The emails I send between “you’re booked” and “a year ago today”

When a family books a session, there can be weeks before I meet them.

In that time, they might be wondering what to wear, whether their toddler will cooperate, or whether they’ve made a mistake booking photographs when they hate being in them.

They don’t always ask. Sometimes the first you hear of it is an apology as they arrive.

I want them to feel comfortable with me before we get that far.

Around three quarters of my bookings now come from returning families or recommendations. I can’t tell you how much of that comes down to the photographs and how much comes down to everything around them. But I know the emails matter. People reply to them. They mention them at sessions.

So I thought I’d share what I send, and when.

These are the emails I use in Joanna May Photography. I wrote them myself, and Shoot Suite takes care of sending them around each family’s session. It’s one of the reasons I built it: I wanted to look after people properly without spending every evening checking who needed what.

As soon as they book

The first email is short. Their date, time and place, followed by a link to their own client space, where their session details, contract and guide live.

They’ve just paid me. This is mostly reassurance that the booking has gone through and they know where to find everything.

If they’ve been before, it ends with “It’s lovely to have you back.”

The next day, a proper hello

This only goes to families who haven’t had a session with me before.

I tell them a little about myself. That I’ve been photographing since my son was born. That I’ve never particularly liked having my own photograph taken.

Then I explain what a session with me is actually like. I’m usually watching from the side while they’re busy with their little ones. There’s no saying cheese, and nobody needs to get their children to perform.

Of all the emails I send, this is probably the one I’d keep if I could only have one.

Booking a photographer is quite a personal thing. You’re inviting someone into your family for an hour, sometimes into your home, often when you’re feeling a bit vulnerable. It helps to have heard from the person who’ll turn up.

A contract reminder, if it’s needed

My contracts are signed at checkout, so most families never receive this.

If I’ve added a booking myself and the contract is still unsigned three days later, a reminder goes out.

Once it’s signed, there’s nothing to chase. The same goes for the questions and downloads later on. I don’t want someone getting an email asking them to do something they’ve already done.

Two weeks before, help getting ready

This is where I cover clothes, what to bring and what to expect.

The advice depends on the session. For a newborn family, it might be keeping the house warm and having things for feeds nearby. For a cake smash, it’s why sponge and buttercream are much easier for little hands than fondant.

Two weeks usually leaves enough time to find an outfit without making it another urgent job.

If they book closer to the session, this email goes two days after booking instead.

Ten days before, a few questions

There’s a short questionnaire in their client space. I ask what they’d love from the photographs and a little about their children.

It’s optional. They can still turn up and have a lovely session without filling it in.

But knowing that a child is currently obsessed with dinosaurs, or really doesn’t like having their hands wiped, is useful in a way that a list of requested poses rarely is.

The reminder only goes to families who haven’t answered.

Two days before, the practical bits

The time, directions, my number and anything they need to bring.

I also tell them not to worry if someone is grumpy, hungry or refusing to wear the outfit.

That happens at nearly every session. Some of my favourite photographs have come just after a moment a parent was apologising for.

I’d much rather they arrive knowing I’m expecting children to be children.

And afterwards?

There’s still quite a gap between the session and the finished gallery. I don’t want the last thing a family hears from me to be “lovely to meet you” as I pack the camera away.

The day after, I send a thank you. There’s room for a sentence from me about something that happened during their session. It takes about thirty seconds to write, and it’s often the bit they reply to. If I haven’t added it by seven that evening, the email goes with a default thank you, so they still hear from me.

Halfway through the wait, I send an update. I tell them what’s happening with their photographs and remind them when their gallery will arrive.

On gallery day, they get their link. Along with a favourite photograph, a personal note, what’s included in their session and how to download their images.

Four days later, I send some help with saving them. How to download the whole gallery, keep a copy in two places and share it with family.

Ten days after the gallery arrives, I ask for a Google review. By then, they’ve had time to look through everything.

Before the gallery closes, I remind anyone who hasn’t downloaded. It’s easy to open a gallery on your phone, love the photographs and then leave the saving for another day.

A year later, they get “A year ago today”. Three photographs from their gallery, and a little reminder of how much has changed.

I love the replies that one gets.

What makes this manageable

Reading it all together, it sounds like a lot of emails to keep track of.

It would be, if I were remembering every date myself.

I built Shoot Suite while running my photography business around a full-time job. Sessions at weekends, editing in the evenings. I wanted families to hear from me at the right time, including on the weeks when I had very little time left.

Because the booking, contract, questions and gallery are together, Shoot Suite knows when an email is due and whether it's needed. A returning family skips the introduction. Someone who's answered their questions doesn't get a reminder.

I still write the words. I still add the little details from the session. I just don't have to keep the whole timetable in my head.

Each family also has their own client space, with my photography branding. Their countdown, guide, contract, payments, messages and eventually their gallery are there. The emails take them back to it, so they have one place to look.