Photography Client Intake Form Template
Learn what a photography client is hoping for before you quote a session. It covers shoot type, usage, dream shots, and the budget beyond the session fee.
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 than any other creative trade, because "how much for photos?" carries no session type, no usage, and no scale. This intake replaces that message with the five facts that price a shoot, and it starts the shot plan while it does.
Subjects, then where the photos live. Who is being photographed sets the human logistics: children and pets change session pacing, and a twelve-person team changes lighting and location. Where the photos will live is the licensing question in disguise, because keepsake portraits, website content, and press usage are different products with different value, and asking early keeps the rights conversation from landing later as a surprise invoice line. Shoot type and setting finish the operational triangle: studio, client location, or outdoors decides gear, permits, and daylight math.
The dream-shots field is the contract. Clients rarely volunteer their mental image, 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 what was described. Replies that quote a client's own dream-shot language back to them convert well, because the reply proves someone read.
Money past the session fee. The extras question separates session pricing from print, album, and edit spend. It teaches clients that those categories exist, since many do not know, and it 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 rather than aspirational.
What the confirmation flow handles. Contract clauses, model-release language, and payment logistics stay off the enquiry, because they belong in the confirmation flow after both sides say yes, where a consent-style form with a signature block handles releases properly. Gear-club jargon about focal lengths and film looks stays off too, since it reads as a quiz to normal humans.
Who sends it, and the swaps that help. 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. Swap the setting options for your locations and seasons, and add a file upload block when you want inspiration images attached, since 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?
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?
A dedicated wedding photography intake template covers date, venues, and coverage questions, or you can 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.