Proofing etiquette
Should Photographers Send Unedited Photos to Clients?
Rarely straight out of camera. Show lightly edited proofs when the client is choosing, send finished images when they are not, and keep proofs sized for viewing rather than keeping.
Updated September 16, 2026
The short answer is no, not in the literal sense. A frame straight out of the camera is rarely something a photographer should put in front of a client.
The useful answer depends on one question. Is the client choosing, or is the choosing already done?
When the client is choosing, show lightly edited proofs. When the selection is yours, skip the proofs and deliver finished images. This page explains both paths, the middle ground between them, and why a proof is built for looking at a photograph, not for keeping it.
The decision in one table
Match what you send to the job the client is doing at that moment.
| Situation | What to send | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Package covers a set number of images and the client picks them | Lightly edited proofs | The client needs to compare moments, not judge your retouching |
| Headshots, where one frame gets used | Lightly edited proofs | Expression is the decision, and it reads fine before retouching |
| You promised the whole story, edited, and you cull | Finished images only | There is no client decision to support |
| Commercial or product work with an approval step | Lightly edited proofs, then finals | The approver signs off on the frame before retouching time is spent |
| Client asks for every file exactly as shot | Your contract decides, not the request | Unprocessed frames are raw material, not a finished product |
What the client is actually choosing
A client in a proofing round is choosing moments.
They are looking at expression, pose, who is in the frame, whether eyes are open, and whether the composition is one they want on a wall or in an album.
They are not choosing a colour grade. They are not choosing skin retouching. Those are your decisions, applied later to the frames they pick.
That is why a proof only needs enough editing to make the moment readable. Everything beyond that is work you would be doing on photographs nobody chose.
Unedited, lightly edited and finished are three different things
The word “unedited” hides a real distinction. These are the three states a frame can be in.
| State | What has been done | Good for | Risk if a client sees it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight out of camera | Nothing beyond the camera’s own rendering | Your own cull | Looks flat or off, and the client assumes that is your work |
| Lightly edited proof | A batch preset, exposure and white balance evened out, obvious rejects removed | Client selection | Low, as long as the client knows it is a preview |
| Finished image | Full edit and any retouching you include | Delivery, print, sharing | None, this is the product |
When a client asks for “unedited” proofs, the middle row is usually the useful answer. That is the version worth sending.
Why truly unedited frames backfire
A camera file before editing often looks dull, and clients do not know that is normal.
People judge your style by the first thing they see. A flat frame sets the wrong expectation for the whole job.
Clients screenshot proofs and post them. An unedited frame on social media carries your name without your look.
Unedited sets tend to be large and repetitive. Near-duplicates slow the client down and push the deadline back.
A light batch edit fixes all four problems before the client ever sees the set.
A proof is sized for viewing, not for keeping
A proof has one job, which is to let the client decide. It should open quickly on a phone and look good on a screen.
It should not be a file anyone would want to print large. That protects the value of the finished image and keeps the round fast.
On clientgallery.io every upload is compressed in the browser into a proof JPEG before it is hosted. Proofs are sized for fast viewing, and full-resolution files travel separately.
Size is not a lock. A client can always screenshot what is on their screen, on any platform, and nothing prevents that.
If you want a visible mark on proofs, add a watermark at export. The Lightroom watermark guide covers that step, and the proof file size answer explains how light a proof should be.
You can also switch downloads off for a proofing gallery. On clientgallery.io that switch hides the “Download all photos” button, the per-photo download button and the proof ZIP.
It does not hide a full-resolution ZIP you have uploaded to that gallery. It also leaves the social-crop buttons in place once the client has sent picks. Upload the full-resolution ZIP only when you are ready to deliver.
When to skip proofs and send finished images
Skip proofing when the selection is yours by agreement.
A documentary wedding sold as the whole day, edited, is the usual example.
Skip it when the package already includes every good frame. A proofing round would only add a decision nobody asked for.
Skip it when the client is short on time and trusts your eye. Some clients would rather receive a finished set than review previews.
