A working product photography shot list should let the studio identify every required output before final delivery.
Use one row for:
- one product identifier or SKU
- one relevant variant
- one independently required view or asset
- one client-facing delivery filename
A product that needs front, back, and label-detail files normally needs three rows.
Do not place several delivered views beside one filename and call that one output.
The shot list is not the brief
The records answer different questions.
The brief explains the job.
It records the goal, products, visual direction, review process, delivery requirement, and decision makers.
The style guide explains the reusable visual standard.
It records the account-level background, lighting, crop, shadow, styling, retouching, and reference rules.
The shot list explains the required files.
It records one product, variant, view, setup, reference, output, and delivery name per row.
The shot list can refer to the brief and style guide.
It should not rewrite both.
Start with the current product list
Use the client's stable identifiers.
Collect:
- Client SKU
- Product name
- Relevant variant
- Pack or quantity
- Current sample status
- Known exclusion
A product list is not yet a shot list.
It becomes a shot list when the studio expands every required output into a row.
Expand variants deliberately
Create a separate row when a variant changes:
- the product identifier;
- visible product;
- required view;
- styling;
- reference;
- output;
- delivery filename.
When several variants intentionally share one file, list the included identifiers and make the shared-output decision explicit.
Do not use:
- all colors
- assorted
- same as above
when the final recipient needs to map the file to a specific product.
Expand every independently required view
Suppose one product needs:
- Front
- Back
- Cuff detail
Create:
- SKU-001 | Blue | Front
- SKU-001 | Blue | Back
- SKU-001 | Blue | Cuff detail
Do not create:
SKU-001 | Blue | Front, back, cuff detail | sku-001-front.jpg
The second pattern does not explain the delivery names for the back and cuff-detail files.
Use eight core columns
The current public Shot List Template uses:
- SKU
- Product / variant
- View / asset
- Background and styling
- Reference
- Retouch or production notes
- Output specification
- Delivery filename
These columns separate:
- product identity;
- visual requirement;
- technical requirement;
- client handoff.
A studio can add temporary working columns, but the core record should remain understandable.
1. SKU
Use the client's stable product identifier.
When no SKU exists, use another documented product key.
Do not invent an Amazon ASIN before one exists.
Do not use a product title as the only key when titles can change.
2. Product or variant
Use a readable product description and relevant variant.
Example:
Linen shirt / Seafoam / Medium
The client SKU remains the stable key.
The readable description helps the studio identify the physical product.
3. View or asset
Name one independently required output.
Examples:
- Front
- Back
- 45-degree
- Top, lid off
- Label detail
- Cuff detail
- Group image
- Lifestyle crop
Use the client's or studio's agreed vocabulary.
Do not use:
- standard
- normal
- usual views
- packshot set
without a definition.
4. Background and styling
Record the row-specific instruction.
Examples:
Use Account Guide version 3, white sweep, approved soft shadow.
Use seasonal surface reference B, no props.
Transparent cutout required for this output.
The current client or channel requirement controls the treatment.
White is not a universal default.
5. Reference
State what the reference demonstrates.
Reference A: product position and crop.
Reference B: shadow treatment.
Approved packaging PDF: front-label orientation.
A link alone may not explain what the studio should match.
6. Retouch or production notes
Record only the row-specific treatment.
Examples:
Keep the permanent package texture.
Remove temporary dust.
Do not alter the printed ingredient text.
Show the included dropper beside the bottle.
Use the style guide for reusable retouching rules.
7. Output specification
Record the current required output.
Examples:
Client-approved dimensions, JPEG, no transparency.
Client-approved square crop, PNG with transparency.
Current Amazon US main-image requirement, reviewed [date].
Do not publish a universal format, profile, or dimension.
Use the current official source for channel-specific rules.
8. Delivery filename
Record the final client-facing name.
Example:
tt-sc-linen-shirt-01_seafoam_front.jpg
The source capture file can keep another name.
The review proof can include a version.
The final delivery name should identify the product and output under the current client rule.
