We all know that running your own business, especially a photography business, means that half the time spent on the actual photography & editing, and the rest of the time (and sometimes even more) managing client bookings, invoices, emails, logistics, etc.
When my business started to take off, I was trying to keep on top of all of my sessions in an Excel sheet, but it just wasn’t working. In peak summer season, I have several shoots per day multiple times per week, and I was getting lost and honestly, not providing the client experience that my clients deserved.
That’s when I started to look at different studio management software for photographers. At the time, I looked at Sprout Studio, Tave, Honeybook, Dubsado, 17Hats, Pixieset and tested them all out. I tried a free trial account on them and tested them using a few sessions. In the end, I chose Sprout Studio and I’ve been using it for almost 2 years now.
Why I Chose Sprout Studio
What I like the most about Sprout Studio is that it’s a studio management software that’s made specifically for photographers. A lot of the other studio management software were more like client management software for creatives and were missing the galleries, the session scheduling and the email templates.
On the other hand, I also tested Pixieset, which I still use for my galleries sometimes, but it really didn’t have as many studio management features as Sprout Studio.
The Features that Really Make a Difference for Me
Booking proposals
Let’s start off with the booking process. When someone reaches out to me and asks to book a session, I can send them a custom proposal that displays on a beautiful page with my business’ branding. Creating it is pretty quick: I just select the premade template that I set up, select the session type from my pricing list and everything else is filled out for me, including the automatic emails that the client will receive and the payment links. They can sign my contract and pay their deposit using this link and it’s integrated with Stripe (and Paypal).
Calendar integration
One of the most important things for me was being able to integrate Sprout Studio with my google calendar so that I could see if there were any sessions that were booked on a certain day (or where the proposal was sent out).
Pricing for different types of sessions
I am both a portrait photographer and a wedding photographer, which means that I have a lot of different packages. What I like about Sprout Studio is that I can set up all of these packages ahead of time, including the title, description, price, tax (or no tax) and this information can be automatically inserted into my booking page, contract, invoices and automatic emails.
Automatic emails
Speaking of automatic emails, this was a real game-changer for me. I send a lot of emails to confirm that the session is booked, payment reminders, location reminders, tips for the session, link to the gallery, link to download photos, gallery expiration, etc. During peak season when I’m barely keeping my head above water just taking photos and editing, that’s where these automatic emails are a lifesaver! They’re also connected to my gmail, which makes it easy to keep track of them.
Questionnaires
This is another feature that made my life so much easier. I tried so many ways of sending client questionnaires before a wedding and it was always a headache. With Sprout Studio, I use a template that I customize for each couple. It’s linked directly with their wedding in my system and they get automatic reminders if they haven’t filled it out, and I get an automatic email once they do.
Online galleries
This is probably the top reason that I chose Sprout Studio over any of the other studio management software out there. The fact that I can have custom photo galleries for my clients is crucial. They’re linked directly to each session and my clients get the same user experience as they do when booking my session. They also get all the automatic reminders, so it saves me the hassle of chasing them down to get their list of favourites.
Reporting
Sprout Studio has quite a few reports to see your earnings, as well as any upcoming or overdue payments. You can also view your top sales by session or type of product.
Other features
I just covered the main features that I use every day in my business but Sprout Studio has a lot of other features, such as email campaigns, album proofs approval, mini session bookings, etc.
Quick Overview of Sprout Studio
The Pros
- Studio management software made for photographers
- Full online galleries that are connected to client sessions
- Lots of automations (workflows, emails, invoicing)
- Very customizable
- Integration with Gmail, website contact forms, Stripe, Zapier
The Cons
– There’s no free plan, although you can do a trial for 14 days
– The reporting feature is fairly light
– Sprout Studio is only available in English, although you can customize your templates to be in other languages
Sprout Studio Referral Code / Discount / Coupon
If you’re ready to give Sprout Studio a try, just click this link to get 20% off of your subscription.
