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Organizing Photos with Collections

Quick Reference​

Collections are curated subsets of photos within a gallery - like chapters in a book or playlists in a music library. They help clients navigate large galleries and let you deliver photos strategically!

What Are Collections?

Collections organize photos into categories:

  • Sneak Peeks - 5-10 highlights shared early
  • Ceremony - Wedding ceremony photos
  • Portraits - Couple/family portraits
  • Reception - Reception party photos
  • Highlights - Your favorite 50-75 shots

How Collections Work:

  • Gallery contains ALL photos (400 photos)
  • Collections contain subsets (Ceremony = 75 photos)
  • Photos can appear in multiple collections
  • Clients can browse by collection or view entire gallery

Creating a Collection:

  1. Open your gallery
  2. Click "Add Collection"
  3. Name it (e.g., "Sneak Peeks")
  4. Select photos to include
  5. Set visibility (private or published)
  6. Save

Publishing Strategy:

  • Day 2: Publish "Sneak Peeks" (10 photos)
  • Week 2: Publish "Highlights" (50 photos)
  • Week 4: Publish "Full Gallery" (all photos)

Next Steps: Learn about client selections to see which photos clients favorite, or explore gallery settings to control access and downloads.

Detailed Guide​

What Are Collections?​

When you deliver a large gallery (300+ photos from a wedding, 200+ from an event), clients can feel overwhelmed scrolling through everything at once. Collections solve this by organizing photos into manageable, logical groups.

Think of it like this:

Your wedding gallery has 400 photos. Without collections, clients see one long scroll of 400 images.

With collections:

  • Browse "Ceremony" (75 photos)
  • Browse "Portraits" (100 photos)
  • Browse "Reception" (225 photos)
  • OR browse "Full Gallery" (all 400)

Clients can jump to the section they care about most, find photos quickly, and enjoy a better viewing experience!

Why Use Collections?​

Staged delivery - Publish sneak peeks immediately, highlights a week later, full gallery later. Keep clients engaged throughout editing!

Better navigation - Clients find specific moments easily: "I want to see all the ceremony photos" → click Ceremony collection.

Tell a story - Organize photos chronologically (getting ready, ceremony, reception) so clients relive their day in order.

Highlight your favorites - Create a "Highlights" collection with your best 50-75 shots. Some clients won't look at all 400 photos, but they'll definitely check out highlights!

Specialized grouping - Create collections for specific purposes: "Black & White," "Detail Shots," "Dance Floor," "Family Formals," etc.

Marketing tool - "Sneak Peeks" published within 24 hours build excitement and get shared on social media (with your watermark and credit!).

Here's how collections fit into the gallery structure:

Full Gallery View: Shows every photo you've uploaded - all 400 images in one browsable grid.

Collection View: Shows only photos in that specific collection - 75 ceremony photos, for example.

Key point: Photos in collections still appear in the full gallery. Collections don't move or hide photos - they just create alternate views!

Example:

You upload 400 wedding photos. All 400 appear in "Full Gallery" view.

You create collections:

  • Sneak Peeks (10 photos) - a curated subset
  • Ceremony (75 photos) - another subset
  • Portraits (100 photos) - another subset

Those same 400 photos are still in the full gallery. Collections just organize them into categories!

Common Collection Types​

Different photography genres use different collection structures:

Wedding Collections​

Typical structure:

  • Sneak Peeks (10-15 photos) - Published day 2
  • Getting Ready (50 photos) - Prep and details
  • Ceremony (75 photos) - Walking down aisle, vows, kiss
  • Portraits (100 photos) - Couple photos, family formals
  • Reception (200 photos) - Dinner, toasts, dancing, cake cutting
  • Highlights (50-75 photos) - Your favorite shots
  • Full Gallery (all 400 photos) - Everything combined

Alternative structure:

  • Sneak Peeks (10 photos)
  • Highlights (75 photos) - Your curated favorites
  • Full Gallery (400 photos) - All images

Less granular, simpler navigation. Great for clients who want the best shots upfront!