In each of these cases, cull privately and deliver finished work. A delivery gallery and a proofing gallery do different jobs, and the client photo proofing guide walks through when each one fits.
Running a lightly edited proofing round on clientgallery.io
If you edit in Lightroom Classic, the two-way plugin publishes proofs from your catalog and pulls the client’s picks back in.
The client opens a page under your studio’s name, with no platform branding. They install nothing and log in to nothing. A gallery password is optional.
In the full-screen view the client marks a photo with a star or a love. One tap stars, and a double tap loves.
When they are done, “Send my picks” asks for a name and an email and locks the selection. You get an email with the loved and starred counts.
Comments can be switched on per gallery. A client can write a note or draw on the photo, and the note is signed with the gallery’s client name.
Colour labels can be switched on too, using Lightroom’s five colours. That is useful when a client wants to mark a separate group, such as prints.
In Lightroom, a star becomes 3 stars and a love becomes 5 stars plus a Pick flag. Every pick lands in a collection named after the gallery, so you edit only what was chosen.
As you finish frames, flag them on the retouch round page. The client sees a retouched badge on those photos and an “X of Y picks retouched” count.
If the client needs to change their mind, “Reopen picking” unlocks the selection and keeps the existing picks. The client is not notified, so tell them yourself.
The figures that matter for a proofing round:
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Plan price | $10 a month, or $100 a year |
| Free account | 1 gallery, 5 GB |
| Photos per gallery (fair use) | 1,000 |
| Proof storage per paid account (fair use) | 250 GB |
| Pick levels | 2 (star, love) |
| Colour labels | 5 |
| Full-resolution ZIP availability | 3 days per upload, paid plans, re-upload any time |
| Standing full-resolution ZIPs per account | 100 GB |
What to tell the client before they open the link
Most proofing friction comes from a client who did not know what they were looking at.
One short message prevents it. Something like this works:
“These are previews with a light edit so you can choose your favourites. Colour and retouching are finished on the photos you pick. Please star or love up to 25 and send your picks by Friday.”
That message does three things. It names the state of the files, it gives a number, and it gives a date.
If the client asks for every unprocessed file, answer from your contract. Unprocessed frames are working material, and a package does not have to include them.
When another platform fits better
clientgallery.io has no print store. A studio that earns a real share of its revenue from prints, albums or wall art during proofing should keep a platform with a store built in.
It hosts JPEGs and does not warehouse RAW files. Keep your masters on your own drives.
There are no seats or separate logins. A two-person studio shares one account.
Sources
This page states no external figures. Every number above is a clientgallery.io product fact, checked against the product code on September 16, 2026: plan pricing, free account limits, fair-use ceilings, pick levels, colour labels, the download switch scope, and full-resolution ZIP availability.
- clientgallery.io pricing and plan details, https://clientgallery.io/, checked September 16, 2026.
- clientgallery.io Lightroom Classic plugin, https://clientgallery.io/lightroom, checked September 16, 2026.
Frequently asked
Should photographers send unedited photos to clients?
Not straight out of camera. When the client is choosing, send lightly edited proofs with a batch edit applied. When the selection is yours, skip proofs and deliver finished images.
What is the difference between an unedited photo and a proof?
An unedited frame has only the camera's own rendering and often looks flat. A proof has a light batch edit so the moment reads clearly, and it is sized for viewing on a screen rather than for printing.
Will clients think lightly edited proofs are my final work?
Only if nobody tells them. Say in writing that the gallery holds previews, that colour and retouching are finished on the photos they pick, and give a pick count and a deadline.
Can clients download proofs from a clientgallery.io gallery?
Only if you allow it. Switching downloads off hides the download-all button, the per-photo download button and the proof ZIP. It does not hide a full-resolution ZIP you uploaded, so upload that only when you deliver.
Can I stop a client from screenshotting proofs?
No platform can. Keep proofs sized for viewing so a screenshot is not a useful print file, and add a visible watermark at export if you want your mark on every preview.
What if a client asks for all the files exactly as shot?
Answer from your contract. Unprocessed frames are working material rather than a finished product, and a package does not have to include them.
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