn’t have a portal link yet, we create one for you automatically the first time you send or copy it — so the “seven steps” walkthrough works start to finish with a fresh client.
A "Start here" guide, right in your sidebar
New to My Studio Books, or not sure where a feature fits? There’s now a Start here page at the top of your menu that walks the whole app in seven simple steps — add a client, book a session, invoice, contract, gallery, and how the client portal ties it all together. The short version: you don’t set up anything special to begin; everything else is an optional layer. New accounts get a gentle nudge toward it too.
Email a contract your client can sign online
Open any contract template, tap Use for a client, pick the client, and hit Email. We now drop the contract straight onto their private portal and draft an email with the live link — your client opens it, reads the agreement, ticks “I’ve read and agree,” types their name, and taps Sign. The signed copy lands back on their profile under Signed contracts, ready to view or print. No more “I’ll send it separately.” (Thank you, Heather & Kelli!)
Open your emails straight in Gmail
If your studio email lives in Google, there’s now an Open in Gmail button right beside Open in email in the composer. It opens a fresh Gmail message with everything filled in — no more drafts landing in Outlook. Prefer your desktop mail app? Open in email still works exactly as before. (Thank you, Amanda!)
Private booking pages with a passcode
Set a Booking passcode on your request page (in Requests) and only people you share the code with can open it — perfect for invite-only or waived-fee sessions. Leave it blank for an open page. (Thank you, Angela!)
Attach a guide to a workflow email
When a workflow step is an email, tick “Also attach my session-type guide” and your matching guide (like a Maternity Prep Guide) rides along automatically when that step comes due. (Thank you, Janine!)
Colour your calendar by session type
Give each session type its own colour in Brand & settings, then flip on “Colour by type” on the Calendar to read your month at a glance. Toggle it off for the usual by-status colours. (Thank you, Debby!)
Email straight from a session
The Email button inside a session’s workspace now opens the composer properly — a little fix so you can fire off a note without leaving the session. (Thank you, Hannah!)
Golden hour — the best light for every shoot
A new Golden hour tab: pick a date and location and see sunrise, sunset, and your morning & evening golden and blue hour windows — so you can book sessions in the prettiest light. (Thank you, Kim!)
Lead workflows & shoot workflows
Workflows now split in two: lead workflows start when someone inquires, and shoot workflows auto-apply the moment a session is booked — each grouped by session type. Set it once and the right steps land on their own. (Thank you, Kristina!)
A workspace for every session
Tap any session to open its own space — that booking’s to-dos, workflow progress bar, and notes together, with edit one tap away. Multiple bookings for the same family stay perfectly separate. (Thank you, Hannah!)
Galleries: favorites, sharing & watermark options
Clients get a View my favorites button in their gallery. You can share a gallery with extra viewers (or a whole set with one person), choose a watermark style (tiled or single, centered), and screenshots are gently discouraged. (Thank you, Christine & Crystal!)
Follow-up reminders on your dashboard
The Leads to follow up panel on your dashboard now watches the follow-up dates you set. Anyone who’s due (or overdue) jumps to the top with a little reminder, so no enquiry quietly slips through the cracks. (Thank you, Janine!)
Jump from a session to the full client
Open any session and tap View client to land on that client’s whole profile — their sessions, invoices, galleries, to-dos, and notes, all in one place — where you can hop right back into editing this or any of their sessions. (Thank you, Kimberly!)
Add lots of clients to a list at once
No more opening every profile one by one. On your Clients page tap Select, tick everyone you want, then Add to newsletter list or Add a label (like “Santa waitlist”) in a single go. Perfect for grouping last year’s clients before a send. (Thank you, Kristina!)
A real Leads pipeline & reporting
New Leads tab in your sidebar. Set a client’s pipeline status (now with Lost / cold), where they came from (Instagram, referral, Google…), a follow-up date, and a lost reason. The Leads page then shows your whole pipeline at a glance — enquiries, booked, lost, your conversion rate, which sources actually book, and any follow-ups that are due so no enquiry slips through. (Thank you, Janine & Hannah!)
Snap a photo of your receipt
Logging an expense? You can now add a receipt photo right on it — snap it with your phone or upload one. It’s saved with the expense (look for the little receipt icon in your list) so everything’s ready come tax time. (Thank you, Kristina!)