Portrait Session Collections​

Typical structure:

  • Sneak Peeks (3-5 photos) - Published within 48 hours
  • Outfit 1 (15 photos) - First outfit/location
  • Outfit 2 (12 photos) - Second outfit/location
  • Highlights (20 photos) - Your top picks
  • Full Gallery (30 photos) - Everything

Or simpler:

  • Sneak Peeks (5 photos)
  • Full Gallery (30 photos)

For small sessions, minimal collections work fine!

Event Collections​

Typical structure:

  • Sneak Peeks (15-20 photos) - Published same day/next day
  • Keynote Speaker (30 photos) - Main presentation
  • Networking (75 photos) - Attendees mingling
  • Awards Ceremony (40 photos) - Recognition moments
  • Details (25 photos) - Venue, food, decor
  • Full Gallery (200 photos) - Everything

Events often need fast turnaround - simple collection structure helps!

Newborn Session Collections​

Typical structure:

  • Sneak Peeks (3-5 photos)
  • Baby Portraits (20 photos) - Solo baby shots
  • Family Photos (10 photos) - Parents with baby
  • Sibling Photos (8 photos) - Big brother/sister with baby
  • Full Gallery (40 photos) - Everything

Sweet and simple!

Creating Collections Step-by-Step​

Let's walk through creating your first collection.

Navigate to the job and go to the Files & Gallery tab. Your gallery should already be created with photos uploaded.

Step 2: Click "Add Collection"​

Look for the "Add Collection" or "New Collection" button in the gallery interface. Click it to open the collection creation form.

Step 3: Name Your Collection​

Give it a clear, descriptive name:

  • "Sneak Peeks"
  • "Ceremony"
  • "Portraits"
  • "Highlights"
  • "Reception"

Keep names simple and client-friendly! Your client will see these names, so make them intuitive.

Step 4: Add a Description (Optional)​

Optionally add a description:

  • "Your ceremony photos - from walking down the aisle through your first kiss!"
  • "My favorite 50 photos from your wedding day"
  • "Preview photos delivered within 48 hours of your session"

Descriptions help clients understand what's in each collection.

Step 5: Select Photos​

Now choose which photos belong in this collection.

Method 1: Select from all photos

  • Browse your uploaded photos
  • Click to select photos you want in this collection
  • Shift+click to select a range
  • Cmd/Ctrl+click to select multiple individual photos

Method 2: Drag & drop

  • Drag photos from your photo grid
  • Drop them into the collection
  • Visual and intuitive!

Method 3: Filter and select

  • If photos are tagged or organized, filter by criteria
  • Select matching photos
  • Add to collection
Pro Tip

For sneak peeks, select 5-10 of your absolute BEST shots - the ones that make you say "wow!" These are marketing gold when clients share them on social media.

Step 6: Set Visibility​

Choose whether this collection is visible to clients now:

Private - You can see it, but client cannot (yet) Published - Visible to client immediately

Start with Private if you're not ready to share yet. You can publish later when ready!

Step 7: Save the Collection​

Click "Save" or "Create Collection". Your collection is now created!

What happens next:

  • Collection appears in the gallery navigation
  • Photos you selected are visible in that collection
  • You can edit, reorder, or add more photos anytime
  • When published, clients can browse this collection

Adding Photos to Existing Collections​

Already created a collection and want to add more photos?

Method 1: Edit the collection

  1. Open the collection
  2. Click "Edit" or "Manage Photos"
  3. Select additional photos to add
  4. Save changes

Method 2: Add from photo view

  1. Browse your gallery photos
  2. Select a photo
  3. Click "Add to Collection"
  4. Choose which collection
  5. Photo is added!

Method 3: Drag & drop

  1. Open the collection
  2. Drag photos from the main gallery
  3. Drop into the collection
  4. They're added automatically

Moving Photos Between Collections​

Want to move a photo from one collection to another?

