How to share photos with a client

After a shoot, a photographer usually has two things to send. First a set of proofs, so the client can say which frames they like and what needs retouching. Then, once the edits are done, the finished images in full resolution. Both stages tend to involve hundreds of files and a client who would rather click through a gallery than unpack a zip file.

This page covers how photographers and studios usually share photos with clients, where those methods cause back and forth, and how to do both stages from Fabric: a commenting link for picking and marking up proofs, and a published gallery page for the finals.

How photographers usually share photos with clients

A shared Google Drive or Dropbox folder is a common starting point. It handles large sets and the client can download what they need. Selections tend to come back as an email listing filenames (IMG_4471, IMG_4480, IMG_4512), which then have to be matched up by hand, and comments about a particular crop or a stray hair are hard to describe in words.

Client gallery services such as Pixieset and ShootProof are built for this job and include favoriting and print sales. They’re another subscription, and the gallery lives in a separate place from the photographer’s own archive, so images end up stored twice.

For finals, many people still send a WeTransfer link to a zip file. It’s quick, and the link expires, which suits some jobs and not others. When the client asks for the files again six months later, the photographer goes looking for them.

Step 1: Gather the shoot in a space for the client

Create a space for the client and upload the shoot into it, with a folder for proofs and one for finals. Drag files in or click Upload a file; uploading handles large numbers of files at once. If you work from Lightroom exports on your computer, the Fabric desktop app mounts Fabric as a drive, so you can export straight into the client’s folder. Files on the drive take no space on your computer and stream when you open them.

A separate space per client keeps things contained: when you share the space, the client sees only that space. Fabric also reads each photo as it arrives, including the visual content, any text in it and its colors, so later you can search the archive for “bride and groom under the arch” or paste a HEX code to find shots in a particular palette.

Step 2: Run a proofing round with comments

Proofing in Fabric is a workflow you put together from sharing and comments. Open the proofs folder, click Share, give the client commenter permission, and send the shared link. External people can open it without signing up. The client clicks through the photos and comments on the ones they want, and on any image they can draw directly on it and attach a comment to the drawing, such as a circle around a reflection to remove.

As you work through the selections and retouching notes, mark each comment completed. The comments then work as a checklist, and it’s easy to see what’s still outstanding before delivery. How to let clients proof and choose photos online goes into this workflow step by step.

Step 3: Publish the finals as a gallery page

When the edits are done, publish the finals folder. Click Share, open the Publish tab, and click Create link. A folder publishes as a web page, so the client gets a gallery to scroll through. Name the link, turn on allow downloads so they can save the full-resolution files, and choose whether to collect engagement analytics, allow indexing by search engines, and allow visitors to copy it to their Fabric.

For most private client work, turn indexing off. Wedding and portrait galleries in particular are usually meant for the family and not for search results. If you add a late retouch to the folder, editing the source in Fabric updates the published page. Photographers who want galleries on their own web address can publish on a custom domain, which is a Pro feature; how to share files on your own domain explains the setup.

Step 4: Add a password and check the gallery was seen

For a private event or an unreleased campaign, add a password to the finals folder. Right-click it (or open it and use the three-dot menu), choose Add password protection, and enter a password. It covers photos added to the folder later. There’s no password reset, so store it in a password manager, and send it to the client separately from the link. Password protection is on the Pro and Team plans.

With engagement analytics on, you can see when the gallery link was visited, plus the location and device of each visit. For a wedding with two families who each need the gallery, create a named link for each, so the visits for each family appear separately. Link analytics are on the Pro and Team plans.

Frequently asked questions

How do I send a client a gallery of photos?

Put the photos in a folder in Fabric and publish the folder. It appears as a web page the client can scroll through, and you can allow downloads.

How can clients pick their favorite photos?

Share the proofs folder with commenter permission. The client comments on the photos they want, and you mark each comment completed as you process the selections.

Can a client mark retouching changes on a photo?

Yes. A commenter can draw on an image and attach a comment to the drawing, which shows exactly where the change goes.

Can clients download full-resolution photos?

Yes. Turn on allow downloads when you create the published link. The option is available on every plan.

Does the client need to sign up to see the photos?

No. External people can open shared links without signing up, and published links open in the browser.

Can I keep a client gallery out of Google search?

Yes. Leave allow indexing by search engines turned off when you create the published link.

How do I find a photo from an old client shoot?

Search by describing what’s in the picture, paste a HEX code to search by color, or select a photo and run a similarity search to find others like it. How to organize a photo library covers the folder side of a long-running archive.

Can I password protect a photo gallery?

Yes, on the Pro and Team plans. A password on a folder also covers photos you add to it later.

Can I share photos with clients on the free plan?

Yes. Publishing, including the download option, is on the free plan, which has storage and file size caps. Passwords, analytics and custom domains need a paid plan; see pricing.