How Do Photographers Deliver Photos to Clients?
The ultimate objective for any photographer is to share photos. Whether you own photography business, studio or are a professional photographer, you should email your clients your work as soon as it is finished.
When you have large size files, it becomes more difficult to share your images with your clientele. Many photographers lose their clientele because seamless image files sharing features are not provided.
This is a significant problem for all photographers. This is a problem that affects all parties, not just photographers. It takes a lot of time, which has an effect. So how should photographs be shared with clients? How do seasoned photographers deliver photos to customers?
You’ve probably noticed that sending photos via email or social media doesn’t result in their arriving in the same high-res quality as the originals. Even worse, there’s sometimes a restriction on the number of photographs you may share at once.
Just starting out on photography? What’s the easiest approach to share images with the customer when a shoot is over and you need to send them? Fortunately, there are several free photo-sharing applications available that are ideal for photographers.
What to Consider When Deciding The Best Ways to Share Photos with Clients?
1. Cost
You must consider the expense of any file-sharing platforms you want to utilize if you frequently send photos to clients. Although the majority of photo-sharing sites provide a free version, it will often be less feature-rich and may restrict your ability to send numerous photographs or share huge files.
Most free services only offer a certain amount of storage. To meet your unique image-sharing demands, you should search for a reasonably priced photo-sharing option.
Besides sharing photos directly to your clients, having a free online portfolio website for photographers will really help a lot too.
2. Delivery Speed
Clients will be more happy and willing to offer you additional business if you can share photos with clients quickly. Keep in mind that due to their hectic schedules, your clients may not always have the opportunity to review the digital assets you deliver.
Hence, it will be best to choose a photo-sharing service that supports immediate delivery. There shouldn’t be a lot of processes to do or a long wait time before the client receives the photographs.
3. File Size and Quantity
The photographs you upload must be of a high resolution if they are to be print-ready digital files. More storage will be needed for these excellent photographs. Any program you use for picture sharing should be able to handle these enormous images, especially if you want to share photos in bulk.
Additionally, keep in mind that you should be prepared to offer the photographs in several forms, including various sizes and resolutions for each image. These customer demands raise the amount and size of the files.
Unless you are prepared to exchange hundreds of separate files, email attachments will not function effectively for large files and good image quality. In these circumstances, it is preferable to use a file-sharing service that will offer greater storage or generate online photo galleries.
4. Proofing Capabilities
Before moving on to the next phase, such as publishing, professional photographers often provide client proofs of their work. It is wise to pick a solution that makes proofreading simple by enabling clients to leave comments right on the shared photographs.
The need to search for the exact image with client remarks is eliminated by using a photo-sharing service with proofreading capabilities.
5. Security Measures
You should take security precautions while emailing photos because they include personal information. You may share photos safely without worrying about security breaches if you use a solution that offers private password protection.
As it makes it difficult for unlawful use of the photographs, other security measures like watermarking and blocking the right-click mouse capability can also assist safeguard your intellectual property.
6. Image Format and Resolution
Other essential considerations when selecting the tool to utilize for sharing digital images include the image type, format, and resolution. While the majority of internet platforms for sharing images are made to handle practically any picture, others exclusively allow certain resolutions.
In order to avoid disappointment, make sure any program you choose can support the particular image format, quality, and color that you intend to share.
The Best Ways to Share Photos with Clients Without Losing Quality
WeTransfer
One of the most user-friendly and efficient file-sharing platforms available is WeTransfer. You may get started right away without creating an account because it is completely free. You only need to provide your email address, the client’s email address, and the file attachments to complete a transfer.
We transfer was developed in 2009 by Bas Beerens and Nalden to provide us with a smooth file-transfer experience for large files. WeTransfer was chosen by The Fast Company as one of the most creative design firms in the world.
You may share as much as you like with the free edition, but there is a 2GB cap on how much you can send at once. Your customer will receive an email letting them know that a WeTransfer has been made from the other end of the transaction. There will be a list of all the file names transferred, along with a download option.
All of the photographs may be accessed on the user’s computer in a WeTransfer folder after being downloaded. This is a quick and cost-free way to distribute high-resolution photos to your clients if you’re seeking for a quick and efficient method.
The free transfer cap on Wetransfer is 2GB, which is a drawback. As a result, if you have 6GB of digital images to share, you will need to divide them over 3 transfers. If you can find a way to get past the 2GB sharing restriction, it’s a forever free file sharing alternative because there is no cap on the number of individual transfers you can perform.
With the premium version, you may quickly drag and drop big files to share. In contrast to the free version, here you may send up to 20 GB of files or archives (no zipping necessary, exactly as “Home job” pants). You may choose whether transfers are available for access for a week, a month, or always.
