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Team Members

Quick Reference​

The Team Members page in ShootPath is where you add, manage, and remove users from your account. Each team member gets their own login credentials and appropriate permissions based on their role.

Common Actions:

  • Add team member - Invite someone to join your account
  • Edit permissions - Change a team member's role or access level
  • Deactivate member - Temporarily disable access without deleting their account
  • Remove member - Permanently remove someone from your team

Access: Go to Settings > Team Members

Key Features:

  • Role-based permissions (Owner, Admin, Photographer, Assistant)
  • Email invitations with automatic account setup
  • Per-user billing (prorated monthly)
  • Activity tracking (see what each member has done)
  • Bulk actions for managing multiple members

Typical Use Cases:

  • Onboarding a new hire
  • Adjusting permissions as responsibilities change
  • Offboarding when someone leaves
  • Seasonal team members (activate/deactivate)

Detailed Guide​

Accessing Team Members Settings​

To manage your team:

  1. Log in to ShootPath as the Owner or Admin
  2. Click Settings in the main navigation
  3. Select Team Members from the settings menu

You'll see a list of all current team members with their:

  • Name and email
  • Role (Owner, Admin, Photographer, Assistant)
  • Status (Active, Invited, Deactivated)
  • Last login date
  • Number of assigned jobs (for Photographers)

Adding a New Team Member​

Follow these steps to invite someone to your ShootPath account.

Step 1: Click "Add Team Member"​

From the Team Members page, click the Add Team Member button (usually in the top-right corner).

Step 2: Enter Basic Information​

Name: Enter the team member's full name. This is how they'll appear throughout ShootPath (on job assignments, task delegations, etc.).

Email: Enter their work email address. This is where they'll receive the invitation and account setup instructions.

Use Professional Emails

Use work emails (not personal Gmail/Yahoo accounts) for team members. This makes offboarding cleaner if they leave your business.

Role: Select the appropriate role:

  • Admin - For studio managers or partners (can manage everything except billing)
  • Photographer - For second shooters or associate photographers (assigned jobs only)
  • Assistant - For administrative support (limited access)

Learn more about each role →

Start with the most restrictive role. You can always grant more permissions later, but taking them away can be awkward.

Step 3: Configure Permissions (Optional)​

Each role has default permissions, but you can customize them for specific team members.

Example customizations:

  • Give an Assistant permission to view payments (normally restricted)
  • Restrict a Photographer from uploading galleries (if you want oversight)
  • Allow an Admin to manage billing (if they're your accountant)

For most cases, stick with default permissions. Customization is for edge cases.

Step 4: Set Default Job Assignment (Optional)​

For Photographers, you can configure:

  • Auto-assign to specific job types - All weddings go to Alex, all portraits go to Jordan
  • Default for new jobs - Make them the default assignee when creating jobs manually

This is useful for studios with specialization or territories.

Step 5: Send Invitation​

Click Send Invitation. ShootPath will:

  1. Create the user account (inactive until they set up their password)
  2. Send an email invitation with setup instructions
  3. Add them to your team members list with status "Invited"

What the invitation email includes:

  • Personal welcome message
  • Link to create their password
  • Overview of their role and access
  • Link to ShootPath login page

The invitation link is valid for 7 days. If it expires, you can resend from the Team Members page.

Step 6: Team Member Sets Up Account​

The new team member receives the email and clicks the setup link. They'll:

  1. Create a password (must meet minimum security requirements)
  2. Optionally enable two-factor authentication (recommended)
  3. Complete a brief profile (photo, phone number, etc.)
  4. Log in for the first time

Once they complete setup, their status changes from "Invited" to "Active."

Onboarding Best Practices​

Adding someone to ShootPath is just the technical step. Proper onboarding ensures they're productive and confident.

Create an Onboarding Checklist​

For all team members:

  • Account created and activated
  • Profile completed (photo, contact info)
  • Two-factor authentication enabled
  • Logged in and verified access
  • Completed walkthrough of relevant features
  • Knows who to ask when they have questions

For Photographers:

  • Assigned a test job to practice with
  • Understands how to view assigned jobs
  • Knows how to mark workflow tasks complete
  • Can upload galleries
  • Knows how to communicate with clients
  • Has calendar synced to their personal calendar

For Assistants:

  • Understands how to send quotes
  • Knows how to upload galleries
  • Can find job details to answer client questions
  • Knows the email templates and when to use each
  • Has access to any external tools (Dropbox, etc.)

