A user guide for building photography estimates, from first setup to a bid your client can sign.
Open studio_bid_sheet_v2.html in Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox. The tool runs entirely in your browser. There is nothing to install and no account to create.
The first time you open it, the Studio Setup panel is already expanded. Fill it in once, and the tool remembers your details on that computer. After that, the panel stays collapsed at the top of the page, and its header line shows your studio name, website, and whether an AI key is saved.
The page has three parts:
Click Studio Setup to open the panel. Every field saves automatically as you type, so there is no save button to press.
Your studio name, address, phone, email, website, and newsletter link. Anything you leave blank is left off the bid.
| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| Full day | Your rate for a full day of shooting. Multiplied by the number of days on the project. |
| Half day | Your rate for a half day. Multiplied by the number of days. |
| Per hour | Your hourly rate, used when the shoot length is set to Hourly. |
| Base rate | A fixed amount added to hourly and library bids. Full day and half day bids do not include it. |
| Library shoot multiplier | A multiple of your full-day rate, used for library shoots. The default is 2×. |
Your standard fee for advertising use and for editorial use. When you pick a license type on a bid, the license fee field fills in from these numbers. You can change the amount for any single job.
Your per-image retouching rate, the number of miles included before mileage is charged, and your rate per mile beyond that allowance.
Sales tax and VAT percentages apply to the subtotal. Leave them at zero if they don't apply to your work. The deposit percentage sets the deposit line on each bid. Bid validity sets how many days after the bid date the estimate stays valid.
The paragraph that prints at the bottom of every bid. The default text covers scope changes and license limits. Have a lawyer or your accountant review it before you send bids to clients.
Enter your Anthropic API key and the model name here. The key is only needed for the Write Overview button. Everything else in the tool works without it.
Fill in the project form from top to bottom. You can skip any field that doesn't apply to the job.
Enter the client's name and email, the project name, and an optional project number. Set the bid date, which defaults to today, and the proposed start date. Describe the subject (what is being photographed) and the treatment (lighting, mood, and styling direction). Both descriptions feed the overview.
Select the shoot types and set types that apply. Then choose the shoot length:
Enter the number of final images and describe the deliverables, such as file types, RAW files, or web sizes. The deliverables text appears on the bid.
Select how the images will be used. Then pick a license type: Advertising, Editorial, Both, or None. The fee fills in from Studio Setup. Enter the term and territory, such as "12 months, North America." Edit the fee if this job needs a different amount.
Enter a fee in any extras row to add it to the bid. Leave a row blank to keep it off the bid. The next section covers each group.
Write or generate the project overview, enter payment terms, and add any notes the client should see. The "valid until" date updates from your bid date and your validity setting.
Extras are grouped the way they appear on the bid.
| Group | Lines |
|---|---|
| Crew and talent | Stylist, assistants, digital tech, models, makeup artist, wardrobe, props and set build |
| Production | Equipment rental, studio rental, location fee, permits, scouting, craft services, travel, liability insurance, product insurance, and mileage |
| Post and rights | Moodboard, motion or video, licensed music, royalty-free music research, and retouching |
Mileage is entered as total miles. The tool subtracts your free allowance and charges your per-mile rate on the rest. For example, with a 25-mile allowance and a rate of $0.75 per mile, a 40-mile trip adds $11.25.
Retouching is entered as the number of images. The tool multiplies that count by your per-image rate from setup.
The overview is the set of paragraphs that describe the project on the bid. You can write it yourself or let the tool draft it.
To draft it, click Write Overview. The tool sends the facts you entered (client, subject, treatment, shoot type, usage, license, and deliverables) to Claude and returns two or three paragraphs. No prices are sent, and the model is asked not to add details that aren't in your facts.
If you don't have an API key, the button will ask you to add one in Studio Setup. You can type the overview by hand instead.
Click Generate Bid in the bottom bar. A bid panel slides in from the right. Review the line items and totals. Then use one of these buttons:
To start a new bid, click Clear. The tool asks for confirmation first. Clearing removes the project fields but keeps your Studio Setup.
The tool does all the math in code, not in the AI. Every line on the bid is shown with its amount.
The totals bar at the bottom updates as you type, so you can check the number before you generate the bid.
Your studio settings and your bids stay in the browser on this computer. The tool doesn't send them to a server of its own.
The Write Overview button sends the project facts listed above to Anthropic, using your API key. Your key is stored only in this browser. Anyone who uses this computer with access to the browser could read it, so don't use the tool on a shared computer, and don't put the file in a shared folder with your key saved.
If you prefer not to use the AI feature, leave the API key blank. Everything else still works.
The Generate Bid button does nothing, or I see a message about rates.
Enter a day, half day, hourly, or library rate in Studio Setup, or add an extra with an amount. A bid needs at least one line with a value.
The totals don't match what I expected.
Check the shoot length you selected. Only the rate for that length is used, and the base rate applies only to hourly and library shoots. Also check that the license fee and each extra have the amount you intended.
Write Overview says the API key is missing or failed.
Open Studio Setup and check the key. It should start with sk-ant-. If the message mentions the model, check the model name in Studio Setup. You can always type the overview by hand.
Print / PDF does nothing.
Your browser may be blocking pop-ups. Allow pop-ups for this file, then click the button again.
Copy for Email pastes as plain text.
Some browsers and email programs don't accept formatted pasting. Use Copy Text instead, or use Print / PDF and attach the file.
My settings disappeared.
Settings are saved in the browser. They can be lost if you clear your browsing data, switch browsers, or use a private window. Re-enter them in Studio Setup.