14 DAY TRIAL // With Pro Photo Shoot, Microsoft has delivered a new management tool to photographers via Outlook. Microsoft Pro Photo Shoot is essentially nothing more than an add-in designed to integrate seamlessly with Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2003. Pro Photo Shoot will enable photographers to have in handy a list with all their photographic equipment and organize an event without ever leaving Outlook, concomitantly with the email exchange with a client.
"Pro Photo Shoot is a Microsoft Office Outlook add-in that is designed to help photographers keep track of the little stuff. When you're first planning a photo shoot-perhaps while you're on the phone with your customer-you can bring up a dialog with a list of the equipment you own and then check off what you want to bring with you. The list is stored in the body of the appointment so when you print the appointment record the list is right there with all the other details", explained Todd Newman, Developer Lead at Microsoft.
Microsoft Pro Photo Shoot comes in two flavors, one weighing in at 498 KB for Outlook 2007, and the other at 413 KB for Outlook 2003, for both Windows XP and Windows Vista. The Redmond company advised users that they will have to restart Outlook in order to access the plug-in after implementation. The Pro Photo Shoot interface, after you have made a complete and detailed list of your equipment, will permit you to select the items you need for a specific photo shoot via check-boxes.
"Of course, you have to tell the add-in what photo equipment you have. When you first start the add-in using a button that is either in the ribbon (for Outlook 2007) or the task bar (for Outlook 2003) of the appointment, the equipment list is empty. Pressing the 'Equipment Pool?' button brings up the dialog where you enter the equipment. For each piece of equipment you own you enter a name (such as 'Canon 5D', '1600W Topas', or 'EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM') and a type (such as 'Camera', 'Battery/Powerpack', or 'Lens')", Newman added.
Microsoft Pro Photo Shoot can be downloaded via this link.