Pros
- Simple Drag and Drop Operation
- No Zipping Required (for Paid Version)
- Track Your Download
- Email transfers to up to 3 people (for Free Version) & 50 people (for Paid Version)
Cons
- Up To 2GB Sharing Limit (Free Version) & 20 GB (Paid Version)
- Transfers get automatically deleted after 7 days (Free Version)
Google Drive
Google Drive is a convenient, quick, and easy way to share large files. The protection comes from Google. Google Drive is secure for both personal and professional use as a result. There are several essential security features available with Google Drive. These have been created expressly to safeguard, manage, and secure your data.
Since Google Drive is integrated with your Gmail account, it is one of the most flexible photo-sharing services. You may submit any image file you require to this platform, and it is simple to divide into various groups of folders. You can manage and save all of your high resolution images online with Google Drive, a cloud storage platform.
You may quickly share each of your folders or individual files, and you can add many editors to a single folder. When working together on a client project, you can both safely make contributions to the same folder from different machines. Once everything is in order, you can provide your customer a direct link or email with access to that folder.
Among all the free options available on the market, it is regarded as the greatest method for sending images to clients. In Google Drive, there are several methods for sharing files. Both individual files and whole folders can be shared. Similar to Dropbox, you may give them varying privileges while sharing. This covers both altering and merely viewing the files.
It is appropriate for several uses in addition to photo sharing alternatives. It may be a potent sharing tool, but people frequently forget this. The free edition of the program comes with 15GB of storage.
With a cloud service, you can arrange everything just as on your PC, which is quite convenient for sharing photos. Keeping track of all your files and who has access to them is much simpler. A cloud service like Google Drive keeps your images pooled rather than sending several, difficult-to-manage file transfers.
Google Drive has a storage cap of 15GB with the free version, despite appearing to be the best option for sharing photos. This is a respectable amount of space, but it quickly runs out when sending repeated batches of images to a customer.
You’ll need to actively erase old folders from your system as you go if you must continue with the free version. If your customer has saved the folder to their computer, it won’t matter if you delete it on your end.
Pros
- Available Everywhere
- Safe, Secure and Reliable
- 15 GB (Free Version) No storage Limit (Paid Version)
Cons
- Less user-friendly for photo sharing
- Lag in updates
- Slower Uploading and Downloading Speed
Smash
Another great website for exchanging images with your customers is Smash. With the free version, there is no size restriction on transfers, allowing you to transmit even your biggest files in a single transfer. Smash files expire 14 days after you transmit the photographs, like the most direct file sharing websites.
You may think of it as WeTransfer’s substitute. If you have huge size files, it’s also one of the finest ways to send photos to clients. It improves images and is easy, safe, quick, and secure. Even from their smartphone, the receiver may examine a preview of the files you have provided them before selecting to download them.
Due to its simplicity, this file-sharing website is among the easiest to use. neither more buttons nor a complicated layout. You may easily transfer high-resolution photos using a simple drag and drop structure.
Smash has one restriction: file transfers larger than 2GB are throttled and given lower priority. This implies that once you go above that limit, the transfer pace will be noticeably slower. Smash is a fantastic, cost-free option to share photos with clients if you don’t mind waiting a little bit for your files to process.
You may attach them to an email with other pertinent media types and deliver photos to your customer via a shared link. To utilize Smash, you drag and drop images onto the Smash icon. As soon as your files are submitted, you may choose the period of time they will be available.
And if you want to hide them, use a password. Up to 2GB of data can be sent at once, and they can stay in the cloud for a maximum of 14 days.
Pros
- No size limit
- Files available up to 14 days
- Password protection & File previews
Cons
- Up to 2GB at a Time
- Lack of Customization in Shareable URL Link (Free Version)
Dropbox
A popular cloud-based file sharing service is Dropbox. Both a free and a corporate version are available. It is regarded as the first smart workstation in history. You receive 2GB of storage in the free edition compared to 2–3 TB in the corporate version.
Since many photographers are already likely to use Dropbox for the online storage of other documents, it is a logical choice for them. Regardless of whether you manage your tax paperwork or the Lightroom in Dropbox collection, it is a tool that many of us are already familiar with.
The appeal of this technology for online photo sharing with clients grows with its familiarity.
Even though the free version doesn’t have the most storage space, it does provide offline editing, which is really helpful. You can save files to your Dropbox account when you’re offline if you have the Dropbox program downloaded to your computer.
Dropbox will automatically upload and backup your data to the cloud once you’re back online. One of the key reasons I adore Dropbox and personally use it for photo distribution and storage.
Pros
- Limited Storage (2 GB in Free Version)
- Easy to Use
- Hassle-Free Sharing After Installation
Cons
- Storage Limitation
- Installed Version Takes Up Your Hard Drive Storage
Pixieset
Any photographer looking to exhibit their high quality images in a professional manner should choose Pixieset. You may upload files, photographs and produce client-specific galleries with Pixieset that look great on desktop and mobile devices.
