How to send photo proofs to clients

Direct answer

Sending photo proofs to clients means culling first, picking one approval method, setting a deadline, and letting client selections flow straight into your edit list — not emailing a folder of RAWs and hoping for a coherent reply. The mechanics take five steps; most of the friction photographers hit comes from skipping the deadline and revision-limit step, not the technical part.

For the fuller proofing-to-delivery arc (culling philosophy, retouching order, archiving), see the photo proofing guide for photographers. This page is the narrower send/approve loop. If you're still choosing gallery software rather than running an existing workflow, see what a professional online photo gallery is first. Once finals are ready, see how to send photos to clients.

What "proofing" actually means

Three different things get called "proofing," and mixing them up is where most confusion starts:

• Favoriting — client marks images they like inside a gallery; fastest, least formal
• Full approval — client explicitly signs off on a final set before you retouch anything
• Comment threads — client leaves notes per image (skin retouch, crop, remove object); slower, used for detailed portrait/commercial work

Pick one per session type before you send anything. Switching methods mid-project is what produces the "wait, which round is this?" emails.

Step 1: Cull before you send

Never send a raw dump. If a client has to wade through 40 near-duplicates to find the 12 worth favoriting, the deadline you set in step 3 becomes meaningless — they'll take twice as long regardless of what you write in the email.

Step 2: Choose a proofing method

Gallery favoriting inside a branded portal is the default for most photographers — it's the only method where the client's picks land somewhere you can act on directly instead of re-typing them from an email.

Step 3: Set expectations before you send the link

State three things in the same message as the proofing link:

• Deadline — a specific date, not "whenever you get a chance"
• Revision limit — how many rounds are included before extra rounds cost more
• What happens next — that favorites become the retouch list, not a first draft of a longer negotiation

Skipping this step is the single most common cause of proofing dragging on for weeks. If it already has, see how to stop chasing client selections.

Step 4: Turn selections into finals without manual re-matching

However selections come back, avoid re-typing filenames from an email into a spreadsheet — that's where mismatches happen (wrong image retouched, a favorite missed entirely). Best case, the platform view already shows only the favorited images as a filtered list ready to edit; worst case, at minimum cross-check the count before you start retouching. If you edit in Lightroom Classic, see how to get client picks back into Lightroom Classic.

Common mistakes

• No deadline — proofing rounds drift indefinitely without one
• Too many rounds allowed by default — decide the limit before the client asks, not after round three
• Unclear "proof" vs "final" resolution — clients sometimes assume proofs are downloadable finals; say explicitly if proofs are watermarked or low-res
• Favorites tracked outside the gallery (email, text) — the one thing guaranteed to cause a missed selection

FAQ

How long should I give clients to pick proofs?

One to two weeks is typical for portrait work; shorter for time-sensitive deliverables (holiday cards, event turnaround). State it explicitly either way — an open-ended deadline is not a deadline.

What if a client wants to see everything, not just curated proofs?

Some do. If so, cull less but still cull — a completely unedited dump makes their job harder, not easier, and doesn't actually give them more control over the outcome.

Can I skip the approval step and just deliver finals?

For simple sessions with a small, predictable shot count, yes — some photographers deliver directly without a proofing round. It only works when the shot list is tight enough that there's little to choose between.