Illustrative shot-list rows
SKU: TT-SC-LINEN-SHIRT-01 · Product / variant: Linen shirt / Seafoam · View / asset: Front · Background and styling: Current account guide · Reference: Ref A: crop and position · Retouch or production notes: Keep fabric texture · Output specification: Client-approved 4:5 JPEG · Delivery filename: tt-sc-linen-shirt-01_seafoam_front.jpg
SKU: TT-SC-LINEN-SHIRT-01 · Product / variant: Linen shirt / Seafoam · View / asset: Back · Background and styling: Current account guide · Reference: Ref A: crop and position · Retouch or production notes: Keep fabric texture · Output specification: Client-approved 4:5 JPEG · Delivery filename: tt-sc-linen-shirt-01_seafoam_back.jpg
SKU: TT-SC-LINEN-SHIRT-01 · Product / variant: Linen shirt / Seafoam · View / asset: Cuff detail · Background and styling: Current account guide · Reference: Ref C: detail framing · Retouch or production notes: Show cuff construction · Output specification: Client-approved square JPEG · Delivery filename: tt-sc-linen-shirt-01_seafoam_cuff-detail.jpg
SKU: SERUM-30-CLR · Product / variant: Serum / Clear / 30 ml · View / asset: Front label · Background and styling: White sweep under current job requirement · Reference: Ref B: label orientation · Retouch or production notes: Keep label text accurate · Output specification: Client-approved square JPEG · Delivery filename: serum-30-clr_front.jpg
SKU: SERUM-30-CLR · Product / variant: Serum / Clear / 30 ml · View / asset: Dropper detail · Background and styling: Current account guide · Reference: Ref D: dropper position · Retouch or production notes: Show included dropper · Output specification: Client-approved square JPEG · Delivery filename: serum-30-clr_dropper-detail.jpg
The values are fictional.
They are not universal Shopify, Amazon, or retailer requirements.
Build the list in six steps
Step 1: collect product identifiers
Start with the current product export or client list.
Mark missing and uncertain products visibly.
Step 2: apply the required output package
Use the brief to identify which output groups apply to which products.
Step 3: expand each required output into a row
Do not leave the expansion for shoot day or final export.
Step 4: add visual and technical instructions
Reference the style guide and current channel source.
Record job-specific exceptions.
Step 5: add the final delivery names
Confirm the naming rule before release.
Do not force the source file to use the final client name.
Step 6: review and version the list
Identify:
- Current version
- Date
- Scope decision maker
- Final proof decision maker
- Change history
- Accepted exceptions
Use a working copy during production
A studio can add temporary columns such as:
The day-of board that schedules a subset of those rows is the product photography call sheet. Keep the shot list as the requirement record; use the call sheet for setup order and trays.
- Capture status
- Source file reference
- Blocked reason
- Retouch status
- QC status
Use values such as:
- Not started
- Captured
- Blocked
- Skipped by approved decision
- In retouching
- Ready for QC
- Released
Do not overwrite the requirement merely to show production status.
The requirement row and the production state are different facts.
Handle a new requested output
When the client asks for a new product, view, crop, or composition:
- add or revise the row;
- identify the affected setup and output;
- record the requested change;
- decide whether it is within the current agreement;
- update the version;
- record the client decision.
The shot list records the change.
It does not decide the price or legal effect.
Use the list for quality control and delivery
Before release, verify:
- Every required row has a current file or accepted exception
- The product and variant are correct
- The view matches the row
- The output matches the current requirement
- The delivery filename matches the row
- The manifest matches the released files
- No obsolete proof or working file is included
The shot list provides the expected set.
The Quality Control Checklist provides the broader review framework.
Spreadsheet import in Lenso
The current Lenso product supports CSV and XLSX shot-list import, worksheet selection, mapping, preview, and re-import.
Use the latest in-product import template as the authority for:
- accepted columns;
- data formats;
- validation;
- limits.
The public Shot List Template is a planning resource and can include columns that do not map directly to the importer.
Review every mapping before applying the import.
Questions about shot lists
Who should draft the shot list?
The studio should shape the working list from client product data, current channel requirements, the brief, and the style guide. The authorized client reviewer confirms the current rows.
Is one row per SKU enough?
Not when one SKU requires several independently delivered views. Use one row per product, relevant variant, and required view or asset.
Can several variants share one row?
Only when they intentionally share one output and the included identifiers are explicit.
Is a shot list a contract?
No. It can support the scope record, but the client agreement controls the legal and commercial terms.
Should a filename be decided before capture?
Record the delivery naming rule before final export. The source capture name can remain different when the mapping is reliable.