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Plan every photo shoot with Claude on a 10/80/10 rule: shot list, packing list, logistics and file naming before you pack a bag
Justin Mott, editorial and commercial photographer and co-founder of Mott Visuals, on his own AskMott blog
Mott uses Claude on a '10/80/10' rule: he brings the brief (the first 10%), Claude does the drafting, structuring and research (80%), and he edits and checks it (the last 10%). Before a shoot he works through the shot list, packing list, location logistics, post-shoot workflow, file naming convention and batch metadata approach with Claude. He also used it to research a backup system (he landed on a Synology NAS with redundancy and a folder and ingest workflow around PhotoMechanic and Lightroom) and to find SEO opportunities and errors on his education site.
Claude $17/mo billed annually ($20 monthly); free plan available
Easy · or we set it up for $197
Claude, Synology NAS, PhotoMechanic, Lightroom
The problem
Shoot prep, file naming and archiving pile up around the actual photography, and decisions like a naming convention get made "at two in the morning" after the shoot.
What happened
"Claude has not made me a better photographer. What it has done is help me spend more time being a photographer." His caveat: hands-on website work and full audits "burn through your usage limits fast." No time or cost figures given.
Quoted in the source: Justin Mott, photographer, Mott Visuals. Source: AskMott: How I Use AI For My Photography Business (It's Not What You Think) (2026-06-15) · Added 2026-11-04.
How to set it up yourself
- What Justin Mott does: he plans each shoot with Claude, bringing the brief himself, letting Claude draft the plan, then editing and checking the result (his 10/80/10 rule).
- Paste the client brief into Claude with the prompt below to get a shot list, packing list, logistics and post-shoot workflow in one go.
- Decide your file naming convention and metadata approach in the same chat, before the shoot, so you aren't inventing it late at night.
- Edit everything yourself. You know the client, the location and your gear, and Claude doesn't.
- Save the final plan as a template for the next shoot. Expect bigger jobs like site audits to use up your plan's limits quickly, as he warns.
Copy-paste prompt
I'm a photographer planning a shoot. From the brief below, draft: 1) a shot list grouped by scene, 2) a packing list based on my gear: {GEAR}, 3) location logistics and a rough timeline, 4) my workflow for after the shoot (backup, culling, editing, delivery), 5) a file naming convention and the metadata to add in batches. Mark anything you're assuming so I can check it.
Brief: {PASTE BRIEF}We set up one AI automation in your tools, live within 48 hours of getting access, for $197. No call needed. Founding price for our first 10 customers (regular $297).
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Tools used
Claude
AI assistant for writing, long documents, analysis and coding help.
From $17/mo billed annually ($20 monthly) (checked 2026-10-30)
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Checked prices: Claude: from $17/mo billed annually ($20 monthly) (verified 2026-10-30)
Rather not do it yourself?
The $197 Quick-Win: we set up one AI automation that saves you hours each week, in accounts you own, live within 48 hours of getting access. No call needed. Refund if it isn't live in 48 hours or isn't doing its job in the first 14 days. Founding price for our first 10 customers (regular $297). Terms.
See the $197 Quick-WinNeed more than one automation or ongoing care? Bigger setups: $149/mo with setup included (6-month minimum), or $497 pay-once. Satisfaction guarantee: we'll fix it until it works. Pay-once setups: or we refund your setup fee. $149/mo plan: cancel in the first 30 days and we refund your first month. We reply within 1 business day.
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