Still Bureau
Field notes for a better client experience

A clearer path from setup to shared.

Practical guidance for launching the site, delivering the gallery, and answering the questions that come up along the way.

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Resource index · 04 guides

Build the experience your work deserves.

Start anywhere. Follow what matters.

No jargon required

Every step maps to the product.

Choose a starting point

The shortest route to a polished result.

01

Launch your photography site

Choose a visual direction, shape the home page, organize custom pages, and publish with confidence.

10 minute guide
02

Deliver a client gallery

Prepare a collection, upload files, choose the download experience, and test the intended access path.

7 minute guide
03

Control the delivery path

Choose the audience, keep downloads off until needed, and inspect the exact path the client will use.

8 minute guide
04

Get found and shared

Write useful search details, connect a domain, and make every shared page look intentional.

6 minute guide

Website launch

Build the frame before you fill the walls.

Start with the decisions that affect every page, then move into the details. The live builder lets you see each change in context before publishing.

Explore website features
  1. 1

    Choose a theme

    Pick the visual direction closest to your work; typography, surfaces, spacing, and gallery pacing move together.

  2. 2

    Set the identity

    Add the right logo for light and dark surfaces, select a palette, and write the site name and tagline clients should remember.

  3. 3

    Shape the story

    Edit the home page one section at a time, then create focused pages such as Weddings, Portraits, About, or Travel.

  4. 4

    Finish the details

    Review search titles, descriptions, social links, and the site on both desktop and mobile before sharing it.

Client delivery

Make the handoff feel like part of the experience.

A client gallery should be easy to browse and understand. Still Bureau keeps public presentation and optional uploaded-file delivery in one gallery.

Explore delivery features
  1. 1

    Create the collection

    Give the gallery a useful title, date, location, and description, then decide whether it belongs on a custom portfolio page.

  2. 2

    Upload the files

    Still Bureau creates display files and thumbnails while retaining the uploaded file. All of those files count toward storage, and the studio keeps its own source backup.

  3. 3

    Review the experience

    Check the cover, image order, lightbox, mobile layout, audience, download controls, and any optional watermark before sharing.

  4. 4

    Share one clear path

    After you choose public, password, or personal-invite access and enable the intended downloads, clients can use the gallery without creating a studio account. A personal-invite URL can be forwarded until it expires or is revoked.

New-gallery defaults

Choose the delivery boundary before sharing.

A new Still Bureau gallery begins unpublished, invite-only, non-indexed, and with downloads off. The studio decides which path and permissions fit the job.

Explore delivery controls
  1. 1

    Choose the audience

    Keep personal-invite access, use a password, or deliberately make the collection public. Personal-invite URLs are forwardable.

  2. 2

    Choose the files

    Downloads remain off until you enable single, selection, or full-gallery delivery in web or uploaded-file quality where the dashboard makes each route available.

  3. 3

    Test the exact path

    Open the same personal-invite, password, or public route the client will receive, preferably on a phone.

  4. 4

    Share deliberately

    Send the relevant link only after the audience and download behavior match the job.

Search and sharing

Help the right people recognize the work.

Write for humans first

Use a specific site title, plain-language description, and location details that help a prospective client understand the work.

Use a memorable address

Use the included Still Bureau subdomain, or verify current plan availability before relying on a custom domain.

Inspect the metadata

Still Bureau prepares canonical URLs, social metadata, structured photography data, and sitemap information from the details you provide; network previews can still vary.

Keep ownership clear

Domain verification and owner-only settings control the pieces tied to your public identity and account.

Frequently asked

The details worth knowing.

Clear answers about plans, downloads, storage, domains, privacy defaults, and account changes.

Who is Still Bureau for?

Photographers who want one polished place for their public website, portfolio, client galleries, delivery, and studio work—from weddings and portraits to events, commercial work, travel, and fine art.

Is there a free plan?

Yes. Every account starts with a 14-day trial of the Studio-plan features currently available, with no credit card required. Afterward, the website and gallery workflow remains on Free within its published 5 GB total photo-storage limit. Uploaded files and generated renditions both count. If the account is above that limit, nothing is deleted; new uploads pause until space is cleared.

How do new galleries begin?

Unpublished, invite-only, non-indexed, and with all download options off. The studio explicitly chooses the audience and what clients may download.

Do clients need accounts to view or download?

No. After the studio chooses public, password, or personal-invite access and enables the intended downloads, clients can use the relevant gallery path without creating a Still Bureau studio account. Personal-invite URLs can be forwarded until they expire or are revoked.

What happens if I hit my storage limit?

Uploads pause with a clear message and nothing is deleted. Remove older work before uploading again.

Can I use my own domain?

A Still Bureau subdomain is included on every plan. Custom domains are not included on Free; verify current plan availability before relying on one.

What happens to delivery links if I delete a gallery?

Ordinary gallery links stop working when the underlying gallery and files are deleted. Galleries with protected orders cannot be removed. Account closure has a separate process: buyers keep valid purchased downloads under their original license, expiry, and download limits when you give the continued-delivery instruction shown before closure.

Can I cancel any time?

Yes. Subscription changes are self-service through the billing portal. The site stays online through the paid billing period, and plan-specific features lock afterward.

The best way to learn it

Start with your own work and see the whole system click.

The Studio-plan features currently available are included during the trial. No credit card required.

Start free Explore features

From the bureau

Occasional notes worth opening.

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