Best practices: How to deliver photos to clients like a professional photographer.
May 30th, 2025
Do you get butterflies in your stomach right before delivering client photos? You are excited, of course. The session went great, the editing is done, and you are feeling pretty confident about the result. But…….you’re a little nervous too.
The What If Monster starts creeping in. What if they don’t like them? What if they wanted more variety? What if they hate the editing? You are just a little unsure. And guess what? You are in good company. We all experience a bit of self-doubt. But what you don’t have to worry about is how you deliver your clients’ galleries! Zenfolio has all the tools you need to create a user-friendly, visually stunning experience for your client. From image proofing to top-notch gallery security, we have you covered. Let’s put those worries aside and talk about the tools that will help you shine like the pro you are!
Handling large file size quantity and important image file types.
I bought my first digital camera when I was about to become a new mom over 20 years ago. It was what new parents and part-time students could afford. In other words, nothing fancy. I think the largest image size it could produce was 2.1 megapixels. Wild times!
Today’s cameras generate huge file sizes and super high-resolution photos. You can turn any image into breathtakingly detailed large-scale prints like never before. Although these larger file sizes are great for producing pristine prints, storing them can certainly pose a significant challenge. Computers have limited storage capacity, and overloading them with images can eventually impact system performance. Plus, in the event of a catastrophic failure where your computer is unrecoverable (because maybe you left it in your car overnight with the sunroof open, and it just happened to rain–yup…that happened), this can pose a major business risk. And while backing up photos to external hard drives is a smart move, it often means storing them away in a digital box. The solution? A secure and reliable cloud storage platform that grows with your needs, is easy to access, and handles large files is just what the doctor ordered.
Pro tip: When in doubt about whether a certain file type or size can be uploaded to your Zenfolio, refer back to the Upload Guidelines in our help center. From color profiles to max file sizes to best practices, you’ll find the info you need.
Sharing high-resolution images with clients can also prove difficult, as methods like email or standard file-sharing platforms can struggle to accommodate the sheer size of these files. Clients expect quick access to their photos, but when each image can be hundreds of megabytes, the transfer process can be slow, inconvenient, and subject to error; and it’s often not visually appealing. The viewing experience should reflect your style and brand, and make the photos shine! The right client gallery tool should simplify this process, allowing you to upload, store, and share large files without compromising the aesthetic. High-resolution images are ideal for ordering prints and products, while smaller file sizes are better suited for social media sharing on platforms with size limitations. Your clients will want to share their beautiful photos, and having a solution that offers different image sizes will save you the extra effort of manually creating multiple versions of the same image.
Storage space is always a consideration when picking out a cloud storage platform, and choosing a solution that grows along with your needs will make your life easier in the long run. You definitely want to avoid the constant battle of deleting older files to make room for new projects, and selecting a solution that will accommodate your expanding client list is key. This scalability ensures that as your business grows, your client gallery tool can expand with you, offering a consistent and reliable platform for all your file-sharing and storage needs.
Moreover, a versatile client gallery tool should support a wide range of file types. Whether you work with JPEGs, TIFFs, PNGs, or video clips, having a platform that supports multiple formats means you won’t need separate solutions for different file types. As a wedding photographer, I loved sprinkling a short video clip into the gallery header as a fun, little surprise. It was always a real hit and improved the overall client experience, which is a win for everyone!
Client proofing capabilities.
As a photographer, managing client feedback can sometimes feel like a juggling act—email threads, texts, and scattered sticky notes can be completely overwhelming and bring your workflow to a screaming halt. Having a place where clients can comment directly on the images, create a list of favorites, and approve edits without the back-and-forth chaos is ideal. A cloud solution that tucks all communication in a single location will save time and make the entire experience easier for both you and your clients.
Engaging your clients through these powerful proofing tools will inspire thoughtful collaboration and, in the end, greater satisfaction. When clients feel part of the overall process and can easily communicate their preferences, they are more likely to love the final result. A streamlined proofing process shows that you’re professional, efficient, and committed to providing tip-top customer service—all key ingredients for cultivating a meaningful client relationship and driving repeat business.
Security measures in image delivery.
When you use an online image delivery solution, security should always be top of mind. Your clients trust you with their most valuable moments, and keeping those images safe from unauthorized access is critical. Applying password protection (don’t forget to choose a strong password!) will lock that gallery down so that only the intended people have access. It’s a simple but effective security measure to safeguard your client’s private images, and it will give you and your client peace of mind.
Pro tip: A strong password should use numbers, letters, and potentially special characters; as a best practice, the password should not use information that is included in the gallery name or URL.
Another important layer of protection is watermarking your images. Making it as a small business is hard enough–you don’t want anyone downloading or using your photos without permission or without paying. Adding a subtle watermark not only helps protect your intellectual property but also sends a signal to your clients that their images have value and are worth protecting. Combined with disabling the right-click save function (which is automatically disabled on all Zenfolio websites), these steps make it much harder for others to take and use your work without your consent.
Ultimately, these security measures don’t just protect your photos—they help preserve your client’s confidence. You want your clients to feel like their images are in trusted hands. In showing that you take the privacy and security of their photos seriously, you’re reinforcing a sense of professionalism and building a strong, reliable reputation.
Customization and branding.
When it comes to delivering images to your clients, customization options for branding are integral to making a lasting impression that will stick with your customers. By including your logos, colors, and fonts in your client galleries, you’re reinforcing your identity as a photographer and business owner. You want your brand to be front and center throughout the entire client experience–every touchpoint is an opportunity to show your legitimacy.
From the moment your clients open their gallery, they should feel an immediate connection to your work and style. Your unique branding elements, whether it’s a logo watermark or the colors and fonts you use in your communications, play a big role in shaping how your clients perceive you. Consistent branding across your galleries reinforces a sense of familiarity, and it shows clients that you’ve invested great thought and time into every detail.
One place for everything from proofing to selling.
Share and sell your photos directly from mobile-friendly, interactive online galleries designed to impress your clients.
Creating a truly engaging experience for your clients not only leaves a lasting, positive impression, it also positions your business for continued growth and long-term success. Zenfolio’s client gallery features provide a powerful way to bring your image delivery processes to a completely new level. With tools for customization, secure photo sharing, and sophisticated client proofing, you can offer a seamless, comprehensive client journey that fortifies your brand and exceeds expectations.
Being photographed can be a highly intimate experience that demands a great deal of trust. Your care for your clients shouldn’t end when the session does—it continues long after the photos are delivered. By offering tools that reflect who you are and provide genuine enjoyment, you strengthen that relationship and build lasting loyalty, ensuring your clients return again and again.