For Admins:

  • Understands overall business workflows
  • Can create and assign jobs
  • Knows how to manage team members
  • Has access to reports and analytics
  • Understands escalation process for issues

Provide Training​

Live walkthrough (30-60 minutes):

  • Screen share and show them around ShootPath
  • Walk through common tasks they'll perform
  • Answer questions in real time
  • Have them complete a practice task while you watch

Written documentation:

  • Create a simple "How We Do Things" guide
  • Include screenshots of key processes
  • List common scenarios and how to handle them
  • Share passwords or access to shared resources

Set expectations:

  • What are their primary responsibilities?
  • What's urgent vs. what can wait?
  • How should they communicate with you and clients?
  • What's the standard turnaround for tasks?

Assign a buddy (if you have multiple team members):

  • Pair the new person with an experienced team member
  • Encourage questions and shadowing
  • Reduces the burden on you as owner

Check In Regularly​

First week:

  • Daily check-ins (quick "how's it going?" messages)
  • Be available for questions
  • Observe their work closely

First month:

  • Weekly check-ins
  • Review completed work
  • Adjust permissions or training if needed

Ongoing:

  • Monthly or biweekly check-ins
  • Discuss what's working and what's not
  • Celebrate successes

Managing Existing Team Members​

Once team members are active, you'll occasionally need to adjust their settings.

Editing Team Member Details​

Click on any team member in the list to open their details. From here you can:

Change their role:

  • Promote an Assistant to Photographer (gave them more responsibility)
  • Demote a Photographer to Assistant (changed their role)
  • Promote to Admin (making them a manager)

Update contact information:

  • Change email address (if they switch emails)
  • Update phone number
  • Refresh profile photo

Adjust permissions:

  • Grant or revoke specific permissions
  • Customize beyond the role defaults

Modify job assignments:

  • See all jobs currently assigned to them
  • Reassign jobs to someone else
  • Set default job type assignments

View activity log:

  • See when they last logged in
  • Review recent actions (jobs updated, galleries uploaded, etc.)
  • Check email sends and task completions

Reassigning Jobs​

If a team member is overloaded, leaves, or you want to shift work around:

Option 1: Reassign from Team Members page

  1. Go to Settings > Team Members
  2. Click on the team member
  3. Scroll to "Assigned Jobs" section
  4. Select jobs to reassign
  5. Choose new assignee
  6. Click "Reassign"

Option 2: Reassign from job detail page

  1. Go to the specific job
  2. Click "Assigned Team Member" field
  3. Select new team member
  4. Save changes

What happens when you reassign:

  • New team member immediately sees the job in their dashboard
  • Previous team member loses access (if Photographer role)
  • All job history, tasks, and client communication remain intact
  • System logs the reassignment in the job timeline

Viewing Team Member Activity​

Track what each team member is doing:

From Team Members page:

  • Click on a team member
  • Scroll to "Recent Activity" section
  • See recent logins, actions, and job updates

From Reports:

  • Go to Reports > Team Activity
  • See activity across all team members
  • Filter by date range or team member
  • Export to CSV for further analysis

Useful for:

  • Verifying someone is actively working
  • Troubleshooting issues ("Who uploaded this gallery?")
  • Performance reviews or productivity tracking
  • Billing accuracy (if paying contractors by task)

Deactivating Team Members​

Deactivation temporarily removes access without deleting the account. This is useful for:

  • Seasonal team members (busy season vs. off-season)
  • Team members on leave (maternity, medical, sabbatical)
  • Testing access issues
  • Graceful offboarding before permanent removal

How to Deactivate​

  1. Go to Settings > Team Members
  2. Click on the team member
  3. Click Deactivate
  4. Confirm the action

What happens when deactivated:

  • Team member cannot log in
  • They no longer receive notifications
  • Assigned jobs remain assigned (but they can't access them)
  • Account history and data are preserved
  • Billing is paused for this user (prorated)

What does NOT happen:

  • Data is not deleted
  • Jobs are not reassigned automatically
  • Client communication doesn't change

Reactivating: Click the Reactivate button to restore access. They'll receive an email notifying them their account is active again.

Reassign Jobs Before Deactivating

If you deactivate a Photographer with assigned jobs, they can't access those jobs. Reassign critical jobs before deactivating!

Removing Team Members Permanently​

Permanent removal deletes the team member account and all associated data. Use this when:

  • Someone permanently leaves your business
  • A contractor relationship ends
  • You no longer need that seat (cost savings)

Before You Remove​

1. Reassign their jobs

Go to their Team Member detail page and reassign all active jobs. You can't remove someone with assigned jobs (ShootPath will warn you).

