Setting up an online proofing gallery can make a huge difference to the way you, as a photographer, are able to interact with your clients, streamlining the process significantly, and both reducing the risk of miscommunication and speeding up the process – allowing you to get back behind the camera, spending less time juggling admin tasks.
Installing a client proofing gallery plugin is the best way to help your clients decide which images they would like to have edited, and also speed up the whole creative process.
If you’ve ever had a client forget which photos they chose, or what feedback they gave, or what instructions you provided, welcome to a pretty big club.
Many photographers report getting unclear or even conflicting requests from clients.
That’s where a proof gallery comes in, saving you from the headache of editing photos that might not even make the final cut. It’s all about making the selection process a breeze before you dive into fine-tuning those images. And as you know, when you’re dealing with several clients at once, this is a game-changer!
You want to be out there, photographing the world, not stuck behind a screen shuffling emails every day trying to work out who wants what.
Proofing galleries can completely transform the way this entire process works, freeing you up to do what you do best – being creative!
Crafting the Perfect Photo Proof Gallery
So, what makes a proof gallery stand out? Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing the perfect solution for your photography business.
- File Sizes and Quantities: If you’ve got a ton of images, your gallery should handle them smoothly.
- Full Size Lightbox View: Your clients will be able to view all of the images as thumbnails at a glance, but then be able to click on any image to open it in a lightbox view at full-size.
- Professional Branding: Avoid having to send clients to a third party site for them to view your photos, and instead have everything on your own website, with your own custom branding, creating a smarter, more professional image.
- Keep It Simple: An easy-to-use system means happy clients (and a happy you!), with the whole process taking up much less time for everyone involved.
So now we’re clear on what a proofing gallery is, and what we want to be looking for, let’s look at our plugin, which is one of the most popular WordPress photo proofing plugins available today, and the go-to solution for many successful photography studios – picu.
Why picu is the Ideal Choice for WordPress Users
So, let’s talk about picu.
Sure, WordPress has thousands of themes and plugins for photographers and photo editors, but when it comes to a solid proofing system, picu is your hero. It’s like having a personal assistant who’s great at presenting your work to clients in a clean, efficient, and easy to understand format, allowing them to make their selections easily.
Although there are a lot of great WordPress themes for photographers, many of these often lack the proofing features that are needed by photography studios.
And even if there are several WordPress photo proofing plugins available too, there’s a reason many highly rated professional photography studios rely on picu as their go-to solution…
…picu not only provides all of the tools needed, but it does so in such a simple to use, streamlined way.
At its heart, picu was designed not only for stability and functionality, but to make sure that it is easy to understand and simple to use for both the photographer and the client. Making sure both parties are happy is very much the philosophy behind the development of picu.
Step-by-Step: Installing picu on Your WordPress Site
Here’s how to get picu up and running in just five quick and simple steps:
- Log into your WordPress admin panel.
- Click on “Plugins” in the sidebar.
- Hit the “Add New” button.
- Search for “picu” and press Enter.
- Install and activate picu.
Your First Gallery: A Breeze to Create
Ready to create your first gallery with picu? It’s as easy as 1-2-3:
- Activate picu and hit “New Collection”.
- Upload those stunning images.
- Share with your client via email or DM, and then get out there and put your lens to good use, while picu helps your clients view and select their favorite images.
The native WordPress uploader which picu uses is perfectly fine for uploading small numbers of images, but it can be a little slower if you have very large numbers of images to upload.
Which is why we built the Import tool into picu Pro. This lets you upload a folder directly to your web host, after which picu will import the entire folder directly into WordPress for you. Simple, fast, and supremely convenient!
Bonus Tip: Client Tutorial
Not every client is a tech wizard, so why not include a quick tutorial with your gallery link?
Here’s a simple guide:
- Enter the Gallery: Click the link for instant access.
- Pick Favorites: Click the check box under all images you want to choose.
- Open Full-Size for Details: Let them view the images full-size in lightbox view.
- Finalize Selection: They click “Send Selection,” and voila!
This is how it will look on their end.
Once a client is browsing the gallery they can click on any image to open a lightbox view that displays the image full-size. They can add or remove images to their selection, and in the Pro version of picu, clients can also leave comments about images, should they have any particular requests (as shown below).
In the example above, the client has requested that their blue bins be removed from the image, but other requests could include:
- Can you please make this one black and white?
- Can you make the background a bit darker so we stand out more?
- Can you remove the ‘toilets’ sign in the background?
…and so on!
Conclusion – Say Goodbye to Complicated Communication
By incorporating a proofing gallery into your workflow, you’re not just simplifying communication – you’re elevating the entire client experience.
They’ll love the ease and clarity, and you’ll love the streamlined process.
Interested in more tips to grow your creative business? Check out some of our most popular articles from recent weeks:
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- How To Create A Photography Website In WordPress
With picu, say goodbye to endless emails, and hello to a world in which clients can select their favorite images easily and simply from the comfort of their couch. Try the FREE version of picu today – and consider the Pro upgrade for even more fabulous features:
- Mark and comment. Let clients send you directions for post-processing or gather more information from your client.
- Stunning, Theme-Independent Design. picu shines with its beautiful, theme-independent design for proofing collections.
- Theft Protected. Protect your valuable images from theft with picu Pro’s robust theft protection measures.