Each session’s to-dos, on their own
When a client books more than once, their workflows used to pile into one long list. Now every session has its own view: from the Sessions list (or when you open a session) tap the checklist icon to see just that booking’s to-dos — check them off, add one, or apply a workflow, all in that session’s own space. (Thank you, Hannah!)
Our community, one tap away
There’s a new Community button up top that takes you straight to our Facebook group — where all the ideas, questions, and updates live. Come say hi. \uD83D\uDC9B
Mini bookings & sessions stay in sync
They now talk to each other both ways. Free a mini time slot and that client’s session is cancelled too, so it drops off your Sessions list and calendar. Cancel or delete a session that came from a mini, and its time slot reopens for the next family. (Moving a booking already updated the session — now the whole loop is closed.) (Thank you, Kristina!)
Send a client their portal in one tap
Open any client and tap Send portal — it drafts a warm email with their private portal link and a tidy list of their upcoming sessions (dates and times) already filled in. Tweak if you like, then send. (Thank you, Kristina!)
Add a client without leaving the session
Creating a session for someone new? Tap + New client right under the client picker, pop in their name (email and phone optional), and they're added and selected on the spot — no more leaving to set them up first. (Thank you, Hannah!)
A calmer to-do count
Your dashboard To-dos number now shows what’s due this week (including anything overdue), not your entire all-time list — so the number actually means “here’s what needs you.” (Thank you, Hannah!)
Your currency, everywhere
Set your currency symbol in Brand & settings (£, €, $, anything) and it now carries through your discount codes and gift cards too — not just invoices. (Thank you, Ashton!)
Gift cards — issue & track
A new Gift cards tab. Issue a card (generate a code, set the amount, note who it’s for and who bought it), and the balance updates as it’s used. Redeem one right on an invoice with the Gift card field, or record a redemption by hand — each card keeps its own history. Great for cards you sell in person, by phone, or through your own payment link. (Letting clients buy one online and pay through the app is coming with payments.)
One-tap birthday & re-book notes
Your dashboard already spots who’s due — a client’s birthday coming up, a family it’s been about a year since you saw, a little one turning one. Now tapping Send a note, Invite back, or Reach out opens a warm, ready-to-send email with their name already in it. Tweak a line if you like, then send. (Hands-off sending while you sleep is a bigger piece we’re building toward — for now this finds them and writes it, you tap send.)
Locations — your scouting library
A new Locations tab to get those go-to spots out of your head. Save a place with its address, notes (parking, best light, which season), and a few reference photos — tag it as one you use or one you want to try. Then when you’re planning sessions, it’s all right there, ready to grab. (Thank you, Tracy, for the idea!)
Discount codes on invoices
Run a promo without doing the math. Create codes under Manage codes on any invoice — a dollar amount or a percentage off — then just type the code and tap Apply. Switch a code off any time to pause it without deleting. (Codes for your booking pages are coming next.)
Upgrade one client without redoing the session
The last piece of Christine’s wish list. In a mini’s Days & times, tap any booked spot to open it \u2014 you can switch that one client to a different package, adjust their price, or jot a note like “added 5 bonus images.” It only touches that single booking; your mini and everyone else’s spots stay exactly as they are. Perfect for VIP perks and one-off thank-yous.
Add a bonus to any mini package
The second half of Christine’s idea \u2014 you can now add a bonus to any mini package, like “5 complimentary images.” It shows right on the package your clients choose, with a little sparkle, so your early-bird or VIP offer feels special. Pair it with the early-bird limit and your first few bookings get the lower price and the bonus, automatically.
Clearer gallery preview
When you preview a client gallery and it can’t open, the page now tells us exactly why instead of a vague message — so if a link ever misbehaves, we can pinpoint and fix it fast. Your clients never see any of this; it only shows when you’re previewing.
Early-bird pricing on mini sessions
Run a flash sale or reward your fastest bookers without juggling separate links. On any mini package you’ll now see “offer only for the first ___ bookings.” Set, say, your $195 package to the first 3 \u2014 once three spots are claimed it steps aside automatically and the next family sees your regular price. While it’s live, your clients see a gentle “only 2 left at this price” nudge. One link, no spreadsheets. (Thank you, Christine, for the idea!)
Watermarks on your client galleries
Your proofs are now protected. When a client opens their gallery — and when they tap a photo full screen — your studio name now sits gently across each image, so your work stays yours while they choose their favorites. It’s on for every shared gallery, and your clean, watermark-free files are still yours to deliver however you like.
