How to deliver photos to clients: the complete workflow.
From preview delivery to the final download, a step-by-step photo delivery workflow that keeps clients informed and your studio looking professional.
The delivery moment, and why the method matters
Delivery is the last thing a client experiences from you, and it shapes how they remember working with your studio. A client who waits in silence for weeks, then receives a confusing zip file with no way to browse or select photos, forms a different impression than one who gets a quick preview, a clear timeline, and a gallery they can open on their phone.
This guide walks through a complete delivery workflow: preview-first delivery, setting up the full gallery, turnaround expectations by genre, resolution choices, file organization, and a pre-send checklist you can reuse for every shoot.
Preview-first delivery
A widely used practice is to send 5 to 10 of your best shots within 48 hours of the shoot, before the full edit is finished. This does two things: it reassures the client that the session went well, and it gives them images they can share right away, which often becomes free word-of-mouth for your studio.
- Pick shots with strong emotion or a clear hero moment, not necessarily the technically hardest edits
- Keep the preview small: 5 to 10 photos is enough to build anticipation without giving away the full set
- A short private gallery works well for this: the same link structure your client will use for the full delivery
The full-gallery delivery, step by step
Here is the full workflow from finished edit to delivered gallery using Galerly.
Step 01
Upload the edited set
Upload the final edited photos into a Galerly gallery. Multiple folders can be uploaded at once, with sections created automatically to keep ceremony, portraits, and reception (for example) separate.
Step 02
Organize into sections
Group photos into sections that match how your client will look for them later: by moment, by location, or by family group. This matters more for large deliveries where scrolling through a single unsorted feed becomes tedious.
Step 03
Set download and password options
Decide whether downloads are enabled, add a password for sensitive sessions, and set the cover photo. You can also link the gallery to the client's project record so delivery history stays attached to the shoot.
Step 04
Share the link
Copy the gallery link and send it however you communicate with the client. It opens directly in their browser, on any device, without requiring them to create an account.
Step 05
Client favorites and comments
The client browses the gallery, favorites the photos they love, and can leave comments or request edits with visual annotation directly on a photo. You see all activity in your dashboard.
Step 06
Downloads, single or bulk
The client downloads individual photos or the whole gallery as a ZIP in original resolution, if downloads are enabled. There is no forced expiry. The link stays live until you decide to archive or delete the gallery.
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Turnaround expectations by genre
These are typical norms photographers report, not fixed rules. Your own workload, editing style, and client agreement always take precedence. Setting the expectation in your contract or welcome document up front avoids most delivery-timeline questions.
- Events and corporate sessions: often around 3 days
- Portrait and family sessions: typically 1 to 2 weeks
- Weddings: typically several weeks, given the larger volume of images to edit
Download resolution choices
Web-resolution files are enough for sharing online and look sharp on any screen, while full-resolution originals are needed for large prints. A common approach is to offer a web-sized version around 2400 to 3000px on the long edge, which covers prints up to roughly 8x10, alongside an option to download the full-resolution original for anything larger.
On Galerly, both single-photo and bulk ZIP downloads deliver the original resolution you uploaded, so the choice of what resolution to offer starts at export time in your editing software, before the upload.
File naming and organization
A consistent naming convention makes a delivered gallery easier to navigate and easier to reference later if a client asks about a specific photo. A common pattern is date plus client surname plus a sequential number, for example 2026-07-09-smith-0142, applied consistently across the whole set.
Sections within the gallery, rather than file names alone, are usually what clients actually use to navigate. Grouping by moment or location keeps a large delivery approachable even before a single photo is opened.
Keeping links live versus letting them expire
Some file-transfer tools expire links after a set number of days to control storage costs. This creates a predictable support request: a client tries to download months later for an anniversary or a print order, and the link is gone. A persistent gallery link avoids that problem entirely: you decide when to archive or delete a gallery, on your own schedule, rather than a countdown deciding for you.
Pre-send checklist
A short checklist before you send the link catches the mistakes that are hardest to fix after the fact.
- Every photo in the set has finished editing, not a placeholder or a duplicate
- Sections are labeled clearly if the gallery covers multiple moments or locations
- Download setting matches your intent: enabled for final delivery, disabled for a proofing-only gallery
- Password is set if the session is sensitive or the link could be forwarded beyond the client
- The gallery is linked to the right client or project record so delivery history stays attached to the shoot
- The link opens correctly on a phone before you send it: this is how most clients will first view it
Frequently asked questions
How long should photo delivery take?
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It depends on the genre and your editing workload. A common norm is a few days for event photography, one to two weeks for portrait or family sessions, and several weeks for weddings. These are typical industry norms, not fixed rules. Communicate your own timeline to clients up front so expectations are set correctly.
Should I send a preview before the full gallery?
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Sending 5 to 10 of your best shots within 48 hours is a widely used practice. It reassures the client the shoot went well while you finish editing the full set, and gives them something to share immediately on social media.
What resolution should I deliver photos in?
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A common approach is to offer a web-resolution version (long enough to look sharp on any screen, often 2400 to 3000px on the long edge) alongside an option to download full-resolution originals for printing beyond 8x10. There is no single mandatory standard. Match the resolution to what your client intends to do with the files.
Should gallery links expire?
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Expiring links protect storage costs on generic file-transfer tools, but they create support requests when a client tries to download weeks or months later. On Galerly, gallery links are persistent by default and stay live until you choose to archive or delete the gallery.
Do I need to password-protect a client gallery?
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Not always, but it is good practice for sensitive sessions such as weddings, boudoir, or corporate work where the link could be forwarded. Galerly lets you add a password per gallery, so you can decide case by case.
Keep reading
How to share photos with clients
Email, WeTransfer, Dropbox, USB, or a client gallery: every method compared.
How to send large photo files
What to do when a shoot is too large for email or standard transfer tools.
How to cull wedding photos fast
Manual and AI-assisted culling workflow for wedding photographers.
Online photo proofing
How proofing galleries fit before final delivery.
Client gallery software
What to look for in 2026: feature checklist and pricing.
All guides
Invoicing, VAT, contracts, pricing: the full resource set.
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