Photography Client Intake Form Template
Learn what a photography client is really hoping for — shoot type, usage, dream shots, and the budget beyond the session fee — before quoting a session.
Every great shoot is planned twice: once in your head, once in ours. Tell us what you're imagining and we'll build the plan.
Photographers quote blind more often than any other creative trade: "how much for photos?" contains no session type, no usage, no scale. This intake replaces that message with the five facts that actually price a shoot — and it quietly starts the shot plan at the same time.
Subjects, then purpose. Who is being photographed sets the human logistics: children and pets change session pacing, a twelve-person team changes lighting and location. Where the photos will live is secretly the licensing question — keepsake portraits, website content, and press usage are different products with different value, and asking early keeps the rights conversation from arriving later as a surprise invoice line. Shoot type plus setting completes the operational triangle: studio, client location, or outdoors decides gear, permits, and daylight math.
The dream-shots field is the creative contract. Clients rarely volunteer their mental image unprompted, then measure the gallery against it anyway. Asking directly surfaces the reference board hiding inside every enquiry. The answer feeds your shot list, flags impossibilities early (golden-hour dreams with lunchtime availability), and becomes the shared reference when you deliver exactly what was described. Replies that quote a client's own dream-shot language back to them convert conspicuously well, because the reply proves someone read.
Budget beyond the session fee. The extras question deliberately separates session pricing from print, album, and edit spend. It teaches clients those categories exist — many genuinely do not know — and tells you whether to prepare a full product menu or keep the quote lean. "Session fee only" is a respectable answer, and offering it keeps the field honest instead of aspirational.
Not asked here. Contract clauses, model-release language, payment logistics — those belong in the confirmation flow after both sides say yes, and a consent-style form with a signature block handles releases properly. Also skipped: gear-club jargon about focal lengths and film looks that reads as a quiz to normal humans.
Who uses it. Portrait and family photographers link it from the enquiry button. Brand photographers send it to marketing managers, where the usage answer earns its keep on every job. Event shooters clone it and swap shoot types for coverage tiers. Keep email notifications on so enquiries reach you between shoots, and answer with a quote plus two shot ideas pulled from the dream-shots field.
Adjustments worth making. Swap the setting options for your actual locations and seasons. Add a file upload block if you want inspiration images attached — JPEG and PNG uploads work out of the box. Running seasonal minis? Give the clone a close date in Settings so enquiries stop cleanly when the calendar fills, with a closed message pointing at the next season's list.
Frequently asked questions
Can clients attach inspiration or example photos?
Yes — add a file upload block in the editor. Image formats (JPEG, PNG, WebP) are supported with a per-file limit you can set up to 10MB.
How do I stop intake when my season is fully booked?
Use the close rules in Settings: pick a close date or a response cap, and write a closed message that links to your waitlist or next season.
Can I turn this into an intake for weddings specifically?
There is a dedicated wedding photography intake template with date, venues, and coverage questions — or edit this one's options freely in the editor.
Where do enquiries arrive?
In your responses dashboard, and optionally in your inbox via email notifications. A webhook can also push each enquiry to your studio management tool.