How to Send Edited Photos to Clients: 6 Methods Compared (2026)

You spent four hours on the cull, another six on the edit, and now the last step — actually getting the photos to the client — is a WeTransfer link that will expire in seven days. That is a lot of craft riding on a delivery method most photographers chose without thinking.

This guide walks through six practical ways to send edited photos to clients, with the trade-offs that matter when you do this every week. For a broader side-by-side comparison of platforms, see our best way to deliver photos to clients post — this one is the method-by-method how-to. If you want the full picture of what happens after a shoot, our post-shoot workflow guide covers everything from backup to delivery.

Why the Delivery Method Matters More Than You Think

Delivery is not file transfer. It is the last impression a client carries away from working with you. They will not remember the colour grade you obsessed over for an hour — they will remember whether the photos arrived on time, whether the link worked, and whether they could find the files again two months later when their marketing manager asked.

A few things go wrong more often than photographers admit: the link expires before the client downloads, the ZIP crashes on their phone, the gallery looks like it was built in 2009, the client loses the email and asks you to resend three weeks later, or a different stakeholder never got the link at all. Multiplied across a year of shoots, those small support tickets add up to hours of admin and the quiet erosion of how professional you feel.

Method 1: WeTransfer

WeTransfer is the default for a reason. Drag, drop, paste an email address, send. No account required for the recipient.

The good: No login friction. Free tier handles up to 2GB per transfer. Clean interface. Most clients have used it before.

The bad: Free links expire after seven days. If your client is on holiday or simply slow to act, the link is dead by the time they click it. No gallery view, no selection tools, no way to know which photos the client used. The Pro plan extends expiry but still does not give you a gallery experience.

Use it when: You are sending a single set of finals to a client who will download immediately. A press image, a one-off headshot, one-and-done.

Skip it when: You want the link to keep working, you want to know who downloaded what, or you charge enough that the delivery should feel branded.

Method 2: Dropbox or Google Drive

The cloud-storage approach. Upload to a folder, share the link, let the client browse and download.

The good: Permanent. The link does not expire as long as the folder exists. You and the client probably already have accounts. Storage is generous on Google Drive's free tier. Handles batches of hundreds of photos without complaint, and clients can download individual files or the whole folder as a ZIP.

The bad: It looks like a file browser, because it is one. No presentation, no cover image, no way to highlight the hero shots. Permissions can be confusing — clients sometimes get prompted to request access even after you sent them an open link. No selection or commenting.

Use it when: The client is technical, the relationship is informal, or you are delivering something that is not the main creative deliverable — behind-the-scenes shots, supplementary assets, long-term archives.

Skip it when: The delivery is the final brand moment for a paid project. A Drive folder does not say "professional photographer."

Method 3: Email Attachments

The path of least resistance. Open Gmail, attach the photos, send.

The good: Zero learning curve. There is a permanent record in their inbox.

The bad: Most providers cap attachments at 20–25MB — a single full-res edit can blow that on its own. Files get lost in spam, archived prematurely, or compressed by the provider.

Use it when: You are sending one or two preview JPEGs as a teaser, or a low-res image for quick approval. Never for the final delivery of a paid shoot.

Method 4: USB Drive or External Hard Drive

The physical option, still common in wedding and high-end commercial work where the deliverable is part of the package.

The good: Tangible, premium feel — especially in a branded box with prints. Massive capacity, no upload time, no link to break. Ownership transfers cleanly.

The bad: Only works for in-person handover or postage. Drives fail. The client has to find a USB port (laptops without USB-A are everywhere now). No analytics, no re-downloads, no second stakeholder access without copying. And it does nothing for the client whose primary device is a phone.

Use it when: You are delivering a wedding package where the physical presentation is part of what the client paid for, or for very large archives that would be slow to transfer online.

Skip it when: You need fast turnaround, the client is remote, or the photos need to be shared with a wider team.

Method 5: Pixieset, Pic-Time, or ShootProof

The dedicated photography gallery platforms. Branded galleries, client favouriting, optional print stores.

The good: Galleries look like a professional product. You add your logo and brand colours, pick a cover image, control the layout. Mobile is built for photo viewing, not file browsing. Most offer non-expiring download links plus print and digital sales as add-ons.

The bad: They are delivery-and-sales platforms — largely one-directional. The photographer sends, the client downloads. Two-way collaboration is limited or absent. They also assume a certain genre fit (weddings, portraits with print sales) that may not match boudoir, fashion, or commercial work. Free tiers are small.

Use it when: You want a polished branded delivery and your work involves print sales or a high-volume wedding/portrait flow.

Skip it when: You collaborated closely with the model or client and want delivery to live alongside that conversation.

For a direct comparison of two of the most popular options, see Picdrop vs Pixieset and ShootProof vs Pixieset.

Method 6: Cullengo and Other Collaborative Platforms

The newer category — platforms designed around the whole shoot, not just the file transfer at the end. You already have a workspace where the moodboard, the date, the agreement, and the photo selections live. Keeping everything in one place means the client lands back in the same gallery they used during proofing, with the finals slotted in alongside the work they have already seen.

