Client galleries (WordPress)

A client gallery is a private page of one client's photographs, behind a link you send them. It is separate from your portfolio's Collections (under Website): nothing in it shows on your public site, and your client does not need an account to open it.

Everything stays in your own WordPress. The photographs are ordinary images in your media library.

Making a gallery

1. In WordPress, go to Meridian Photographers → Galleries. The first tab is Client galleries.
2. Add a new one from the top of the list, and give it a title, such as Aster & Rowan — the wedding.
3. In the This gallery box, set What it is:

- Finished photographs to keep — the delivered set. - Proofs for the client to choose from — a set they pick from. See Proofs below.

1. Under Photographs, press Add photographs. Choose images from your media library, or upload new ones, then press Add to the gallery. Drag the thumbnails into the order you want them shown. The × on a thumbnail takes it out of the gallery; it stays in your media library.
2. Fill in the rest, as you need it:

- Comes down on — the date the gallery closes. Leave it blank to keep it up. - Downloads — Clients can download or Viewing only. - Password — optional. It is stored scrambled, so it cannot be shown back to you. Write it down. - Brand — which of your businesses the gallery is from, if you have set up brand kits. - Screenshot protection — makes saving and screenshots harder on a computer. No web page can stop a phone's own screenshot buttons. - Language for the client — the language of the buttons and notes on the page: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian or Portuguese. What you wrote yourself is shown as written. - Client's email and From booking — who the link is emailed to.

1. Press Publish.

The first photograph becomes the cover, unless you choose a different Featured image.

Sending the link

Once the gallery is saved, the box shows The link to send. Anybody with the link can open the gallery, so there is nothing for your client to sign into. View as your client opens it in a new tab.

To email it from WordPress, fill in Client's email, or choose the booking under From booking to use the email on that booking, and save. Then check the address under Send to and press Email this link. After the first send, the button reads Send it again.

What your client sees

• The cover photograph with the gallery's title, then the photographs in your order.
• Download all, with the number of photographs, when downloads are on.
• A heart on every photograph. Tapping it makes the photograph a favourite.
• When the gallery closes within a month, a quiet line under the title says when. It also tells them to download anything they want to keep, but only when downloads are on.
• Order a print, when you sell prints and payments are set up.

After the closing date, the page says the gallery has closed and asks them to get in touch. A password-protected gallery asks for the password first.

Favourites

Favourites are kept on the device your client is using, with no account. Two people on two phones each keep their own list.

Once they have a favourite, a bar appears with:

• how many favourites they have;
• Only show my favourites, to hide everything else (press again to see all);
• Download my favourites, when downloads are on;
• Send my favourites, which asks once, with the number, and sends the list to you. Your client can add a note for you in the same step; it comes in the email and shows on the gallery's screen.

When they send, you get an email with the file names, sent to the address under Send enquiries to on the Email tab of Meridian Photographers → Settings. They can change their favourites and send again at any time. The newest list replaces the one before.

On the gallery's screen, Your client's favourites shows what they sent, as thumbnails, with the date. Before they send, it shows how many favourites they have so far.

Proofs

Set What it is to Proofs for the client to choose from, and put the number their package includes under Photographs in their package (proofs). Leave that blank if there is no set number.

A proofs gallery works differently:

• A short heading asks your client to tap the circle on each photograph they would like finished, and says how many their package includes.
• Every photograph has a circle instead of a heart. A chosen one gets a tick.
• The bar is always there and counts as they go: 3 of 10 chosen, or just 3 chosen with no package number. Only show my choices hides the rest.
• There are no downloads and no print orders, whatever the Downloads setting says.
• Send my choices asks once, with the number, before anything is sent, and has room for a note to you.
• If the gallery closes within a month, the line under the title tells them to send their choices before then.

Once sent, the choices are locked. Your client sees a thank-you with the number they chose, and the circles stop working. You get an email listing the file names.

On the gallery's screen, Your client's choices shows what they sent. If they ask to change them, press Let them choose again. Their circles open again, and what they sent before stays in your email.

Several galleries under one link

Gallery groups, the next tab under Meridian Photographers → Galleries, puts several galleries under one link: a wedding and its engagement session, say. Tick the galleries under What is in it, add a password if you like, and send The link to send. Each gallery inside keeps its own password too.

In the demo

The demo content includes three sample client galleries: a delivered wedding, a family session, and newborn proofs to choose from. Open one and press View as your client to see it as a client would.