Photo Proofing
Photo proofing is the client-side review step where a client browses the gallery and favourites or approves the photos they want before final delivery, editing, or print. It happens after the photographer's cull and turns selection into a shared, trackable decision.
How proofing works
The photographer shares a gallery of edited or near-final photos; the client opens it and marks the ones they want with a favourite or approval. Those selections flow back to the photographer as a clear list — which images to retouch, deliver, or send to print — replacing back-and-forth emails and screenshots with one tracked decision inside the gallery.
Proofing is not culling
Culling is the photographer's private first pass that removes throwaways — eyes-closed, blurry, duplicate frames — before anyone sees the gallery. Proofing is the client's pass, choosing favourites from the survivors. Culling cuts the bad frames; proofing picks the keepers. In Fotiqo, AI culling runs on import so the client only ever proofs photos worth choosing from.
Where it fits the workflow
Proofing sits between delivery and final output. The client favourites in the gallery, the photographer sees the picks, and only those images go forward to editing, album layout, or print and product sales. It keeps the client involved in the choice and stops effort being spent on photos no one ordered.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between proofing and culling?
- Culling is the photographer-side cut that removes unusable frames before the gallery exists. Proofing is the client-side selection that happens after, where the client favourites or approves the shots they want from the keepers. Culling decides what survives; proofing decides what the client chooses.
- How do clients proof photos in an online gallery?
- They open the shared gallery and tap a heart or approve button on each photo they want; the selections are saved and sent back to the photographer automatically. In Fotiqo, favouriting in the client gallery handles proofing, so picks are tracked in one place instead of over email or messages.