Feature a Photographer — photos load again
A few of you told us the Feature a Photographer form opened the file picker but never actually placed your photo — the slots stayed empty no matter what you chose. That’s fixed now: pick your images and they drop right into place, ready to submit. Thank you for flagging it.
Auto-save while you work
Your Brand & settings and Session requests pages now save themselves a moment after you stop typing — you’ll see a quiet “✓ Saved” note. Your Save buttons still work exactly as before; this just means a stray click or refresh won’t cost you your work.
Label your clients
Give clients labels like Sport, Newsletter, or VIP — type them on any client, or assign one to a whole CSV import at once. Labels show on each client, and a new filter bar lets you view just one list at a time. Perfect for keeping separate groups, well, separate.
See new selections at a glance
When a client submits their favorites, that gallery now shows a little “new picks” badge right on its cover in your Galleries list — so you can spot who’s waiting without opening each one. The badge clears once you’ve marked the selection as seen.
Clients can send you their favorites
After a client hearts the photos they love, a clear Submit to your photographer button appears. They add their name and email, and their list comes straight to you — you’ll get an email and see every selection inside that gallery, with the exact photos they picked. No more “where do I click to send these?”
Tidier packages & clearer gallery picks
Package descriptions now keep your line breaks on the booking page — lists and spacing show exactly as you wrote them, no more wall of text. And in client galleries, the heart now clearly means “favorite,” with a note that their picks are saved as they tap.
A calmer Session requests page
Your request-a-session settings are now grouped into clear, spaced sections — Share your page, your welcome message, session types, and custom questions — so nothing feels crowded. The embed code tucks away under a tidy toggle until you need it.
Disconnect Stripe anytime
A Disconnect button now sits on Payments & deposits once you’re connected. It removes the Stripe link here so deposits pause — your Stripe account itself stays untouched, and you can reconnect whenever you like.
Deposits ready for the real world
The Pay deposit step now appears only once your Stripe account is fully connected and ready to accept cards — so a client never lands on a pay button before your studio is set up to receive it. Connect once on Payments & deposits, finish the quick Stripe steps, and your minis are ready to take deposits straight into your account.
Deposit reliability fix
The deposit amount and the Pay deposit step now read from a reliable source, so they show up whenever a mini has a deposit set — the amount appears on the booking page and the pay step appears after a client grabs their slot.
Deposits show up front
When a mini has a deposit, clients now see the amount right on the booking page, and the Pay deposit step appears after they grab their slot — as long as the mini has a deposit set.
Take deposits at booking
You can now connect your own Stripe account and collect a deposit when a client books a mini. Look for Payments & deposits on your Session requests page — connect once, and any mini with a deposit shows a Pay deposit step after booking. The money goes straight to your account; we never touch it.
Clients can favorite their photos
In their gallery, clients now tap a ♥ on the images they love — their picks are saved automatically. When you open that gallery, every favorited photo is marked with a heart, so you know exactly which ones to retouch, print, or build their album around. The first step toward a full gallery store.
Not sure what to write? Need ideas.
On your request-a-session page, the welcome message now has a Need ideas? button. Tap it for a warm, ready-to-use message you can keep or tweak — tap again to see another. No more staring at a blank box.
Brand your contracts
Each contract template can now carry its own accent color and font, and your logo now sits at the top of the contract clients sign on the booking page. Set the color and font right in the template editor — they flow onto the contract you print or email.
Format your contracts
Your contract editor now has formatting: bold, italics, underline, section headings, bullet lists, and centered lines. Select text and tap a button (or type **bold**, *italics*, ## Heading, - bullets). Tap Preview to see exactly how it’ll read on the signed contract — both the page clients sign and the copy you print or email.
Get an email when someone books
The moment a client books one of your minis, you get a little heads-up email — who booked, which mini, and when — so you’re never caught off guard. (The booking already lands in your studio automatically; this just taps you on the shoulder.)
Newsletter signup form — now it actually works
The embed in your Newsletter section is real now. Paste it on your website (Squarespace, Wix, Showit…) and visitors who enter their name & email land straight in your Newsletter subscribers list — branded in your studio name and colors. It’s a clean, script-free embed, so it won’t choke your site builder.
Newsletter unsubscribe — built in
Every newsletter now carries a tasteful unsubscribe link. When someone opts out they see a warm goodbye, and they’re skipped automatically on every future send. You’ll find everyone who opted out in a new Unsubscribed list in your Newsletter section — keeping you compliant and your sends clean.
