A shot list is not a script; it's a safety net. On a busy wedding day or a tight product shoot, it is the thing that makes sure grandma's photo, the ring detail and the hero product angle all exist when you get home.
Check the day fits the booking with the free Photo Shoot Time Planner.
Start with a client questionnaire
Two to four weeks before the shoot, ask for names, must-have moments, venue rules and a contact on the day who knows the family. Ask who should not be grouped together. Five minutes of questions saves twenty minutes of awkward reshuffling during the formals.
Mark priorities
Not every shot is equal. Mark each one must-have, nice to have or if time allows. Then add up the minutes for the must-haves alone: if they don't fit comfortably inside the time booked, you need to talk to the client now, not at 6 pm.
Time every segment
Give each shot or group a realistic time. Family groupings take two to four minutes each once people are assembled; a set of couple portraits might take 20-30 minutes. Add travel between locations and a buffer. A 45-minute ceremony, six family groupings and a 20-minute portrait session already use well over two hours before the reception starts.
Order family formals from large to small
Start with the largest group and peel people away, so nobody wanders off and has to be found. Do grandparents and anyone with mobility needs first. Read names from the list, and have the family contact gather the next group while you shoot the current one.
Plan the storage
Multiply the frames you expect by your average file size and by the number of copies you keep. 1,800 frames at 45 MB is about 81 GB per copy; three copies (card, laptop and backup) is around 243 GB. Bring more card space than that and back up the same night. The free Photo Storage Calculator does the arithmetic.
Pack from a list, twice
Tick every item when you pack and again when it goes back in the bag. Lost lens caps are cheap; a card left in a reader at the venue is not. The Photo Shoot Planner & Shot List Workbook times your shot list against the schedule, and the Printable Photography Shot List covers weddings, portraits and products on paper.
This guide is general information. Timings are typical examples; your pace and the venue will vary.