Option 1: Remove and re-add

  1. Remove photo from Collection A
  2. Add photo to Collection B

Option 2: Multi-collection membership Photos can belong to multiple collections! A ceremony photo might appear in both "Ceremony" and "Highlights" collections.

You don't have to choose - include photos in as many collections as make sense!

Reordering Photos Within Collections​

Control the order photos appear in each collection:

  1. Open the collection
  2. Click "Reorder" or enter edit mode
  3. Drag photos to rearrange
  4. Save new order

Ordering strategies:

Chronological - Tell the story in order (bride getting ready → walking down aisle → ceremony → first dance)

Best first - Start with your strongest shots to grab attention

Variety - Mix wide shots, close-ups, candids, posed for visual interest

By subject - Group similar photos together (all family formals together, all detail shots together)

Choose what makes sense for the collection's purpose!

Publishing Collections​

You've created collections and organized photos. Now it's time to share them with your client!

Publishing Individual Collections​

For each collection, you can choose when to publish:

Sneak Peeks - Publish immediately Create and publish within 24-48 hours of the shoot. Build excitement!

Highlights - Publish after 1-2 weeks Give yourself time to edit your favorite 50-75 shots, then share early.

Full Gallery - Publish after 3-4 weeks Once all editing is complete, publish everything.

To publish a collection:

  1. Open the collection settings
  2. Change visibility from "Private" to "Published"
  3. Save changes
  4. Client gets notification: "New photos added to your gallery!"

Publishing All Collections at Once​

Prefer to deliver everything at once?

  1. Create all your collections (sneak peeks, ceremony, portraits, reception)
  2. Keep all set to "Private" while editing
  3. When ready, publish all collections simultaneously
  4. Client sees fully organized gallery from day one

When to use this approach:

  • Simple sessions with fast turnaround
  • When you've finished all editing before creating the gallery
  • When you want one clean delivery moment

Staged Publishing Strategy​

Most photographers use staged publishing to maximize engagement:

Day 2 after shoot:

  • Create gallery
  • Upload 10 sneak peek photos
  • Create "Sneak Peeks" collection
  • Publish it
  • Email client: "Your sneak peeks are here! 🎉"

Week 2:

  • Finish editing highlights (your favorite 75 shots)
  • Upload to gallery
  • Create "Highlights" collection
  • Publish it
  • Email client: "Your highlights are ready!"

Week 4:

  • Finish editing remaining photos
  • Upload all remaining images
  • Create remaining collections (ceremony, portraits, reception)
  • Publish "Full Gallery" collection
  • Email client: "Your complete gallery is live!"

Why this works:

  • Three touchpoints keep client engaged
  • Early sneak peeks build excitement
  • Highlights give them something to enjoy while you finish
  • Full gallery delivery feels like a gift, not a deadline
Marketing Benefit

Staged delivery = multiple opportunities for clients to share on social media! Sneak peeks get shared immediately (high engagement). Highlights get shared again. Full gallery = more shares. Each share = free advertising with your watermark!

Collection Publishing Strategies by Job Type​

Different photography niches benefit from different publishing approaches:

Weddings - Staged Delivery​

Timeline:

  • Day 2: Sneak peeks (10 photos)
  • Week 2: Highlights (75 photos)
  • Week 6: Full gallery (400 photos)

Why: Weddings have long editing timelines. Staged delivery keeps couples engaged and excited while you work!

Portraits - Fast Turnaround​

Timeline:

  • Day 2: Sneak peeks (5 photos)
  • Week 2: Full gallery (30 photos)

Why: Portrait clients often need photos for specific uses (holiday cards, announcements). Fast delivery + simple structure = happy clients!

Events - Rush Delivery​

Timeline:

  • Same day: Sneak peeks (20 photos)
  • Day 3-5: Full gallery (200 photos)

Why: Event clients want photos ASAP for marketing and follow-up. Speed matters more than elaborate collections!

