Graindevue Studio keeps your bookings, contracts, payments, galleries, messages and availability in one place. Each booking moves through four steps shown at the top of its page, "Booking progress": "Request", "Contract", "Payment", "Delivery".
This page follows one booking end to end, with the labels you will see on screen. It then describes the dashboard, the calendar, the emails sent automatically and your Site.
One booking, from request to delivery
| Step | Where | What you see / do |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Request received | "Dashboard", "Needs Your Attention" block | The request appears with the "New Request" badge and you receive an email. For an on-quote package, the "Quote not sent" badge reminds you to set the price for this booking. You talk with the client in the booking's message thread. |
| 2. Accept or decline | Booking page | Generating the contract is the acceptance. Until the contract is generated, you can click "Decline booking". |
| 3. Contract | "Contract" tab | "Generate Contract" creates a draft that you review, then "Send for Review". The client signs first, then you sign with "Sign as Photographer". A contract the client has not signed expires after 7 days. |
| 4. Payment | "Details" tab and the client's area | Once both parties have signed the contract, the client pays the deposit, then the balance. Online, they click "Pay Online" (Stripe). For a direct payment (cash, cheque, bank transfer outside Stripe), they declare the payment and you confirm it, or you use "Mark as paid". The "Deposit due", "Balance due" and "Payment declared" badges show in "Needs Your Attention". |
| 5. Session | "Needs Your Attention" | The "Session tomorrow" badge reminds you of the date. A session reminder email is sent automatically to you and the client. |
| 6. Delivery | "Files" tab | Once the booking is fully paid, the gallery is created when you open the tab. You add photos with "Upload", then click "Share Gallery". The booking moves to completed and the client receives an email. |
The contract has its own sequence, detailed on the contract management page. Deposit, balance and invoice rules are on the payment processing page. Delivery is described step by step on the gallery delivery page.
Graindevue takes no commission on your bookings. Online payments go through Stripe, whose processing fees apply according to its price list; the amount received appears in your Stripe account. Direct payments involve no Stripe fee.
What the dashboard shows
The dashboard includes:
- "Needs Your Attention": the list of bookings waiting for an action from you, with "Requests", "Contracts", "Payments", "Messages", "Post-shoot" and "Disputes" filters. It shows new requests, contracts pending or about to expire, payments due, overdue or declared, unread messages, galleries to prepare or ready to share, and upcoming sessions.
- "Revenue Forecast": a 12-month chart, detailed below.
- "Booking Funnel": how profile visits turn into portfolio opens, requests, quotes, confirmed bookings and completed sessions.
- "Site visits": the number of visits to your Site, if you have one.
Reading the revenue forecast
The chart covers 3 past months, the current month and 8 months ahead. It places each booking in the month of its session, not the month the money arrives. It mostly counts deposits:
- "Paid": the full total of a completed booking; for a booking whose deposit is paid but which is not completed, only the deposit.
- "Confirmed": the expected deposit on bookings with a signed contract.
- "Projected": 30% of the deposit on pending requests.
You follow the money you receive in your Stripe account, in your bank statements for direct payments, and in your issued invoices under "Invoicing".
Calendar and availability
In "Calendar", "Mark Unavailable" blocks a date. Blocked dates are greyed out in the date picker on your profile on the Graindevue marketplace.
Your bookings show in the calendar: check it before generating the contract for a new request, and block the date once the booking is confirmed.
With Google Calendar sync, your confirmed bookings are pushed to a dedicated "Graindevue" calendar in your Google account.
Emails sent automatically
Studio sends built-in transactional emails, with nothing for you to set up:
- Bookings: new request, confirmation, decline, cancellation, expiry, new message.
- Contracts: contract ready, client signed, contract fully signed.
- Payments: payment reminder emails, payment received or failed, declared direct payments.
- Sessions and galleries: session reminder, gallery ready, gallery updated.
In "Settings", you set your notification preferences.
Packages and prices
In "Packages", each offer has a fixed price, itemised in lines with their VAT treatment, or is on quote: you then set the price for each booking. Graindevue imposes no minimum or maximum. The same packages feed your marketplace profile and, if you have one, your Site.
Your Site
In "My site", you create your Site as soon as your profile is live, from "Full website" or "Booking space". You edit it in a draft saved automatically, then publish the whole Site, with a "Site history" to go back to an earlier version. It answers on a graindevue.site address or on your own domain name.
Your clients book your packages there, sign their contract, pay and open their gallery in the client area. Bookings land in Studio marked "Via your site". Details are on the photographer website page.
Try it with a real booking
The simplest way to judge is to run a real booking through Studio: start the 30-day free trial, no card required. For a question about your business, talk to the founder.
To compare Studio with other tools, our guide to choosing photography business software offers an evaluation grid.
Frequently asked questions
How do I accept a booking request?
Open the booking, then click "Generate Contract" in the "Contract" tab: that is the acceptance. If you cannot do the session, click "Decline booking" before generating the contract.
What does the revenue forecast count?
It places bookings by session month and mostly counts deposits: a booking's full total appears once the booking is completed. Your receipts are in your Stripe account, your bank statements and your issued invoices.
How do I block a date?
In "Calendar", click "Mark Unavailable": the date is greyed out in the date picker on your marketplace profile. Also check your calendar before generating a contract.
How does Google Calendar sync work?
Your confirmed bookings are pushed to a dedicated "Graindevue" calendar in your Google account, which you find in Google Calendar next to your other calendars.
How do I create my Site?
Put your profile live, then open "My site". Choose "Full website" or "Booking space", then click "Create my draft". You edit, preview and publish your Site yourself.
How much does Graindevue cost?
€29 per month, billed monthly, after a 30-day free trial with no card. Graindevue takes no commission on your bookings. Online payments go through Stripe, whose processing fees apply according to its price list. Details are on the zero commission page.