Photography journal with shot lists, settings cheat sheets and a photo log

Photography journal pages for anyone who loves taking pictures and wants to plan sessions, keep track of settings and grow with every shoot. The 26 undated pages include an inventory for cameras and lenses, cheat sheets for exposure and settings, four ready-made shot lists, a photo log and a challenge that runs for 52 weeks.

It comes as a US Letter and an A4 PDF, ready to download the moment you order. Nothing is mailed, so you can print the cheat sheets before your next outing.

How this photography journal helps you keep improving

Record your gear a single time, tuck the exposure triangle and suggested starting settings for nine everyday scenes into your camera bag, and arrive at each shoot with a planned session and a completed shot list. Afterward, note the aperture, shutter speed, ISO and light for the frames worth remembering, take a close look at one image and write down exactly what you adjusted while editing.

A new prompt arrives every week with the 52 week challenge. The journal closes with goals, a log for practicing skills, a review for each month and a backup log that keeps your favorite images safe.

Who this photography journal is for

• Beginners learning manual mode who want the exposure triangle and starting settings written down
• Hobby photographers planning sessions and keeping track of the settings that worked
• Parents taking pictures of their family, and travelers who want a shot list for each trip
• Makers photographing their own handmade work who need an easy product shot list
• Anyone beginning a 52 week challenge or a year of personal photo projects

Design and printing

• A clean, elegant look with white pages and gentle blush pink accents that are light on ink
• Roomy margins on each page, so a home printer will not cut anything off
• Portrait pages in US Letter (8.5 x 11 inches) and A4 (210 x 297 mm)
• Undated, so it works in any year and the challenge can begin in any week
• Keep it in a binder or on a clipboard, or have it spiral bound at a print shop

Inside the photography journal: 26 pages

1. 1Cover page with an index
2. 2An inventory of cameras and lenses with model, serial number, focal length, widest aperture, filter size and date bought, plus a note on your favorite lens and a wish list for gear
3. 3Accessories and gear care: a list of accessories, a tracker for batteries and memory cards, a log of care and servicing, your care routine and a checklist to run before each shoot
4. 4An exposure triangle cheat sheet showing full stop scales for aperture, shutter speed and ISO, six useful rules such as Sunny 16, and room for notes on your own camera
5. 5A settings cheat sheet giving a starting aperture, shutter, ISO and tip for 9 scenes, a guide to white balance in Kelvin and notes on how to read light
6. 6Composition ideas: 12 techniques, from the rule of thirds through to simplify, each with a brief explanation, a circle to mark once tried and a line for notes
7. 7A session planner covering the details, mood and style, times for sunrise, golden hour and sunset, a timeline, what gear to pack and a checklist for before you leave
8. 8A portrait shot list with 16 suggested shots and 6 empty rows, plus posing prompts that worked well
9. 9A family photo shot list with 16 suggested shots and 6 empty rows, plus names, ages and any special requests
10. 10A travel shot list with 16 suggested shots and 6 empty rows, plus places and the best times to visit
11. 11A product photo shot list for your handmade work, bakes or crafts, with 16 suggested shots and 6 empty rows
12. 12A blank shot list of 22 rows, with sections for must-have shots and if there's time
13. 13Location scouting: access and permits, how the light changes through the day, a dot grid box for a map or sketch, spots within the location and the best seasons
14. 14A photo log of 22 rows for the date, photo number, subject, lens, aperture, shutter, ISO, light and notes
15. 15A study of one photo, with a box to sketch or paste it, 9 fields for settings, checkboxes for light and composition, why you love it and what you would do differently
16. 16The 52 week photo challenge for weeks 1 to 26, each week with a prompt, date, your interpretation and a done box
17. 17The 52 week photo challenge continued for weeks 27 to 52
18. 18A challenge tracker with 52 circles to color in, one per week, a top shot for each quarter and a reflection at year end
19. 19Editing notes that compare 15 adjustments across 3 photos, from cropping to local edits
20. 20An editing workflow with 10 suggested steps plus 2 of your own, two preset recipes and a table of export settings for prints, web, social and archive
21. 21Goals and skills: goals for the year, your year in numbers, a skills tracker rated from 1 to 5 and the photos you dream of taking
22. 22A skills practice log of 18 rows with ideas for practice
23. 23A monthly photo review with totals, your top five images, lessons learned, what was difficult and a focus for next month
24. 24A log for backups and archiving with 18 rows, a system for naming folders and a note of where your photos are stored
25. 25Thumbnail sketches: 12 dot grid frames to plan a shot before you press the shutter
26. 26Photo ideas and inspiration, with ideas, places to shoot, themes and projects

Files included

• Photography Journal & Shot List in US Letter, a 26 page PDF
• Photography Journal & Shot List in A4, a 26 page PDF
• Read Me First, a brief PDF guide to printing

How to download and print

• Check out with PayPal, a debit or credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Your download page opens as soon as the payment goes through.
• We email the same private download links to you, so you can download your files again later.
• Open the PDF in a free reader such as Adobe Acrobat Reader and print at 100% or Actual size.
• Print only the pages you need, as often as you like, for your own personal use.

Good to know

• This is a print-ready PDF and not a hyperlinked digital planner. You can still open it in most note taking apps and write on the pages.
• You receive a digital file only. Nothing physical is mailed.
• Printed colors may look a little different from your screen.
• The files are for personal use. Please do not share, resell or pass them on.
• Digital files cannot be returned. If a file will not open or print properly, email us and we will help quickly.

How this was made

Designed and written by PetiteDiary. AI tools helped draft parts of the text, and some background scenes in the preview images were created with AI. Every page was designed, reviewed and checked before release.

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