Your customers may make selections, download, or share photos from these galleries. On Pixieset, it’s really simple to stay on top of specific projects because everything is in one location.
Pixieset was created exclusively with professional photographers in mind. It offers both a free and a paid version, but in my opinion, the free version is sufficient for photographers. It is a superior method for sharing, distributing, and monitoring evidence for photographers than other image-sharing tools.
You may upload and share up to 1000 photographs (about 3GB) with this photo-sharing program’s free edition, and you can create an infinite number of galleries. This is more than enough to begin with for many professional photographers.
The 1000 photo cap can survive for a long time if you consistently delete outdated galleries. Pixieset’s free version may be used without a credit card and is always completely free.
It offers a secure method for offering gorgeous covers and layouts for high-quality dedicated picture galleries straight out of the box. There are other alternatives for customer sharing. Customers who have a PIN with up to four numbers can access photographs.
It has social sharing built-in with a modern workflow for sharing photos with clients online. Clients can download their photos directly from an online photo gallery. It allows fast and secure, full control on sizes, and a good quality tracking system.
The downside to Pixieset is that it may be a little over the top if you only need to send a few photos to a client. Even though your images look fantastic in their galleries, it may not be necessary for all transfers you make.
Pros
- Quick Set Up
- Fast upload and download speeds
- Good security options
Cons
- Only 10GB storage on Basic Plan
- No right-click functionality within the admin interface
- No video hosting options
Shootproof
Pixieset’s equivalent, Shootproof, functions remarkably similarly. For delivery and sharing photos with your clients, this photo-sharing website builds personalized galleries of your images. Its general structure is quite user-friendly and makes the procedure very straightforward.
You may automatically put a watermark to all of the gallery photographs if you’re concerned that customers could download them without your consent. Shootproof is a terrific approach to share photos with clients in a professional manner thanks to its numerous configurable online image gallery options.
By building picture galleries in ShootProof, you are able to sell your images to customers in addition to sharing photos with them. It is viewed as more of a platform for sharing than for moving data. You may get assistance from the team of skilled photographers at ShootProof. You can submit images in high or low resolution up to 50 MB.
The majority of photographers favor Shootproof. It offers additional practical tools to a photographic business. It features the ability to create and submit contracts, sell prints and wall decor, bill professionals, and generate customized discounts. Like Pixieset, it enables clients to download photos. They can distribute them over social media to increase brand awareness.
Shootproof’s limitation to a 14-day free trial is a drawback. After then, the program is entirely paid, which is not ideal.
Pros
- Only 100 Image Per Month(Free Version)
- Simple Proofing
- PIN protection and resizing options
Cons
- Limited Storage
- Creating Galleries
SmugMug
SmugMug is a portfolio builder that allows you to share photographs with complete control over who may view and download images. It has professional features and is simple to use. It includes some lovely, well-designed themes that you may quickly alter using drag and drop capabilities. A password can be used to secure each gallery.
You may upload high-resolution photos with no restrictions because you have limitless image files storage. Once your consumers have purchased a product, SmugMug will utilize these high-quality files to get it printed by one of its affiliated print shops.
For further security, you may deactivate the right-click and download buttons, and you can also decide whether to add a watermark. To streamline your process, you may upload photos from your hard drive, your Flickr and Dropbox accounts, or through sync with Lightroom.
Which Platform Is The Easiest Photo Sharing Site?
WeTransfer and Smash are the simplest photo-sharing platforms. Both of these sites make it simple to exchange high-resolution images and offer free email-based file transfers. There are no simpler online picture sharing choices because you don’t require an account or struggle with folder hierarchies.
I enjoy these apps because they upload data rapidly without all the extra steps that other websites take, like making galleries or organizing directories. Smash and WeTransfer cut out the extraneous details and get the job done. You may submit your client’s images in under a minute by just dragging and dropping them.
Although the usefulness of both websites is identical, Smash provides a little bit more because it supports infinite file sizes. The free version still allowed for the transmission of files up to 20GB. On the other hand, WeTransfer limits you to 2GB.
Having said that, it’s crucial to remember that beyond the 2GB mark, Smash’s transfer speeds drastically decrease. Although it’s not entirely essential, this is their way of aggressively enticing you to upgrade to a premium subscription.
There are many wonderful free options to share images with customers. The best application for you will differ depending on how many extra bells and whistles (such as galleries and customized emails) you want to go along with your files. Any one of these 6 photo-sharing services is a terrific choice, no matter what your requirements are.
Final Thoughts: Send Pictures to Your Client Without Losing Quality Now
Professional photographers as well as companies that offer image cutout services must share photographs with their clients. It’s frequently disregarded. These are some of the greatest tools for online photo sharing with customers.
What is the ideal approach to share images with clients, then, if you ask me? It is dependent on your requirements, your clients’ demands, and even your budget. Before making any decisions, conduct research and comparisons. You can use the free version or the premium version depending on your needs.