Newborns - Sweet & Simple​

Timeline:

  • Week 1: Sneak peeks (5 photos)
  • Week 2-3: Full gallery (40 photos)

Why: New parents are sleep-deprived but excited! Simple structure + reasonable timeline = love and referrals!

Managing Existing Collections​

After creating and publishing collections, you can continue to manage them:

Edit Collection Details​

Change name, description, or visibility anytime:

  1. Open the collection
  2. Click "Edit" or settings icon
  3. Update details
  4. Save changes

Add More Photos​

Collections aren't static - add photos anytime:

  1. Edit the collection
  2. Select additional photos
  3. Save
  4. Clients see new photos appear in that collection

Remove Photos​

Made a mistake or changed your mind?

  1. Edit the collection
  2. Deselect photos you want to remove
  3. Save
  4. Photos removed from collection (but still in gallery)

Note: Removing from a collection doesn't delete the photo - it just removes it from that collection view!

Reorder Collections​

Control the order collections appear to clients:

  1. Go to gallery settings or collection management
  2. Drag collections to reorder
  3. Save new order

Recommended order:

  • Sneak Peeks (at the top - most exciting!)
  • Highlights (your curated favorites next)
  • Chronological collections (getting ready, ceremony, portraits, reception)
  • Full Gallery (everything at the bottom)

Unpublish a Collection​

Need to hide a collection temporarily?

  1. Open collection settings
  2. Change visibility to "Private"
  3. Save
  4. Collection hidden from client (but not deleted)

You can republish anytime!

Delete a Collection​

Removing a collection entirely:

  1. Open collection settings
  2. Click "Delete Collection"
  3. Confirm deletion
  4. Collection is removed

Note: Deleting a collection doesn't delete the photos - they remain in the gallery!

Best Practices for Collections​

Keep it simple - Don't create 20 collections for a wedding. 5-7 well-organized collections is plenty. Too many = overwhelming navigation!

Name clearly - Use obvious names like "Ceremony" and "Reception," not creative names like "The 'I Do' Moments." Clients want clarity!

Curate sneak peeks carefully - These 5-10 photos get shared on social media immediately. Choose your absolute best shots!

Use highlights collections - Not everyone will browse all 400 photos. A "Highlights" collection gives casual viewers your best work!

Publish sneak peeks fast - Within 24-48 hours if possible. Strike while excitement is hot!

Group logically - Organize collections by timeline (getting ready, ceremony, reception) or by subject (portraits, candids, details).

Allow photos in multiple collections - A stunning portrait can appear in both "Portraits" and "Highlights." Overlap is fine!

Test before publishing - Preview collections as a client to make sure organization makes sense and photos appear correctly.

Communicate what's coming - Tell clients what to expect: "I'm sending sneak peeks today, highlights next week, and your full gallery in 4 weeks!"

Common Questions​

Do I have to use collections? No! For small sessions (10-30 photos), a single gallery without collections works fine. Collections shine with larger jobs.

Can a photo appear in multiple collections? Yes! A ceremony photo can appear in both "Ceremony" and "Highlights" collections.

Can clients create collections? No, collections are for you to organize delivery. Clients can favorite photos (which creates their own selection list).

What's the difference between collections and client selections? Collections = You organize photos into categories. Selections = Clients mark favorites. Both valuable, different purposes!

Can I change collection order after publishing? Yes, reorder anytime! Changes take effect immediately for client view.

Will clients see private collections? No, private collections are only visible to you until you publish them.

Can I unpublish a collection? Yes, change it back to Private in settings. The collection and photos remain, just hidden from client view.

What's Next?​

Now that you know how to organize galleries with collections, explore related features:

Client Selections - Let clients favorite photos and track which images they love

Gallery Settings - Customize watermarks, downloads, expiration, and access control

Sharing Galleries - Send gallery links and deliver work professionally to clients

Questions? Look for the help links throughout ShootPath, or reach out to support if you need help!