2. Review their activity

Check what they've been working on. Are there tasks mid-completion? Pending emails? Make sure nothing will break when they're gone.

3. Download any important data

If they created custom templates, notes, or reports you want to keep, export or document them now. Once removed, their custom content is gone.

4. Communicate with the team member

Let them know their access is ending (hopefully they already know if they're leaving!). Give them a chance to download personal contacts or files.

5. Have a transition plan

Who will take over their responsibilities? Make sure the transition is smooth for clients.

How to Remove​

  1. Go to Settings > Team Members
  2. Click on the team member
  3. Scroll to the bottom
  4. Click Remove Team Member (usually in red)
  5. Confirm by typing their email address
  6. Click Permanently Remove

What happens when removed:

  • Account is deleted immediately
  • Login credentials no longer work
  • Assigned jobs must have been reassigned beforehand
  • Activity history is preserved (audit trail)
  • Custom settings or templates they created may be deleted
  • Billing adjusts automatically (prorated)

What is preserved:

  • Jobs they worked on (history remains)
  • Emails they sent (still in job timelines)
  • Galleries they uploaded (still accessible)
  • Tasks they completed (marked with their name)

This action cannot be undone. If you might need them again in the future, use Deactivate instead.

Team Member Billing and Costs​

Adding team members affects your ShootPath subscription. Here's how pricing works.

Pricing Structure​

Base Plan (Solo):

  • 1 user (Owner)
  • $X/month (check current pricing in Settings > Billing)

Team Plan:

  • Owner + additional team members
  • Base price + per-user fee for each additional member

Per-User Pricing:

  • Admin: $Y/month per user
  • Photographer: $Z/month per user
  • Assistant: $W/month per user

(Exact pricing may vary by plan tier and location—check Settings > Billing for your specific pricing.)

How Billing Works​

Prorated Charges:

When you add a team member mid-billing cycle:

  • You're charged a prorated amount for the partial month
  • Example: If you add someone on the 15th of a 30-day month, you pay 50% of the monthly fee

When you remove or deactivate a team member:

  • You receive a prorated credit for the unused portion of the month
  • Credit applies to your next bill

Billing Cycles:

Team member fees are billed monthly along with your base subscription. You'll see line items:

  • "ShootPath Base Plan: $X"
  • "Team Member - Alex (Photographer): $Z"
  • "Team Member - Emma (Assistant): $W"

Automatic Adjustments:

Billing updates automatically when you add/remove/deactivate team members. No need to manually adjust your subscription.

Cost-Benefit Analysis​

Is hiring a team member worth the cost? Here's how to evaluate.

Example 1: Assistant ($W/month)

Cost: $W/month ShootPath fee + $2,000/month salary = $2,000+W/month

Benefit:

  • Saves you 20 hours/week on admin work
  • Your time is worth $100/hour (as photographer/owner)
  • Monthly savings: 80 hours × $100 = $8,000 in opportunity cost

Net benefit: $8,000 - $2,000+W = $6,000 - $W/month

If you use those 20 saved hours to book more shoots, the ROI is even higher!

Example 2: Second Shooter Photographer ($Z/month)

Cost: $Z/month ShootPath fee + $500/gig contract payment

Benefit:

  • Accept 2 extra weddings per month that you'd otherwise turn down
  • Average wedding revenue: $3,500
  • Monthly revenue increase: 2 × $3,500 = $7,000

Net benefit: $7,000 - ($Z + $1,000 in second shooter fees) = $6,000 - $Z/month

Again, the ShootPath fee is negligible compared to the revenue impact.

Example 3: Studio Admin ($Y/month)

Cost: $Y/month ShootPath fee + $4,000/month salary = $4,000+Y/month

Benefit:

  • Manages all bookings and operations
  • Enables you to focus on high-value activities (shooting, business development)
  • Studio can handle 30+ active jobs instead of 10
  • Revenue scales without your direct involvement

Net benefit: Depends on revenue growth, but enables 3x scaling.

Bottom line: The ShootPath per-user fee is typically a small fraction of the total cost of hiring. If hiring makes sense financially, the ShootPath cost won't break the deal.

Managing Costs​

Tips to optimize team member costs:

1. Right-size roles

Don't give someone Admin access if Assistant permissions suffice. Lower roles may have lower fees (check your pricing tier).

2. Seasonal staffing

If you have busy and slow seasons, deactivate seasonal team members during slow months (billing pauses).

3. Shared responsibilities

One Admin managing multiple Photographers may be more cost-effective than giving everyone Admin access.

