Keep one folder for the delivered final files and leave it untouched. Put previews, alternative crops and corrected versions in separate folders or give them a clear suffix, such as the date or a version number. Use the corrected file only after the photographer confirms it replaces the earlier one, and write that down next to the file.
File mix-ups rarely come from carelessness. They come from the way a delivery grows. A gallery arrives, a few photographs are cropped for a poster, one is corrected, and a month later nobody is sure which version went to the printer.
This guide belongs to our wider guide to event photo delivery, editing and preservation.
What kinds of versions are there?
A single photograph can exist in several forms. Knowing the names helps you ask clear questions.
| Version | What it is | Should you keep it? |
|---|---|---|
| Preview or proof | A smaller or marked copy used for choosing | Only until the final is checked |
| Final delivered file | The file supplied under the agreement | Yes, untouched |
| Corrected version | A replacement after an agreed fix | Yes, with a version note |
| Alternative crop | The same image framed differently | Yes, labelled with the shape |
| Your own copy | A resized or edited copy you made | Yes, but separate from the finals |
Preview photographs and the final gallery are different deliverables, and the distinction matters most when a preview is used by mistake.
How do you keep one reliable set of finals?
The simplest habit is to treat the delivery as read-only. When the files arrive, save them into a folder named ORIGINAL with the event name and date. Do not rename, crop or edit anything inside it.
Everything else happens in copies. If you want to create a folder for each activity, or a smaller set for a newsletter, copy the files out. Our guide on organising delivered photographs by session, activity or participant group explains how to build those folders without losing track of the originals.
How should a corrected photograph be handled?
When a correction is agreed, the corrected file should be clearly identifiable. A date or a version number in the file name, or a folder called CORRECTED with the date, both work. The aim is that anyone opening the folder can see which is newer without opening the images.
Before you start using the new file, ask the photographer to confirm that it replaces the earlier one. Then write a short note beside it. For example: "IMG_0412 corrected on 14 March, replaces the first delivered version, confirmed by the photographer by message." That note takes ten seconds and removes doubt later. The request for the correction itself is covered in requesting routine selections and agreed revisions.
A worked example
For example, imagine an association that received 320 photographs after its annual dinner. The secretary crops twelve for a newsletter, the chairperson asks for one name to be corrected on a slide photograph, and an alternative crop of the stage is requested for a banner.
The secretary saved the original delivery as received, then created three folders from copies: NEWSLETTER, CORRECTED and BANNER_CROP. When the corrected slide photograph arrived, it went into CORRECTED with the date in its name. A year later, when the association needed the banner again, the secretary found the right file in under a minute.
How do file names help in the long run?
Good file names are short, stable and neutral. Include the event, the date and a number. Avoid the names of individuals, children or private addresses. Photographs are often shared without their folders, and a name in the file can reveal more than you intended.
If you keep a long-term archive, our photo archive planner helps you decide the structure. For a deeper discussion of copies shared on social platforms, see keeping original delivered files alongside social-media copies.
What should you check when a delivery arrives?
Open a few files, check that the count matches your delivery notes, and confirm you can tell previews from finals. Our photo delivery acceptance checklist walks through these checks. If something looks wrong, ask early. Questions are much easier to answer while the delivery is fresh and the agreed support period is running.
What if you share photographs outside the folder?
Photographs leave their folders quickly. They are sent in chat groups, attached to emails and uploaded to websites. Each copy is a new version that nobody controls. A good habit is to share from your working folder, never from ORIGINAL, and to say in your message which version you are sending. If someone later asks for the best copy, you can point to the right file without searching.
Checklist
- Save the delivery exactly as received in a folder marked ORIGINAL.
- Work only from copies when you rename, crop or edit.
- Add a version note when a corrected file arrives.
- Keep previews and finals in separate folders.
- Note the date the photographer confirmed each correction.
- Delete nothing until the corrected file has been checked.
If you are planning a booking, ask in the brief how corrected versions will be named and delivered. If your photographs are already delivered, send us the file names you are unsure about and we will confirm which versions are current.
Confirm the current version of our filesCommon questions
Why do corrected photographs sometimes have the same name as the original?
Some systems keep the same file name to make replacement easy. That is convenient for a gallery but risky on your own computer, where two files with one name may overwrite each other. Ask how corrected files are named, and save them into a separate folder before opening them.
Should we delete the old version when a corrected one arrives?
Do not delete it straight away. Keep it in an archive folder until you have checked the corrected file and, if the photographs are important to you, until the agreed support period has passed. Disk space is cheap compared with losing an image you later want.
What should be in a file name?
A short, stable pattern is enough, such as event name, date and a running number. Avoid names of private individuals, because file names are often visible when files are shared. The order of numbers should match the order in which the photographs were taken or delivered.
How do we tell a preview from a final file?
Previews are usually smaller, and may carry a mark or be named as proofs. Your delivery notes should say which is which. If you cannot tell, ask before you print, publish or forward anything. Our guide on previews and the final gallery explains the difference.
Can folders be organised differently from the photographer's delivery?
Yes, as long as you keep an untouched copy of the delivery as received. Build your own folders from copies. That way, if you need to prove what was delivered or start again, the original structure is intact.
Confirm the current version of our files
If you are planning a booking, ask in the brief how corrected versions will be named and delivered. If your photographs are already delivered, send us the file names you are unsure about and we will confirm which versions are current.
What happens next: You send your event details on WhatsApp. Our team reads the brief, asks what is missing, then confirms in writing whether the date, venue and coverage can be booked, with a quotation. Opening WhatsApp does not send anything, and a message is not a booking until both sides confirm.
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