Reasons for secure photo sharing for your photography business
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There are more reasons for secure photo sharing for a photography business than just being able to send an image online. You also need to think about
- Protecting your business
- Building trust with potential clients
With a secure online photo sharing system you can
- Prevent clients from taking the image without paying
- Help leads feel confident their images are secure if they hire you.
Secure online photo sharing
As most will know, the secure online photo sharing service which I have always used for dog photography and recommend is SmugMug. Click here to try them free, and if you decide to purchase after the trial, you’ll save 15% because you came through my partner link . I have made videos on YouTube and wrote blog posts too on how to use SmugMug.
Within a SmugMug gallery there are lots of different settings to share photos securely. But you really only need to use what you need for your photography business or type of photography. There are so many different ways to work as a photographer, and so many types of photography from
- Dog photographer
- Pet photographer
- Wedding photographer
- Take corporate images
- A landscape photographer
- Food photographer
- Product photographer
- Family photographer
- Portrait photographer
- Or even a Boudoir photographer
Secure photo sharing system
All these different types of photographers will need to use a secure photo sharing service at some point and the different settings are there for a reason as I found out many years ago. This was when I ended up in a Boudoir parlor with 9 men on a photography course!!! A little further down the post for this story. Get a cup of tea, a coffee or a glass of wine for this one and don’t spill it laughing. I have never told this story to anyone ever. November 2016 I soon realized all the reasons why certain photography businesses would need a secure photo sharing system in place.
How to share photos securely
As a dog photographer all I need is a secure way to share photos online. Which SmugMug does perfectly for me, and I don’t need to use a lot of the settings available within the client galleries. I just
- Upload my dog photography photos in to a SmugMug gallery
- Set the gallery to unlisted anyone with the link
- Apply a watermark to the gallery
- Switch on the shopping cart so clients can buy the images
- Hit share gallery and copy gallery link
Watermarking your photography client images
Not everyone likes to watermark their images. I always use a watermark when I send out the client galleries. The watermarks don’t appear on the final images when your client buys prints , downloads or any wall art. The watermark is removed from the photography products automatically. There are other ways to protect your images to stop them being taken or used without your permission these are
- Watermarking
- Low-res samples
- Password protected galleries
- Encrypted links
- Right click prevention
- Small file size images in the code base
Right click prevention
I find right click prevention is always good to add to the client gallery you will share out. But it is even better to use on your photography portfolio which is displayed online. You can easily create your photography portfolio online using a SmugMug template. I have a free guide how to build a photography portfolio website here >
Password protected photo sharing
SmugMug is the best way to share photos securely online and offers password protected photo galleries. I as a dog photographer in 2016 never understood why I would need to add a password to the gallery as well. Because I was already sending out my client galleries on an unlisted link which is an encrypted link that only lets clients access the images you put into the private gallery. This is sufficient for what I needed and still use today. I didn’t and don’t need my client galleries to be like Fort knox to get into, who would?
Here comes the story… it’s a true story
In 2016 as a dog photographer I was very ‘dog photography’ focused. By joining the Guild of photographers I started to look at other photography niches, and through the Guild of photographers photo competition. I would admire other photographers’ work. One particular photographer’s work kept catching my eye; he was a portrait photographer and a boudoir photographer. I was at the point where I knew I wanted to go to the next stage with dog photography which for me was learning about studio lighting for studio dog photography.
Portrait photographer
The portrait / boudoir photographer had an in person photography course which was called ‘Creative speed lights’. This course seemed perfect, I had 4 cheap speed lights and had learnt loads about studio lighting. It didn’t matter what I tried with the lights though, the photos were terrible every time, so I booked the course.
On the day I was the only female and there were 9 men, which was fine. The photography course was held at a photography studio which was an old 3 story building. An amazing place for natural light and studio photography.
Being the focused dog photographer, I already got started with my dog photography ideas when I arrived. There was an old fashioned black wrought iron double bed with white sheets, straight away I thought “I wonder if the man will let dogs in here? I can tie my dog to the bed frame and photograph him on the white sheets”.
Also there was an amazing floor to ceiling window for the window light to come through. I was getting mega excited about what dog photographs I could create if I could take my dog there.
The man who owned the photography studio said “You can all go and have a look around, any of the rooms can be rented out”. There was
- A high key room (white room)
- Low key room (black room)
- A room with a chesterfield chair
- Rooms with studio photography lights to rent out
- Props, sounds good already doesn't it?
I had a million and one studio dog photography ideas buzzing around my head, then someone said “It’s down here!” I followed two men and so did everyone else. Down the steps to what must have been the cellar. Pitch black, “Where’s the light switch?” someone echoed. The light came on. I was back then, a naive, small minded dog person who was just into dog photography. Also the person who hadn’t seen Fifty Shades of Grey either.
Bondage Boudoir Photography
Stood in what looked like a Fifty Shades of Grey style ‘room’ from the 1800’s. There was a deadly awkward silence, I thought “I’m not tying my dog to that!” There were nine men who I didn’t know to the left blocking the doorway. OMG what do they photograph … .luckily one man said quite loudly “Shall we go back up, I don’t think we are meant to be in here”. I didn’t bother asking if I could take my dog there. It’s a funny story, but it wasn’t at the time. I think they call it bondage boudoir photography.
Boudoir Photography
Boudoir photography is a great photography niche which most definitely requires a secure photo sharing system, two factor authentication and password protected galleries. Boudoir photographers need to protect their clients’ images by keeping their most intimate images guarded. SmugMug is exactly the secure photo sharing solution for those photography businesses and others including
- Maternity photography
- Newborn photography
- Family photography
- Even Wedding photography
These all need private online galleries for secure photo sharing
BTW – The photography course that day was actually photographing fruit dropping into a fish tank full of water and freezing the action with speedlites. ‘Creative speed lights’. I also found out that day that all 3 of my speedlites were faulty! All firing on full power, that is why I was struggling with flash photography.
Tip
Buy one good speedlite, learn to use it then add more flashguns. I bought a Canon 600EX speedlite, a Phottix trigger and receiver.
Back to the reasons for secure photo sharing, from that day on whenever I upload my photos into a SmugMug gallery. I look at the settings I don’t need to use and think about that photography course. So don’t be puzzled by the settings, unless you’re sharing adult photos online you won’t need all security levels available up to the max.
Secure photo sharing App
There is also a free secure photo sharing App from SmugMug to use which is handy if you’re out and about. You can access all your client galleries straight from your mobile phone, back up your mobile phone photos and videos. Which will help free up storage in your iCloud too.
If you’re ready to protect your photos and make money like I do, click here to try SmugMug free, and if you decide to purchase after the trial, you’ll save 15% because you came through my partner link
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DOG PHOTOGRAPHY
Outdoor dog photography and studio dog photography Matlock Derbyshire