4. Review regularly

Every quarter, review your team list. Are there inactive members you're still paying for? Remove them.

5. Plan ahead

If you're on an annual plan, calculate team member costs before committing. Most plans allow monthly seat adjustments even on annual billing.

Team Member Roles and When to Use Each​

Choosing the right role is crucial. Here's a decision tree.

When to Use Assistant Role​

Use Assistant for:

  • Virtual assistants who handle emails and scheduling
  • Office coordinators who support all photographers
  • Gallery uploaders who post photos but don't need job management access
  • Interns or junior staff learning the business

Don't use Assistant for:

  • Anyone who needs to edit job pricing or details
  • Anyone who manages their own client relationships
  • Anyone who needs financial access

Key limitation: Assistants can VIEW most things but can't EDIT job details or manage finances.

When to Use Photographer Role​

Use Photographer for:

  • Second shooters who handle overflow bookings
  • Associate photographers who manage their own client relationships
  • Freelance photographers contracted for specific jobs
  • External editors who need full job context (photos, contract, timeline)

Don't use Photographer for:

  • Anyone who needs access to jobs they're not assigned to
  • Anyone who needs to manage team members or settings
  • Studio managers or operations leads

Key limitation: Photographers ONLY see jobs assigned to them. They can't see business-wide data or settings.

When to Use Admin Role​

Use Admin for:

  • Studio managers who oversee day-to-day operations
  • Business partners who co-manage the studio
  • Senior team members who assign jobs and manage the team
  • Bookkeepers or accountants who need visibility (but not billing access)

Don't use Admin for:

  • Anyone who shouldn't access billing or subscription settings
  • Anyone who doesn't need to see ALL jobs and clients
  • People you don't fully trust with business-wide data

Key limitation: Admins CAN'T access billing or change subscription. That's reserved for the Owner.

Owner Role (You)​

There's only one Owner per account—you (or whoever started the account).

Owner responsibilities:

  • Final decision-making authority
  • Billing and subscription management
  • Hiring and firing team members
  • Setting overall workflows and business rules

Transferring ownership:

If you sell your business or bring on a partner who should be Owner:

  1. Contact ShootPath support
  2. Verify identity and ownership
  3. Transfer completed by support team

You can't transfer ownership yourself (security measure).

Team Collaboration Scenarios​

Let's walk through common scenarios and how to handle them in ShootPath.

Scenario 1: Onboarding a Second Shooter​

Situation: You just hired Alex, a freelance photographer, to handle your overflow weddings. You want to assign specific jobs to Alex, but you don't want Alex seeing all your other jobs.

Solution:

  1. Add Alex with Photographer role
  2. Assign Alex to specific wedding jobs
  3. Alex logs in, sees only assigned jobs, manages those bookings independently

Alex can:

  • View job details (client, contract, timeline)
  • Upload galleries for assigned jobs
  • Mark workflow tasks complete
  • Communicate with assigned clients

Alex cannot:

  • See your other jobs or clients
  • Access business-wide settings
  • Manage pricing or financials
  • Add or remove team members

Result: Alex is productive with assigned jobs, but your business data stays private.

Scenario 2: Hiring a Virtual Assistant​

Situation: You hire Emma, a VA, to handle client emails, send quotes, and upload galleries. She works remotely and supports all photographers in your studio.

Solution:

  1. Add Emma with Assistant role
  2. Emma logs in and sees all jobs (so she can support any client)
  3. Emma sends quotes, uploads galleries, and manages client communication

Emma can:

  • View all jobs and clients (read-only)
  • Send quotes to leads
  • Upload galleries
  • Send emails via ShootPath
  • View contracts and invoices

Emma cannot:

  • Edit job pricing or details
  • Delete anything
  • Access financials or billing
  • Manage team members

Result: Emma handles admin tasks efficiently, freeing you to focus on photography.

Scenario 3: Promoting a Senior Photographer to Studio Manager​

Situation: Jordan started as a second shooter (Photographer role) but has proven capable of managing operations. You want to promote Jordan to studio manager, overseeing all photographers and handling job assignments.

Solution:

  1. Edit Jordan's account and change role from Photographer to Admin
  2. Jordan now sees all jobs, all clients, and all team members
  3. Jordan assigns incoming jobs to photographers based on availability and skill

Jordan can:

  • View and manage all jobs across all photographers
  • Assign jobs to team members
  • Edit workflows and settings
  • View reports and analytics
  • Manage client communication

Jordan cannot:

  • Access billing or subscription settings (you retain control)
  • Remove you as Owner
  • Change your password

Result: Jordan runs day-to-day operations, and you focus on business growth and VIP clients.

