Photography · 5 MIN READ
A photography client handover that closes the loop
Uploading a gallery is one part of delivering a photography job. A useful handover also tells the client what they have received, how to identify an image, what happens next and when to download their files. Use this checklist to make your next delivery easier to understand and easier to close.
1. Compare the delivery with the agreed scope
Open the accepted brief and the latest approved changes before exporting. List the promised image groups, quantities, formats and delivery date. Separate client selections from photographer selections. If the agreement includes specific product variants, people, locations or uses, match the final set to that list rather than relying on the total image count.
Record any unresolved item plainly. A missing label close-up is still missing even if you supplied extra lifestyle photographs. Identify who must decide whether to reshoot, change the scope or accept an alternative. Do not quietly substitute one deliverable for another.
2. Make the files easy to identify and use
Choose a short, consistent filename structure with a stable image identifier. Keep that identifier across proof and final versions so a client can describe a correction precisely. Separate exports for different purposes into clearly labelled folders, following the specifications actually agreed for the job.
- Check dimensions, orientation, file format and colour settings against the delivery requirements.
- Open representative exported files, including any unusual format, rather than checking only the editing application.
- Confirm filenames do not expose private client details or internal notes.
- Remove rejected images, intermediate exports and duplicates from the client delivery area.
3. Send a delivery note that answers the next questions
Write a short delivery note beside the gallery or download link. State whether the files are proofs or final exports, identify the project and version, and summarize what is included. Point out any outstanding item separately so that “delivered” does not imply every part is complete.
| Check | What the client should receive |
|---|---|
| Scope | A brief list of delivered sets and any agreed exclusions or outstanding work. |
| Files | Folder guide, image identifiers and the purpose of each export set. |
| Access | A working link, intended recipients and straightforward download instructions. |
| Review | Named reviewer, response deadline and where to send one consolidated list. |
| Revisions | The agreed revision allowance and how new requests will be scoped. |
| Approval | A clear question asking the authorized client to approve the identified version. |
| Use | A reference to the usage terms already agreed for this project. |
| Retention | Download deadline, your stated retention period and any agreed recovery arrangement. |
Test the link from the intended recipient’s access level where your delivery service permits it. Check that the client can download the intended files without seeing another client’s work. Keep access credentials and private links out of public examples and portfolio pages.
4. Give revisions one clear route
Ask for one consolidated response from an authorized reviewer. Each revision should identify the image, describe the requested change and explain the desired result. “Make it better” needs clarification; “reduce the warmth of the background on CL-CEDAR-02 while preserving the label colour” is something you can discuss and act on.
If reviewers disagree, list the conflict and ask the named decision-maker to resolve it. Keep a small revision log: request, decision, owner, due date and output version. Identify work outside the agreed scope before doing it, then document the accepted change and any revised fee or deadline.
5. Record what the client actually approved
Ask for approval of a specific gallery or version. Save the response with the brief and delivery note. A download notification shows that someone accessed files; it does not by itself tell you that the authorized client accepted every deliverable. Record remaining questions explicitly.
For the fictional candle job, the closing record might say: “Nine final views in delivery v2 approved by the client’s project lead on 16 October; alternate lifestyle crop remains a separate proposed addition.” That record is clearer than an email subject reading “all done”.
6. Make the archive handover deliberate
Tell the client when the delivery link expires and ask them to download and back up their files. State your actual retention policy without implying permanent storage. If retrieval after the delivery period has a fee or limitation, point to the terms already agreed.
Keep the approved outputs, scope changes, delivery record and approval together according to your own retention arrangements. Before the next job, review which questions kept returning. Add the missing answer to your brief or delivery note so the same confusion does not need another email thread.