Downloading and handing over a large gallery

A gallery from a long event can contain hundreds or thousands of photographs. At full size that adds up to a lot of data. Getting it from the gallery to your storage, and then to other people, takes some planning.

Why do large galleries cause trouble?

Four things commonly go wrong.

• Size. A big download takes time, and a long download has more chances to fail.
• Storage. A phone or an older laptop may not have room for the full set.
• Connection. A weak or shared connection can interrupt the transfer.
• Systems. A workplace network may limit large downloads.

None of these means the gallery is faulty. They are practical limits, and each has a practical answer.

How should you prepare?

Before you start, make room. Check the free space on the device and add some margin. A set that needs a certain amount of space needs more for unpacking, if it arrives as a compressed package.

Choose a good time and place. A stable connection at home or at the office, with the device plugged in, is better than a phone on the move. Turn off sleep settings so the device does not pause the download.

Can you download in parts?

If the gallery allows it, splitting helps. Download by section, such as ceremony, dinner and group photographs. A failure then costs you one part, not the whole set.

Whether your delivery supports sections, a single package or another route is confirmed in your agreement. Ask us before the event if your system has limits, and we will confirm the options in writing. See choosing suitable delivery formats and access methods for the wider choice.

How do you check that everything arrived?

Never assume a finished download is complete. Count the files and compare with the number in the gallery. Open a few from the start, middle and end of each section. A damaged file often shows as an error or a half-grey picture.

Our page on checking download completeness before a gallery expires gives a fuller routine. The photo delivery acceptance checklist helps you log the result.

How do you hand the gallery to someone else?

Handover is where photographs often get lost. People leave jobs, accounts close and folders move. A good handover has four parts.

1. One master. Decide who holds the master copy.
2. Originals. Pass on original files, not forwarded copies.
3. A note. Say what the folder is, which event it covers and when the gallery access expires.
4. A confirmation. Ask the recipient to confirm they can open the files.

For a company, add the storage location and the person responsible. Our photo archive planner can help you decide where the master lives. If you move storage later, see moving an event photo archive when changing storage providers.

A worked example

For example, imagine an association that holds a three-day conference. The organiser expects several thousand photographs. The office network limits large downloads, and the committee members use different devices.

The organiser asks, in the brief, for delivery by day, so each day's set is separate. She downloads at home over a stable connection, one day at a time. After each day she counts the files and opens a sample. She saves the sets in a folder named by date and event, and copies it to a second drive. Then she shares the original folder with the treasurer and the secretary, with a note on the expiry date. The committee views smaller copies on their phones.

Should you make smaller copies for sharing?

Often yes. Most colleagues only need to view the photographs, and a smaller copy opens faster on a phone. Make these from the originals and keep them in a separate folder, labelled clearly. Never replace the originals with smaller copies, because the detail cannot be restored later.

What if you still cannot download?

Tell the delivery contact. Describe what happens: the error message, the time and the device. Do not wait until the access date is close. Early notice leaves time for another route. Whether another route is possible for your event is confirmed in writing.

For the wider process, return to event photo delivery, editing and preservation. To understand what happens when access ends, read gallery expiry and the photographer's archive.