Your proof gallery, step by step

Everything you need to choose your favorites, add more images if you can’t narrow it down, and know what happens after you hit send.

Choose your favorites

It works right from your phone.

  1. Open your gallery

    Tap “View Gallery” in the email we sent you. Enter your email address, then the gallery password from that same email.

  2. Heart the ones you love

    Tap the heart icon at the bottom of each image you want. Everyone starts with 3. Want more? Heart those too. You can review your picks at any time by clicking the Favorites tab at the top of the screen.

  3. Tell us you’re done

    Reply to your gallery email to say your selections are in. If you hearted extras, tell us which upgrade you’d like.

Your gallery is open for 72 hours. The exact deadline is in your email. Getting your favorites in on time keeps your final images on schedule for the holidays.

Can’t pick just a few?

Most families can’t. Here are two ways to take home more than your collection includes.

  • One more retouched image

    $65 each

    The same full retouching as the images in your collection. Add as many as you like.

  • The entire proof gallery Best value at 5+ extras

    $300

    Every image from your session with light retouching. If you’re torn over five or more extras, this costs less than buying them one at a time.

    Only with the entire gallery

    Add full retouching to any gallery image

    + $5 per image

    Have a few gallery images that deserve extra love? Pick any you’d like taken from light retouching to full retouching. This add-on isn’t available on its own.

How to add an upgrade: reply to your gallery email with what you’d like and we’ll send you an invoice. Pay by credit card or Zelle, and Klarna is available if you’d like to spread it out.

What your proofs will become

The images in your gallery are proofs, which means color, brightness and cropping are done but nothing has been retouched yet. Here is the same image at each stage.

Unedited proof image from a holiday session
ProofThe way it looks in your gallery. Color, brightness and cropping are already done.
The same image with light retouching
Light retouchingSkin, hair and teeth enhancements. Included with the entire gallery.
The same image with full retouching
Full retouchingEverything in light retouching, plus final distraction clean up and color enhancements: tidied grass, smoothed clothing, and light and shadow shaped by hand for a more dramatic finish. Included with your collection images.

Tap any photo to see it larger.

Someone blinked in your favorite?

It happens in almost every family session. When two frames line up, we can borrow a face from one and place it in the other. It’s called a face swap.

Family portrait at the tree farm where one child has her eyes closed
The favoriteEveryone looks great, except one pair of closed eyes.
The next frame from the same pose, with her eyes open
The next frameTaken seconds later. Same light, same head position, eyes open.
The finished portrait with her eyes open
The finished imageHer face from the second frame placed into the favorite, then fully retouched.

Tap any photo to see the whole image larger.

  • When a swap worksThere’s another frame from the same pose where the lighting and the angle of the head match.
  • When it doesn’tThe head is turned or tilted differently, or the light on the face has changed. A swap wouldn’t look natural, so we won’t do it.

Not every image can be swapped, so please don’t count on one when you choose. If you’d like us to check, tell us which image and who needs the swap when you reply with your favorites. Face swaps are included with full retouching at no additional cost.

What happens next

Once your favorites are in, the rest is on us.

  1. You send your favorites. Heart them, then reply to your gallery email.
  2. We confirm your order. If you added an upgrade, we’ll send an invoice you can pay by credit card, Zelle or Klarna.
  3. We retouch your images. Every image you chose is retouched by hand.
  4. Your final gallery arrives. You’ll get an email with your finished images within 3 to 4 days of sending your favorites.

Questions we hear every year

If yours isn’t here, reply to your gallery email and we’ll help.

How many images do I get to choose?

Everyone starts with 3 images. Heart your 3 favorites, and anything beyond that is an upgrade.

Why don’t the images look finished?

Proofs have color, brightness and cropping done, but no retouching yet. That happens after you pick, so you can choose quickly. The sample edits above show the difference.

I can’t get into my gallery.

Use the same email address your gallery email was sent to, then type the gallery password exactly as it appears in that email. Still stuck? Reply to the email and we’ll get you in.

What’s the difference between light and full retouching?

Light retouching covers skin, hair and teeth enhancements. Full retouching adds final distraction clean up and color enhancements, like tidying grass and clothing and shaping the light for a more dramatic image. Your collection images get full retouching. The entire gallery upgrade gets light retouching, and if you buy the entire gallery you can bump any of those images to full retouching for $5 each.

Can you fix something specific in an image?

Usually, yes. Tell us what you’d like when you reply with your favorites, such as a stray hair, a wrinkle in a shirt or a runny nose, and we’ll let you know what’s possible.

Someone’s eyes are closed in my favorite. Can you fix it?

Often, yes, with a face swap. It only works when another frame has the same lighting and head position, so tell us which image when you reply and we’ll check. It’s included with full retouching at no additional cost. See the face swap example above.

How do I pay for extra images?

Reply to your gallery email with what you’d like and we’ll send an invoice. You can pay by credit card, Zelle or Klarna.

What if I miss the 72 hour deadline?

We can extend your gallery for a few more days, but please note that gallery orders are first come, first served. We photograph about 40 families each weekend during the holiday season, so extending your gallery will delay your order.

Can I change my favorites after I send them?

Once editing begins, selections are final.

Can I order prints or holiday cards?

Yes! Prints and holiday cards become available in your finals gallery.