Schedule a mini to go live later
Set everything up now and pick a Publish at date & time in the mini’s details. Until then the page shows a warm “opening soon” note — then it opens for booking on its own. Perfect for a Christmas-in-July mini you want to drop on a certain day. Also fixed your social link preview so sharing mystudiobooks.com shows your logo, not a placeholder.
Booking confirmation emails
When a client books a mini, they now get a warm confirmation email in your studio name — their session, date, time and location, all in writing — so the details land in their inbox, not just on screen.
Set a closing time on a mini
In a mini’s details you can now set an optional Booking closes date & time. After that moment the booking page politely shows it’s closed and stops taking new bookings — perfect for “reserve by Friday” minis and Santa sessions. Leave it blank and nothing changes.
New smart field: your booking link
Drop {booking_link} into any email or newsletter and it fills in with your studio’s “request a session” booking link — no more pasting it by hand. It’s in the smart-field chips below your message, right alongside {signature} and {studio_phone}.
Embed your mini booking page on your own site
Open any mini’s Days, times & share screen and you’ll find a new Embed box. Copy that snippet into your website builder — Squarespace, Wix, WordPress, Showit — and your booking page lives right on your site, on your domain. It sizes itself to fit and always shows your latest times.
Feature a Photographer — fixed
Two fixes here: photos now upload when you add your six images (the uploader was saving to the wrong place), and there’s a clear “Back to My Studio Books” button so you can step out of the form any time without feeling stuck.
Galleries loading again
Fixed a hiccup where a shared gallery could refuse to open with a “couldn’t load” message. The gallery page is now hardened so a single missing detail can’t take down the whole gallery — your clients’ links open reliably.
Mini sessions — three fixes from your testers
Simpler signing: clients now sign your contract with the name they already entered — no confusing second name box. Free a time: if someone cancels, tap the × on their slot to reopen it for the next family. Back-to-back welcome: a new switch on each mini lets the same person book more than once — perfect for Santa or family sessions. (Off by default.)
Duplicate a mini
Run the same minis every season? Tap Duplicate on any mini and get an exact copy — your price, packages, sample photos, questionnaire and contract all carried over — ready as a fresh draft. Just add your new dates and publish. No more rebuilding from scratch.
One booking per person
A gentle guard so the same email can’t grab several spots in one mini. If someone tries to book twice, they’ll see a warm note pointing them back to their first booking — keeping your sessions fair and your day predictable.
“Spots left” on your mini booking page
Your booking page now nudges clients to act — it shows how many spots are left (with an urgent note when a session is almost full), a count per day, and a warm Fully booked message when every time is taken. A little scarcity helps your minis fill faster.
Pick your mini\u2019s cover photo
In a mini\u2019s sample photos, hover any image and tap Set cover to make it the big hero photo at the top of your booking page. The current cover is marked with a \u2605 Cover badge.
Sign-to-book contracts on minis
Attach any of your contract templates to a mini session. Clients read it and type their name to sign before the Book button unlocks — and a filled, signed copy (with the date) is saved on the booking and noted on the session. No more chasing signatures after the fact.
Add a questionnaire to your minis
Attach any of your saved questionnaires to a mini session and clients answer it right while booking. Their answers land on the auto-created session notes, so everything you need is waiting for you before the shoot.
Move a mini booking to another time
Need to shuffle a client? In a mini’s time slots, tap the move arrows on any booked time, then tap an open one. The booking hops over, the old time frees up, and their session date & time update automatically.
Clearer mini booking links
A mini’s booking link now stays greyed out with a “Publish above to activate this link” note until you publish it — so you never share a link that isn’t live yet.
A bigger, more beautiful booking page
Your mini booking page got an editorial refresh — a large cover photo, a bold title, and a roomy, magazine-style layout. Your first sample photo becomes the cover automatically, and everything reads bigger and warmer for your clients.
Clients can add their mini to their calendar
Right after booking, clients now get Add to Google Calendar and Apple / Outlook buttons on their confirmation — their time, date, and your location, saved to their own calendar in one tap. Fewer no-shows, no extra work for you.
Mini sessions: sample photos + packages
Your mini booking pages can now show off sample photos and offer multiple packages clients choose from. Add samples and packages from the mini editor — clients see your work, pick the package they want, and the price flows onto their session automatically.