Scenario 4: Seasonal Team Member​

Situation: You hire Sam for your busy wedding season (May–October). During the off-season (November–April), you don't need Sam, but you might bring Sam back next year.

Solution:

May: Onboard

  1. Add Sam with Photographer role
  2. Assign summer weddings to Sam

October: Season ends

  1. Reassign any remaining jobs from Sam to you or other photographers
  2. Deactivate Sam's account (don't remove permanently)
  3. Sam's billing pauses

May (next year): Reactivate

  1. Click Reactivate on Sam's account
  2. Sam logs back in with the same credentials
  3. Assign new jobs, resume billing

Result: You only pay for Sam during active months, and Sam doesn't have to recreate an account each season.

Troubleshooting Team Member Issues​

Common problems and how to solve them.

Team Member Can't Log In​

Possible causes:

  • Invitation link expired (7 days)
  • Wrong email or password
  • Account deactivated
  • Browser cache issue

Solutions:

  1. Check their status in Team Members page (Active vs. Invited vs. Deactivated)
  2. If "Invited," resend invitation
  3. If "Deactivated," reactivate the account
  4. If "Active," have them use "Forgot Password" to reset
  5. Try a different browser or incognito mode

Team Member Can't See a Job​

Possible causes:

  • Job not assigned to them (most common)
  • Wrong role (Photographers only see assigned jobs)
  • Permissions restricted

Solutions:

  1. Check job assignments: Is the job assigned to this team member?
  2. Assign the job if needed
  3. If they need to see all jobs, consider changing their role to Admin

Team Member Sees Too Much​

Possible causes:

  • Role too permissive (Admin when they should be Photographer)
  • Custom permissions granted

Solutions:

  1. Change their role to a more restrictive level
  2. Review custom permissions and revoke unnecessary access
  3. Consider splitting responsibilities among multiple team members

Accidental Changes or Deletions​

Possible causes:

  • Team member has more permissions than needed
  • Lack of training or unclear expectations

Solutions:

  1. Review activity log to see what changed and who did it
  2. Restore from backup if critical data deleted (contact support)
  3. Restrict permissions to prevent future accidents
  4. Provide additional training on critical features

Team Member Best Practices​

Start with Least Privilege

Give the minimum permissions needed. It's easier to grant more access than to take it away.

Use Consistent Naming

Name team members consistently: "Alex Smith" not "Alex" or "A. Smith." Makes activity logs and assignments clearer.

Document Access Levels

Keep a simple document showing who has what role and why. Helps with audits and permission reviews.

Require Strong Passwords

Don't let team members use weak passwords. Consider requiring a password manager for the team.

Enable Two-Factor Authentication

Require 2FA for all team members, especially Owners and Admins.

Offboard Promptly

When someone leaves, deactivate or remove their account same-day. Don't let former team members retain access.

Review Quarterly

Every 3 months, review your team members list:

  • Are there inactive accounts you're still paying for?
  • Do permissions still match current responsibilities?
  • Are there seasonal members who should be deactivated?

Celebrate Team Members

When someone does great work, acknowledge it! Team morale matters. ShootPath makes it easy to see who's crushing it—call it out.

Team Member Settings Reference​

Here's a quick reference for all settings available per team member.

Profile Settings​

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Profile photo
  • Phone number
  • Time zone (for calendar)

Permission Settings​

  • Role (Owner, Admin, Photographer, Assistant)
  • Custom permissions (if deviating from role defaults)

Assignment Settings​

  • Default job type assignments (for Photographers)
  • Auto-assign rules
  • Current job assignments (list)

Status Settings​

  • Active / Invited / Deactivated
  • Last login date
  • Account creation date

Billing Settings (Owner-only view)​

  • Per-user cost
  • Billing status
  • Prorated charges/credits

Activity Settings​

  • Recent logins
  • Recent actions (jobs updated, galleries uploaded, etc.)
  • Audit log (detailed history)

What's Next?​

Now that you understand how to manage team members, explore these related articles:

Roles and Permissions - Deep dive into each role's detailed permissions and use cases

Team Workflows - Learn collaborative workflows and task delegation strategies

Team Management Overview - Understand the bigger picture of team features in ShootPath

Or explore related topics:

Workflows - See how workflows integrate with team task assignments

Jobs - Learn how job assignments work in detail

Calendar - Understand team calendar coordination

Questions? Look for the help links throughout ShootPath, or use the support widget if you need assistance!