You might decide to step things up a notch and turn your passion into a career at some stage in your photography journey. While you have multiple income stream opportunities, many photographers gain momentum through client work.
As you’ll quickly learn, running a photography business is no easy feat. Besides booking gigs, you will need a way to share your image files with clients—and doing so becomes trickier when you have multiple pictures to share.
But thanks to technological advancements, you’ve got plenty of options for transferring photography files. This article will cover seven of the best choices.
1. AirDrop
If you’ve ever needed to send something from your iPhone to a friend, you might have used AirDrop before. The tool is about as user-friendly as they get; all you have to do is turn your Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities on before choosing the person you would like to send your files to.
Once the other person has accepted, they should receive your images immediately. AirDrop is free to use, and you have no monthly limits to contend with.
AirDrop does, however, have a couple of drawbacks. The first is physical; you and your client must be close to one another, so it’s better for making quick transfers on a photoshoot.
You can also only use AirDrop if the pair of you have an Apple device. So, if you or the other person uses a different operating system, you’re better off using one of the alternatives on this list.
2. Google Drive
Google Drive is a popular cloud storage tool for plenty of good reasons. The only requirement for using it is to sign up for a Google account, and you can access files on multiple devices. In addition to your computer, Google Drive also has an app for tablets and smartphones.
If you want to share many files with photography clients, Google Drive is an excellent choice. Regardless of whether you work with one person or if multiple individuals are involved in the shoot, you won’t have any problems giving them access.
To give others access to a folder on Google Drive, click on its name. Then, select the Share button next to the person with the + sign icon.
Select Get Link and hit the Restricted tab. When the dropdown menu appears, choose Anyone with the link. On the other list of options, choose whether you want these users to view, comment, or edit. Then hit Done.
To add files, you can either drop them into the folder or go to New > File upload (or Folder upload if you’ve got a lot of images to share).
3. Dropbox
Dropbox is another popular file-sharing service with multiple capabilities. You can also use the tool for various additional purposes, such as electronic signatures for important documents. Whereas the two solutions mentioned above have more of a general use, Dropbox is largely used by businesses.
You can upload files as big as 50GB to Dropbox. That size should cover all of your photography needs, and—if you later choose to transfer your photography skills to filmmaking—it’ll do likewise for most of your videos.
Dropbox allows you to create links that are easy to share with others, and you can add groups to projects if you want to streamline communication a little further.
To use Dropbox, you’ve got the choice of a free service and paid subscriptions. The free edition gives you 2GB of storage, while Plus ($9.99 per month on an annual subscription) offers 1TB, and Professional ($19.99 per month on a yearly subscription) gives you 2TB. If you’ve got a lot of clients, you might want to consider choosing a paid plan.
4. WeTransfer
WeTransfer is an easy-to-use tool for sending photography files to clients—along with receiving folders from others.
To transfer files with WeTransfer, go to the website, on the homepage, hit the Upload Files button, and choose everything you want to share. Once you’ve done that, enter the recipient’s email address and your own—plus a title and (if necessary) a message.
Once you’ve done all of the above, hit Transfer. In addition to using your computer, you can also use the WeTransfer smartphone and tablet app to receive and send files.
Like Dropbox, WeTransfer has several pricing options. If you only need to send files as a one-off, the free plan lets you send up to 2GB. You might want to consider Pro ($12 per month if paid annually) for larger projects, or Premium ($23 per month if paid annually). You can pay on a month-to-month basis, but doing so is more expensive.
5. Email
Of course, we can’t discount the traditional ways to send files over the internet. If you don’t have a huge number of files to send to your clients, email is an acceptable way to do so without needing to sign up for anything beyond your account.
You can send up to 20MB per email, and you don’t need to pay for a monthly subscription. If you have to submit more than one picture, you might want to think about zipping the folder, so it’s more convenient for your recipient.
6. Pic-Time
Pic-Time’s primary use is to help photographers showcase their portfolios, but it’s also a handy photo-sharing tool if you want to send images to clients. You can use the tool to create galleries that look good and—if you take portraits of others—lets those people purchase multiple items with their favorite images on them.
You can use Pic-Time for free, and the storage size is pretty generous (10GB). After that, you’ve got the following pricing options:
- Beginner: $7 per month when billed annually
- Professional: $21 per month when billed annually
- Advanced: $42 per month when billed annually
- Multi-Brand: $58 per month when billed annually
7. Smash
Smash is a no-nonsense file-sending platform with an interface that’s pretty similar to Shazam. Even with a free plan, you can send files with no maximum limit that you must adhere to.
To use Smash, you need to drop your files on the homepage. Then, choose whether you want to send an email or link. Enter the necessary details and click on Send; the user has seven days to open the files.
Smash has subscription plans with multiple capabilities, such as extended expiry times and branding. Pro costs $5 per month when paid annually, while Team is $25 per month, and Enterprise has custom pricing.
You’ve Got Plenty of Ways to Transfer Photos to Your Clients
Transferring photography files to clients has never been easier, and these seven tools will help you send your images however you feel necessary. You’ll improve your workflow as a result, making it easier for you to finalize projects and freeing up time to book extra shoots.
These methods have only scratched the surface, but you’ve got enough to get started.
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