Mini bookings flow straight into your studio
When a client books a mini-session slot, My Studio Books now creates a client and a session for you automatically — dated, timed, and ready in your Sessions and Calendar. Returning clients are matched by email, so you won’t get duplicates.
Mini sessions — clients book their own time
Set up a mini-session day, add bookable time slots, publish, and share the link. Clients see your open times, grab the one they want, and it locks instantly — no double-booking, no back-and-forth. Find it under Mini sessions in your sidebar.
Image SEO
Add alt text, keywords, and a description to any gallery photo — hover a thumbnail and tap SEO. Your alt text now travels with the image on shared galleries, so they read better for search engines and screen readers.
Password reset, polished
Reset emails now arrive from your own studio name, and the reset link takes you straight to choosing a new password — no more dead ends.
A welcome page for your galleries
Your clients now arrive at a warm, branded welcome before they step into their gallery — a gentle intro to viewing their images and reaching you for prints and albums. It shows once, then remembers them. Turn it on or off and set a default message in Brand & settings — or write a personal note for one client right in the gallery editor.
Your signature, in newsletters too
The email signature you save in Brand & settings now works in newsletters — type {signature} (or tap the field below the message) and it fills in when you send, right alongside {studio_name}, {studio_phone}, and more.
The Workflow Wizard
Not sure what a full client workflow should even look like? In Workflows, tap Build with the guide, answer a few quick questions about how you shoot, book, and deliver, and your whole timeline — every email, reminder, and to-do — is laid out for you, ready to tweak and save.
Workflows, leveled up
Steps can now be days, weeks, or months before or after a session — perfect for wedding sequences like 6 months out. Reorder steps with up/down arrows, duplicate a whole workflow for a new session type, and apply one right from the Sessions tab.
Smarter emails — smart fields & a saved signature
Drop in fields like {first_name}, {session_date}, {session_time}, and {studio_phone} and they fill in with the client’s info when you send. Save an email signature once and insert it anywhere with {signature}. And the template dropdown is now grouped by your categories.
Newsletters got beautiful
Add a photo and a button to any newsletter, and it goes out as a branded email in your studio name and colors. Hit Preview to see exactly how it'll land in inboxes.
Email & newsletters now send — for real
Send a newsletter to your whole list, your subscribers, a session type, or a custom VIP tag — right from inside your studio, from your own verified domain, with replies coming back to you.
Custom questions on your booking page
Ask for exactly what you need per session type — a venue for weddings, a contact preference for portraits — and the answers arrive right on the request.
Client tags & VIP lists
Group clients into your own lists — like a VIP group for first dibs on minis — then send a newsletter to just that tag.
Expense & mileage tracker
Log expenses and mileage as they happen — they total up by year and category, with an estimated mileage write-off, so tax time is already done.
Your client profile is now a command center
Open any client and check off their to-dos, fire off a chase email, add new tasks, and manage their newsletter status — all without leaving their profile.
Private sessions & session end times
Flip any session type to Private so it stays off your public booking link, and add an end time so events block the full span on your calendar.
Coming next
On the workbench. Have an idea? Tell me in the beta group 💛
Smarter workflow automations
Pause, resume, or stop a running workflow, plus if/then branching — so a client who doesn’t reply can drop into a different follow-up.
Image SEO
Add keywords, alt text, and descriptions to the images you use across your studio, website, and sessions.
Online payments
Take deposits and payments right on your invoices, and let client coupon codes work at checkout.
Clients choosing images for online sales
Let clients favorite and order their photos right in the gallery.
A welcome email that sends itself
When someone subscribes through your signup form, a warm welcome note goes out automatically — no clicks from you.
More newsletter layouts
A few more designed looks to choose from — stacked photo-and-text blocks and more — for newsletters with extra polish.
Log your business expenses and mileage as they happen, so end-of-year write-offs are already done. Everything stays private to your studio.
Outstanding
$0
awaiting payment
Collected
$0
marked paid
—
Flag a contact
Private — clients never see thisWent cold
leads & clients who went quietDo not book
private — clients never see thisWhen you open a session for a flagged contact, a heads-up appears automatically so you (or anyone on your team) catch it before booking — nothing relies on remembering.
Your scouting library. Save the spots you shoot — address, notes, and reference photos for different seasons — so when you’re planning, it’s all in one place instead of in your head.
Plan your light. Enter a place and a date to see sunrise, sunset, golden hour, and blue hour \u2014 so you can book the session at the prettiest time of day.
