Quick Start Guide

Everything you need to get ShootCal running on Mac, iPhone, and the web. From connecting your calendar to booking, clients, contracts, and the shortcuts that make scheduling a session take seconds.

1. Initial setup

  • Connect: Open Settings (the gear icon) and sign in with your Google account.
  • Choose calendar: Select the specific Google Calendar you want to use for your bookings.
  • Set location: Enter your city so the app can accurately calculate your local sunset times, plus tides if you’re near the beach.
  • Customize: Add your session types (Family, Senior, Wedding, etc.) and set your preferred default durations.
  • On the web: Prefer a browser, or not on a Mac? Go to app.shootcal.com and sign in with the same Google account. Everything stays in sync.

2. Scheduling & editing

  • Book a session: Click any date on the calendar, then click New Event (or press ⌘N).
  • Fill details: Enter the client name and pick a session type. The start and end times automatically snap to the correct golden-hour window.
  • Track deposits: Toggle Deposit Received to instantly color-code the session as paid or unpaid.
  • Edit: Click any event chip to view its details, then click Edit, or right-click the event for quick actions.
  • Reschedule: Drag and drop events across the calendar grid to move them to a new date.

3. Session types

Set up the kinds of shoots you offer once, and ShootCal handles the timing for each.

  • Per-type defaults: Give each session type (Family, Senior, Wedding, Newborn, and so on) its own default length and color.
  • Scheduling rule: Golden-hour types cascade around sunset automatically, studio types follow the studio hours you set, and per-day limits keep you from overbooking a single day.

4. Clients

  • Client manager: Open the Clients area to keep every client’s contact details, session history, and last-booked date in one place.
  • Google Contacts: Clients link to your Google Contacts, so the names and numbers you already have are right there.
  • At a glance: See who is booked, how many sessions each client has had, and who is due for a follow-up.

5. Online booking and availability

  • Share your openings: Publish a public availability calendar (private by design) that shows which days you are free without ever exposing a client’s name, location, or session details.
  • Take requests: A client picks an open day and sends a booking request. It lands in your Booking Requests inbox inside the Clients area.
  • Accept in a tap: Accepting a request books the session on your calendar and saves the client automatically. You can also reply right from your email and ShootCal marks the request handled.

Booking and availability are set up from the ShootCal website (see Using ShootCal on the web below).

6. Deposits, reminders, and reports

  • Deposit tracking: Toggle Deposit Received on any session to color-code it paid or pending at a glance.
  • Automatic reminders: ShootCal can send your clients a friendly reminder email before their session, so you do not have to.
  • Reports: A simple dashboard shows how your bookings are trending by session type and month.

7. Contracts

  • Build a template: Create a reusable contract for weddings, portraits, or any session type, in your own wording.
  • Send it filled in: Generate a contract for a client with the package, total, and retainer already populated, then share the signing link.
  • They e-sign online: Your client reviews and signs in their browser, and you can see the moment it is done. No printing, scanning, or chasing paperwork.

8. Invoicing with Wave or QuickBooks

ShootCal keeps your scheduling and your bookkeeping in step without trying to be your accountant.

  • Connect your accounting: Link Wave or QuickBooks Online from the ShootCal website, whichever you already invoice with. You connect one at a time.
  • Deposits sync themselves: When a client pays a Wave or QuickBooks invoice, the matching session’s deposit is marked received on your calendar automatically, so you never update two places by hand.
  • Read-only, no double entry: Connecting Wave requires a Wave Pro account; QuickBooks works with any QuickBooks Online plan. Either way ShootCal only reads your invoices, and your accounting stays right where it is.

9. Using ShootCal on the web

Beyond the Mac and iPhone apps, ShootCal has a full web app at app.shootcal.com. Sign in with the same Google account and your calendar, clients, and bookings are all there.

  • Any device: Use it from a Windows PC, an Android phone, or any browser when you are away from your own machine. Android users can also install the ShootCal app from Google Play.
  • Where setup lives: Your availability page, contracts, and the Wave or QuickBooks connection are set up from the web app. Booking requests can be accepted from the native app, the web app, or straight from the notification email.

10. Navigation & shortcuts

  • Search: Press ⌘F to search your entire calendar by client name, session type, or location.
  • Locations: Type a location name into the session form to trigger Apple Maps address auto-fill.

Keyboard shortcuts (Mac)

  • ⌘N: New event
  • ⌘T: Jump to today
  • ⌘R: Force refresh Google Calendar
  • ⌘F: Search events
  • ⌘?: Open the built-in Help menu

Mobile gestures (iPhone & iPad)

  • Swipe to navigate between months.
  • Tap any event chip for an instant read-only preview before editing.
  • Long-press an event for more options.

11. System requirements

  • macOS 15 or later, or iOS 18 or later, for the native apps (iOS 26 / macOS 26 recommended for the newest design)
  • Any modern web browser for the web app at app.shootcal.com
  • A Google account with Calendar access
  • An internet connection for background syncing