Key takeaways
- Package rates are pulled from the list, not retyped.
- Add-ons and extra hours are billed as lines.
- Crew pay is a cost tagged to the booking.
- Promised delivery dates are measured, not remembered.
A studio's problems are rarely about photographs. They are about a booking taken in a chat thread six months before the shoot, a package that was quoted at last year's rate, three crew members paid in cash on the day, and an edit that was promised in two weeks and delivered in six. PhotoDesk PH puts all four on one booking record, so pricing, collection, crewing and delivery can each be read as a figure.
Pricing that cannot drift
The package list holds the rate, the hours included and the crew needed. A booking names the package and the rate is pulled from the list rather than typed in.
Extra hours are charged at your own extra-hour rate, and every add-on is a line of its own, so a photo booth or a prenup session is never simply absorbed into the package.
Reservations, balances and the day itself
Payments are recorded as reservation, progress, balance or full, all against the same booking, so the paid amount and balance stay correct without a running total in a notebook.
On the shoot day the balance is one figure, and the payment status on the booking says whether it was ever collected.
Crew calls are a cost, not a favour
Each crew call records the role, the hours and the rate per hour, and crew pay is computed. A wedding with four crew for eight hours is a real cost against that booking.
Attendance is recorded on the same row, which matters when a second shooter who did not arrive is nevertheless remembered as having been paid.
The edit is part of the delivery
Every shoot gets an editing job with an editor and a promised date. Days taken counts from the shoot date to the delivery, and the turnover status reads On time, Late, In progress or Overdue.
Overdue jobs are the studio's reputation risk, and they are visible on the dashboard rather than in an apologetic message six weeks later.
Review exceptions every week
Resolve duplicate IDs, missing links, overdue balances, negative amounts, and open operational items in CHECKS before using the dashboard for decisions.
PhotoDesk PH Microsoft Excel Edition is designed for Microsoft Excel 2019 or newer on Windows or macOS.
No photo storage, gallery hosting or client proofing site, no contract or model release generation, no calendar sync, no editing software integration, and no automatic reminders to clients or crew.
Frequently asked questions
Can I price a package differently for one client?
Yes. Keep the package rate as your standard and record the difference as an add-on line, or create a separate package. Both stay on the record.
Does it store the photos?
No. It records the booking, the money, the crew and the delivery dates. Files stay wherever you already keep them.
How is crew pay computed?
From the hours and the rate per hour on each crew call. The total becomes the crew cost on that booking's margin row.
Does this replace official records?
No. No photo storage, gallery hosting or client proofing site, no contract or model release generation, no calendar sync, no editing software integration, and no automatic reminders to clients or crew.
