Client proofing without the email back-and-forth
Why photo selections stall after delivery, and how clients can choose and download without chasing.
Who this guide is for
Photographers and studios who deliver proofing galleries and spend too long collecting a client's photo selections by email.
Editorial system
Delivering the gallery feels like the end of the job. For many studios it is the start of the slowest part: waiting for the client to say which photos they want, then working out what they meant.
Selections stall when the gallery only shows photos.
A link to a folder of images leaves the organizing to the client. They screenshot favorites, list file numbers in an email, forward the link to a partner who picks different ones, and reply a week later with a list that no longer matches the gallery. None of that is careless. The gallery gave them nowhere to record a decision, so the decision happened in their inbox instead of yours.
Give the decision a place inside the gallery.
Proofing works when choosing a photo is an action in the gallery, not a note written somewhere else. A named list the client adds photos to, leaves notes on, and submits when they are finished turns "which ones do you like?" into a finished answer you can work from. Saying up front how many images the package includes tells the client how many to pick before they start, not after they have chosen sixty.
Clients are rarely slow to choose. They are slow when choosing has nowhere to go.
Settle access and downloads before you send the link.
Most questions after delivery are about access: which password, who else can look, whether files can be downloaded yet, and for how long. Answer them in the gallery rather than in a reply. Decide whether guests such as family can view without seeing the client's selections, which sizes can be downloaded and when, and whether previews carry a watermark in the meantime. A client who can see what they are allowed to do does not need to ask.
What a proofing gallery should settle before it is sent
- How many images the package includes, and where the client marks their choices.
- Who can view the gallery, and whether guests can see the client's selections.
- Whether downloads are open, in which sizes, and the date the gallery expires.
Finish delivery with a record, not a thread.
When selections, notes, views and downloads are recorded against the gallery, the next step is clear: retouch the submitted list, remind a client before the gallery expires, or close the job. That record belongs beside the booking it came from, so the client history stays in one place instead of in a search through old emails.
Common questions
How many photos should a client be asked to select?
State the number your package includes before the client starts choosing, and keep the full gallery available for reference. A clear number turns proofing into a short task; an open-ended request tends to produce a long list and a second round of cuts.
Should clients need an account to choose photos?
No. Asking a client to create an account adds a step at the moment they are most engaged. A private link, protected with a password when the photos are personal, keeps access controlled without the sign-up.
When should a proofing gallery expire?
Late enough for the client to review without rushing, and early enough that the decision does not drift for months. Tell the client the date when you send the link, and remind them shortly before it passes.