US linked studio planning
See how a cost baseline flows into session pricing, annual capacity, and the connected workbook.
Start with the cost baselineLoad the cost examplePrivate studio planning for portrait photographers
Turn your studio numbers into a pricing and booking plan.
PortraitPace is a free, private four-step planning workspace for independent family portrait and mini-session photographers in the United States and Canada. Calculate your cost baseline, test a session price, check mini-session profit and capacity, and estimate the bookings your annual goal requires.
No account · Your numbers stay in this browser · No market averages
Your 4-step Studio PlanStart with your costs0 of 4 complete · saved only in this browser
Start my planSaved in this browser
Resume your plan
Your current Studio Plan is ready for its next decision.
How PortraitPace works
Four business questions, one connected plan.
Each calculator answers one decision with your own records. Save a valid result, then carry it into the next step instead of rebuilding the assumptions from scratch.
- 01Costs · Photography Cost of Doing Business & Overhead CalculatorBuild the cost baseline
What does each completed booking need to carry?
See: Annual and monthly overhead, plus overhead per completed booking.
- 02Price · Session Pricing & True Hourly EarningsPrice one session
Does this session price support my time and target earnings?
See: Owner earnings, true hourly earnings, and the revenue your target requires.
- 03Event · Mini Session Profit & CapacityPlan a mini day
Will this mini-session day fit—and make economic sense?
See: Slot capacity, planning profit, contribution, and break-even.
- 04Year · Annual Booking Goal & Package MixVerify annual capacity
How many bookings does my annual goal require?
See: Required bookings, package allocation, and capacity feasibility.
Worked examples
Follow the inputs, process, and result before using your own numbers.
Every path uses invented values, visible limits, and calculator or Kit QA evidence. No customer story or market benchmark is implied.
US mini-session
Compare the free event plan with the Mini Event and Planned vs Actual workflow.
Follow the mini-session pathLoad the event exampleCanada planning
Inspect independent CAD pricing and indoor mini-session scenarios with no USD conversion.
Open the Canada examplesLoad the CAD pricing exampleCompose a Studio Plan
Turn four estimates into one working Studio Plan.
The Workspace keeps related decisions together without requiring an account or uploading your financial assumptions.
Open the Workspace- 01Save alternatives
Rename or copy valid scenarios as your assumptions change.
- 02Compare before choosing
Review two or three scenarios from the same calculator side by side.
- 03Complete the plan
Select one valid result per step, then print the summary or export a local backup.
Who it is for
Made for independent portrait studios.
Useful when one person or a small team needs clearer operating decisions without adopting a full accounting or studio-management platform.
Photographers planning from their own records
- Family portrait and general portrait businesses
- Mini-session photographers planning profit and capacity
- Independent studios in the United States or Canada using USD or CAD labels
A decision model—not a borrowed price list
- No market-price recommendation or competitor benchmark
- No automatic bookkeeping, bank connection, or cloud team sync
- No accounting, tax, legal, or exchange-rate advice
Built for transparent decisions
Your numbers in. A transparent estimate out.
PortraitPace explains what changed the result and what the estimate does not cover.
Your inputs only
No location multiplier, hidden benchmark, or automatic currency conversion.
Visible method
Formulas, assumptions, exclusions, and invalid states remain available for review.
Read the methodologyPrivate by default
Drafts stay in the current tab; saved scenarios and plans stay in this browser.
How local planning worksSource-backed guidance
Published guides name their sources, review dates, and practical limits.
Browse the guidesSource-backed guides
Answer-first explanations for the inputs behind your plan.
How to Annualize Photography Business Expenses
Convert monthly and annual photography business costs into one comparable yearly baseline without mixing startup purchases or client-specific expenses.
How to Calculate Overhead per Photography Session
Allocate annual photography business overhead across planned completed bookings, then test the result without confusing it with direct session costs.
Fixed vs. Variable Costs for Photography Pricing
Separate recurring studio overhead, session-level costs, and event costs so each photography pricing model uses consistent, documented inputs.
Put a finished decision into your working week.
Use the free checklist for a focused mini-session review, or explore the Profit Kit for connected worksheets and client workflow templates.
Before you begin
Do I need an account?
No. Drafts stay in the current tab; saved scenarios and Studio Plans stay in this browser.
Are these market averages?
No. PortraitPace uses your inputs and clearly labels every invented demonstration scenario.
Does USD or CAD convert my values?
No. Currency is a display label, never an exchange-rate conversion.
Is this accounting, tax, or legal advice?
No. It is an operating estimate. Use qualified local professionals when a decision needs professional advice.
Build the plan from your own numbers.
Start with the cost baseline, then connect pricing, event, and annual capacity decisions.