In Cullengo specifically, this looks like:

• Delivery mode separates edited finals from raw selects in the same gallery.
• Per-gallery visibility lets you mark a gallery private and control access, so the contact sheet stays internal while the finals are visible to the client.
• Single and batch ZIP downloads mean the client can grab a single hero image or pull everything down at once.
• Invite link onboarding removes account-creation friction — clients open the link and they are in.
• Email notifications let the client know finals are ready, with a stable link that does not expire.

The trade-off is genre fit. Cullengo is built around collaborative shoots — portrait, fashion, boudoir, editorial — where the model or client is involved before and during the shoot. For a pure one-way handoff to a wedding client, a dedicated delivery platform is simpler.

Comparison Summary

A quick way to scan the six methods on the criteria that matter most:

• Size limit: WeTransfer free 2GB; Dropbox/Drive depends on plan; email 20–25MB; USB drives unlimited; Pixieset and Cullengo handle full-res batches comfortably on paid plans.
• Link expiry: WeTransfer free 7 days; Drive/Dropbox permanent; email permanent in inbox; USB physical; Pixieset and Cullengo permanent (or controllable).
• Branding: WeTransfer minimal on free, Drive/Dropbox none, email none, USB premium if packaged, Pixieset and Cullengo full branded gallery.
• Mobile UX: WeTransfer fine for download but not for browsing; Drive/Dropbox functional; email poor; USB irrelevant; Pixieset and Cullengo built for it.
• Two-way collaboration: Only the collaborative platforms support it. Everything else is one-way.
• Link permanence: Drive, Dropbox, USB, Pixieset and Cullengo all give you a stable destination. WeTransfer free does not.

For a deeper breakdown of how these features translate into a delivery experience, see our client photo gallery for photographers post and our best photo sharing app roundup if you want a wider comparison.

File Format and Resolution Guidance

The format question is where most photographers under-deliver and over-explain.

JPEG, sRGB, full resolution is the default for almost every client. It opens everywhere, prints fine up to A3, looks correct on phones and laptops. Export at quality 90–100, sRGB colour space, embed the profile.

JPEG web resolution is a useful second export. 2,000px long edge, sRGB, quality 80. This is what your client will actually post on Instagram, and delivering it saves them the resize step.

TIFF or PNG only on explicit request. Designers, print houses, and magazines sometimes want them; they are 5–10x the size of a JPEG.

Raw files as a rule, no. Raw is your working file, not a deliverable. If a client specifically requests raw — common with fashion clients who have their own retouchers — treat it as a separate line item.

For workflow context, see our photography workflow management guide and the photographer-model collaboration workflow for collaborative shoots.

A Delivery Email Template That Works

Generic delivery emails get scanned and forgotten. The version below has held up across hundreds of shoots — adjust to your voice.

Subject: Your photos from [shoot name / date] are ready

Hi [name],

Your photos are ready: [gallery link]

Inside the gallery you can download individual photos or grab everything as a ZIP, switch between web-resolution (for social) and full-resolution (for print), and re-download anytime — the link does not expire.

A short note: I really enjoyed shooting this set with you. [One sentence about a specific frame or moment from the day.] When you post, I would appreciate a tag at @[handle].

If anything looks off or a file does not download, reply to this email and I will sort it.

Three things make this work: a specific note about the shoot, clear instructions on what they can do in the gallery, and a single low-friction support path if something breaks.

Where Cullengo Fits

If the friction you most recognise is "my proofing tool, my delivery tool, and my client conversation tool are three different products," that is the gap Cullengo fills. The gallery your client used during selection is the same gallery the finals appear in. The moodboard you built before the shoot is one click away. The agreement you signed lives in the same workspace.

You can see how it fits together on the features page. For a deeper treatment of the proofing stage that comes before delivery, see our online photo proofing guide.

FAQ

What is the best way to send edited photos to clients?

A branded gallery with non-expiring links is the best balance of client experience and reliability — a dedicated platform like Pixieset, Pic-Time, or Cullengo rather than WeTransfer or a Drive folder. Look for full-resolution downloads, batch ZIP, mobile-friendly viewing, and a link that still works in six months. For pure handover, Pixieset is a safe default. For collaborative work, Cullengo keeps everything in one place.

How long should photo delivery take after a shoot?

Industry norms: 2–4 weeks for portrait, fashion, and editorial; 4–8 weeks for weddings; 24–48 hours for press and quick-turn commercial. The actual number matters less than the one you communicate before the shoot. If you are going to be late, say so a week early — not the day of.

What file format should you send clients?

JPEG in sRGB at full resolution covers around 95% of client needs. Add web-resolution JPEGs (2,000px long edge) as a second export. TIFF or PNG only on explicit request. Avoid sending raw files unless your contract specifies them.

Should you password-protect client galleries?

For boudoir, intimate portraiture, and NDA work, yes. A private gallery with controlled access prevents the link being forwarded freely. For most other portrait and fashion work, invite-only access is the better middle ground — controlled, but not annoying.

Can you send RAW files to clients?

In most cases you should not. Raw is your working file; sending it gives the client the ability to re-edit your work, which devalues the editing time they paid for. If a client specifically requests raw — common with fashion clients who have their own retouchers — treat it as a separate line item with its own price.