How Booking Works: From Booking to Delivery

One thing I hear a lot from first-time clients is that they weren’t quite sure what happens after they hit “book.” Do they just turn up on the day? How do they see their photos? Who chases who about payment? Fair questions, so here’s the whole thing laid out plainly, start to finish, for a studio session (headshots, portraits, personal branding or dating profile photos). Weddings and corporate work follow a similar shape but start with an enquiry rather than an instant online booking, since every one of those is quoted individually.

1. You book online and pay the booking fee. Pick a slot on the booking calendar and pay a small non-refundable booking fee to secure it (£25 for headshots, portraits and dating profile sessions; £150 for personal branding, since it’s a longer 6-hour session). This isn’t an extra cost on top of your session, it’s simply deducted from your final balance later.
2. You’ll get an email with your portal login. Straight after booking, you’re emailed a password and a link to your own client portal on the site. This is your one place for everything to do with your session, no separate logins or lost paperwork.
3. Sign your paperwork before the day. Inside the portal you’ll find your terms & conditions and, where relevant, a model release form, both signed with a simple on-screen signature, no printing or scanning anything. You’ll also see a copy of your invoice, confirmation of your booking details, and any help guides relevant to your session type, so you know exactly what to expect and how to prepare.
4. We do the shoot. This is the part you’re actually here for. Everything before this point exists so that on the day itself, all you need to think about is the session.
5. Your gallery appears in your portal. After the shoot, I’ll get your proofing gallery ready and a link to it appears in your portal automatically. Log in, browse at your own pace, and pick your favourites, there’s no pressure to decide on the spot.
6. Let me know you’re done. Once you’ve made your selections, there’s a button in the portal, “I’ve Made My Final Selections,” that tells me you’re ready. That’s my cue to prepare your final invoice.
7. You get your final invoice. I’ll send an invoice for the remaining balance, your total minus the booking fee you’ve already paid, with a link to pay securely online. Once that’s settled, I schedule your edits and get to work.
8. Your finished images are delivered. Your final images go out via a secure digital transfer, and a copy of that link is also placed in your portal for safekeeping. It stays live there for 60 days, so if you misplace the original email, you know exactly where to find it again.
9. Your portal doesn’t disappear afterwards. You can log back in any time, view past invoices and galleries, or make a repeat booking without starting from scratch. Handy for anything that needs refreshing every year or two, like LinkedIn headshots or team photos.

Why it’s built this way

Honestly, most of this exists because I got tired of important things living in email threads that get buried. Signed paperwork, invoices, gallery links, they all have one home now, and it’s the same one every time you book with me. It also means if you ever need to check something months later (“did I actually sign the release form?”, “where’s that invoice from March?”), it’s just a login away rather than a dig through your inbox.

A couple of things worth knowing

The booking fee is non-refundable, but it’s not a separate charge, it comes straight off your final balance. If you need to move your date, one complimentary reschedule is offered with more than 48 hours’ notice.

Final images are only released once the balance is paid. This keeps things fair and consistent for every client, and in practice most people pay within a day or two of getting their invoice since it’s a straightforward online link.

The 60-day gallery window is a safety net, not the only copy. Your original delivery email has the same link. If you think you’ll want access for longer than that, just let me know and I can sort something out.