Don\u2019t know the coordinates? Open Google Maps, right-click your spot, and the first line is the latitude, longitude.
Issue and track gift cards you sell — the balance updates as each one is redeemed. Perfect for cards sold in person, by phone, or through your own payment link. Letting clients buy one online and pay through the app is coming with payments.
Total referrals
0
sent by other clients
Top referrer
—
no referrals yet
Thank-yous pending
0
rewards not yet given
Top referrers
Thank-you tracker
Where clients come from
Write once and send to the people already in your books — import a list, pick an audience, and the recipient list builds itself from your contacts.
Your lists
import & organize your audienceLists come from tags on your contacts. Import a list from Flodesk or any other tool and name it (like “Seniors” or “Children”), or open any contact and add a tag — then send straight to that list below.
Compose
Insert a field — it fills in when you send:
Add a button (optional)
Recent newsletters
drafts & scheduledNewsletter signup form
embedPaste this on your website and visitors subscribe straight into your books — they land in your Newsletter subscribers list, ready for your next send.
Confirmation email
sent when someone subscribesA warm note that goes out automatically the moment someone joins from your signup form. Type {first_name} and {studio} anywhere and they fill in when it sends.
Unsubscribed
0Every newsletter includes an unsubscribe link. Anyone who opts out is listed here and skipped automatically on future sends.
A prep guide for every session type, in your brand voice. Write your own, or let AI draft a starting point — then turn on the ones you want. Auto-sending and PDF uploads arrive with the workflow + file-storage backend; the guide content you build here is ready for them.
Your session guides
tap a type to write or draft itBuild and AI-draft them now; sending them to clients arrives with the email backend. For now, “Email to a client” drops the questions into a ready email.
Apply a workflow to a session and every step lands in To-dos with the right dates. Email steps become a to-do with your draft ready — they'll send themselves once the email backend is live.
Model Call signup form
embedPaste this on your website (Squarespace, Wix, Showit…). Everyone who applies lands right here in your Leads, tagged Model Call — with their session type, dates & details. If they tick the box, they also join your newsletter list. It’s a clean, script-free embed, so it won’t choke your site builder.
Set up a mini-session day, add bookable time slots, publish, and share the link. Clients grab an open time and it locks instantly — no double-booking. Every booking drops a client and session into your studio automatically.
Payments & deposits
Connect your Stripe account to collect deposits at booking. The money goes straight to you — never through us.
Your welcome message (optional)
Booking passcode (optional)
Set a code and only people you share it with can open your booking page — great for invite-only or waived-fee sessions. Leave blank for an open page.
Session types clients can request
Toggle which types show on your public booking page. Switch one to Private to keep it off — perfect for waived-fee or invite-only sessions. New types you add in Brand & settings start off until you turn them on.
Custom questions (optional)
Ask for extra details when someone requests a session — a wedding venue, how they’d like to be contacted, anything. Target a question to one session type, or show it on every request.
Away / out of office
Requests
Studio details
Logo
No logo yet
PNG or JPG, ideally under 500 KB.
Brand voice
Session types
The types you can choose when creating a session — one per line. Delete any you don't offer and add your own.
Calendar colours
Give each session type its own colour, then flip on “Colour by type” on the Calendar.
Packages
Add packages under each session type. They save automatically and appear on a session once you pick that type.
Brand colors
Pick a color, or type/paste a hex like #B06A4A. Tap any saved color's code to edit it.
Brand keywords
Client-facing
Turn off to keep this brand\u2019s clients separate \u2014 they won\u2019t appear when you\u2019re viewing another brand.
Show my logo on invoices
Adds your logo to printed & PDF invoices
Use my brand color on invoices
Accents headings & the Pay button with your first brand color
Watermark client galleries by default
Saved now, applies when galleries launch
Show a welcome page on client galleries
A warm intro screen before clients enter their gallery
Client portal
Personalize the private page your clients see.
Show your phone number
Displays your studio phone at the bottom of the portal
Show an “Email us” button
Opens a new email to your studio address
Show a “Book another session” button
Links to your public booking page (turn booking on under Requests)
Show a progress tracker
Clients see where they are: Booked → Session → Gallery → Finished
Photos are optimized to a crisp web size on upload, so galleries load fast and stay light on storage. Shareable client links (a clean, no-login view your clients open) and downloads + favorites are the next two phases.