Turn a chosen time into an organized job.
Publish services, show real studio availability, collect the right client details, and keep each booking connected to the project that follows.
14-day no-card trial · Booking workflow on Pro after the trial · Website and galleries remain available on Free within published limits
Portrait session · Demo
Fictional service · not customer activity
Thursday, November 12
Booking path
Studio approval
Next state
Request received
The useful definition
What should photography booking software actually do?
It should let a client understand the service, choose a genuinely available time, provide the details the photographer needs, and leave both sides with an explicit status. Then it should keep that booking with the client and project instead of creating another disconnected calendar entry.
From service to project
One public booking path. Six deliberate steps.
Publish the service
01Set the session duration, location, price, availability, notice window, preparation buffers, optional add-ons, and whether the studio must approve each request.
Show available times
02Clients choose from times that fit the service rules, current active bookings, assigned resources, and imported connected-calendar busy intervals.
Collect the useful details
03Ask service-specific intake questions and keep the submitted booking with the contact and a new project instead of reconstructing it from an email thread.
Confirm the right way
04Use instant confirmation, a time-limited studio approval request, or a waitlist. Each state is shown explicitly to the client and studio.
Handle a configured retainer
05When the service requires one and the studio can accept payments through Stripe, the time is held while the client completes secure checkout.
Keep the booking with the job
06The client, project, service, selected time, intake, invoice state, and booking status remain separate records that can be reviewed together.
Honest booking states
A request is not always a confirmation.
Still Bureau keeps availability, approval, payment, and final confirmation distinct so the client sees what has actually happened.
Instant booking
When approval and configured payment are not pending, an available time can be confirmed immediately.
Studio approval
The requested time is held for the configured review window, and the client is told that approval is still required.
Payment pending
When a configured retainer is required, the time is held while secure Stripe checkout is completed.
Waitlisted
For configured limited-capacity sessions, a full time can accept a waitlist entry without charging or reserving the place.
Test a real booking path
Build one service before moving the whole studio.
Use the 14-day no-card trial to configure one current service, inspect its public availability, and submit a controlled test. Booking and studio management begin on Pro after the trial.
- Service and availability rules
- Client intake and add-ons
- Approval, payment, and waitlist states
- Client and project record
Photography booking questions
Know what happens after the click.
Can clients book a photography session without a Still Bureau account?
Yes. A studio can publish active services on its Still Bureau website, and a client can choose an available time and submit the booking form without creating a Still Bureau studio account.
Can I approve bookings before they are confirmed?
Yes. A service can require studio approval. The requested time is held for the configured approval window, and the client is told that the session is not confirmed until the studio approves it. Services that do not require approval can confirm immediately when no configured payment step is pending.
Can Still Bureau collect a retainer?
A service can require a retainer. When Stripe is configured and the studio account can accept payments, Still Bureau holds the selected time while the client completes secure checkout through Stripe. Proposal acceptance, agreement completion, payment, and final booking confirmation are still separate states.
Does connected calendar availability prevent every double booking?
No system can guarantee that. Still Bureau can import accepted connected-calendar busy intervals and use them when calculating availability. Connected Google Calendar can also create, reschedule, or cancel Still Bureau booking events on the connected primary calendar. Studios should still review availability, resources, connection health, and final confirmation.
Which plan includes photography booking software?
Services, client bookings, project records, questionnaires, invoices, reminders, and accepted connected-calendar behavior begin on Pro. New accounts can test the currently available Studio features for 14 days without a card. After the trial, the website and gallery workflow can continue on Free within published limits, while booking and studio management require an eligible paid plan shown on the live pricing page.
Free client-email tool
Put the real booking state into plain language.
Build a confirmation, request-received note, reschedule, or reminder in your browser. Nothing is saved, submitted, or sent.