Your New Favorite Productivity Tool: Session Boards

Photographers are pros at capturing the perfect shot, but keeping track of everything else? That can get messy. That’s where Session Boards come in—your new visual roadmap to staying on top of it all, without the chaos.

What Exactly Are Session Boards?

Think of a Kanban board—a visual productivity tool used by top teams to manage projects. Now, we’ve brought that magic to Session for photographers like you. Session Boards let you see your entire workflow in one glance, making it easy to track what’s done and what’s next. From the initial booking to final edits, everything is laid out so you’ll never miss a beat.

How to Find and Use Session Boards

Here’s how you get started:

1. Click “Boards” at the top of your Session dashboard.
2. Set up your vertical lanes. These lanes represent each stage of your workflow. Start with booking, then shooting, editing, delivering, and anything else in your process.
3. Add to-do lists. For each lane, list out the tasks you need to complete. What happens after booking? A pre-shoot checklist? Post-shoot culling? Break it down.
4. Move your session through the lanes. Start with booking in the first lane. Once that’s done, drag it to the next lane and watch the new to-do list automatically update. Keep moving it forward until your workflow’s complete.

Why You’ll Love Session Boards

Here’s the game-changer: NO data entry! Every time you schedule a session, it automatically becomes a “card” on your Session Board, like a sticky note you didn’t have to write. The toughest part of setting up a productivity tool is adding all your info—Session takes care of that for you. Once your lanes are built, you’re ready to go!

Plus, we know you love a good visual system, so color coding is built in. And you can set due dates to keep things on track—missed deadlines will show up in red, making sure nothing slips through the cracks.

Life Before Session Boards vs. Life After

Before, you might’ve had sticky notes and mental checklists trying to keep everything straight. With Session Boards, everything lives in one place. No more losing track of what comes next—it’s all right in front of you.

As photographer Emily Vanderbeek says: "The new Session Boards feature in Session has been an absolute lifesaver for my business! Having the ability to customize every column & step to fit with my own personal workflow is a game changer for organization, and I love being able to see exactly which stage I'm in with each and every session.”

Pro Tips for Mastering Session Boards

• Check your Session Board daily. Let it guide your day. What needs attention first? What’s backing up? Your Session Board is your daily workflow map.
• Make it your own. Prefer a fun, laid-back vibe with emojis for a more relaxed “vibe check”? Go for it. Or maybe you’re a checklist queen who swears by The Checklist Manifesto (we actually know a lady who has a household Trello board for her kids and husband…she’s already finished her Christmas shopping!!) Either way, build a Session Board that works for YOU.

Sample Session Boards From The Community:

From Holly Seigmund:

• Edit Photos
• Delivered Photos
• Reschedule
• Canceled Sessions

Holly’s all about simplicity—she mainly uses the "Delivered" tab. When she’s editing, sessions hang out in the "Edit" tab, but the real action happens once they hit "Delivered." Her workflow? Check off “Uploaded to galleries” and “Backed up to Dropbox,” and boom, onto the next! She also keeps columns for rescheduled and canceled sessions to stay on top of it all.

From Jenn Chen:

• Booked, Awaiting Contact
• Prepping (Checklist: Sent planning email, Location, Styling, Questionnaire, Fees Paid)
• Details Finalized
• Editing (Checklist: Cull, Lightroom Edit, Sneak Peeks, Finish in PS)
• Delivered Proofing Gallery
• Proofing Edits
• Delivered
• Pending Date

Jenn’s workflow is tight. She’s got a checklist for everything—right from booking, through prepping, editing, proofing, and delivery. Every step, every task, is locked in so nothing falls through the cracks. She’s thought of it all, and her Session Board keeps her on track like a boss.

From Jessica Boltman:

• Session Complete
• Minis Sent
• Gallery Sent
• Images Selected
• Expedited Orders
• Images Edited
• Owe $
• No Call No Shows

Jessica juggles both minis and full sessions, and her board reflects that hustle. She’s got tabs for everything from "Gallery Sent" to "Expedited Orders" (especially handy during the holiday crunch). Weddings get their own love with a checklist that includes culling, selecting favorites for albums, and ordering HDs. Plus, she’s even got a column for no-shows. Talk about organized.

From Carmen Piersall:

• Prep & Session
• Proofs Sent
• Edit Gallery
• Download Digitals and Order
• Prints, Products & Share

Carmen keeps things smooth with a clean, efficient board. Each stage—prep, proofs, editing, downloads, and final prints—is organized into its own lane, so she always knows what’s next. Her Session Board is all about making sure her clients get their images and products without a hitch.

These community examples show just how versatile Session Boards are. Whether you’re keeping it simple or mapping out every detail, you can build a board that works for you—and never lose track of a single session.

Time to Ditch the Post-Its

If you’re feeling scattered, Session Boards are the fix. Spend a few minutes setting up your board. Once it’s all mapped out, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it. All your tasks, deadlines, and sessions are right there, ready to guide you through every step. Trust your new secret weapon for staying even more organized.

It’s time to work smarter, not harder. Your Session Board is here to help you take control of your process and get more done, effortlessly.