Gallery access is a temporary way to view and download. Our archive is whatever we actually keep, and for how long, which is stated in the agreement and not assumed. Your own copies are the only record fully in your hands. Save originals before the expiry date, and ask in writing what is retained and for how long.
Three separate things often get mixed up: the gallery link, our archive and your own copies. They have different owners, different lifespans and different rules. Knowing which is which protects the photographs you care about.
What is gallery access?
Gallery access is a way to view and download your photographs, through a link or a login. It is usually available for a stated period. When the period ends, the link may stop working.
The length of access differs from event to event. It is written in your quotation or agreement. If the period matters to you, ask for it to be stated clearly.
What is our archive?
The archive is whatever we actually keep after the job is delivered. That may include delivered files, camera files or neither, and for a stated time or none. Practice differs between businesses, so it is a matter of the agreement and of our own systems.
Do not assume that an archive exists, and do not assume it does not. Ask what is kept and for how long. A retained archive is a courtesy and not a promise of permanent storage unless the agreement says so. Our page on removal, withdrawal and deletion requests explains how to settle what happens to your images in advance.
What are your own copies?
Your copies are the files you download and save yourself. They are the one record fully in your hands. They do not expire with a link, and they do not depend on anyone's systems.
Good copies are originals, saved in at least two places, with clear names. The photo archive planner helps you design this. For a family or an organisation, name one person who is responsible for the master copy.
How do the three compare?
| Item | Who controls it | How long it lasts | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallery access | Our team | A stated period | Download before it ends |
| Our archive | Our team | As agreed, if at all | Ask in writing |
| Your own copies | You | As long as you keep them | Save two copies |
What should you ask before booking?
Four questions cover the essentials. They fit naturally into the discussion of what makes a photography booking confirmed and the written quotation.
- How long does gallery access last?
- Can access be extended, and how?
- What do you keep after delivery, and for how long?
- How would a later request for a photograph be handled?
Ask for the answers in writing. We confirm these points in the quotation for your event.
A worked example
For example, imagine a family receives a gallery for a naming ceremony. The access period is written in the quotation. The mother sets a reminder for two weeks before the end date.
When the reminder comes, she downloads the originals, counts the files and opens a sample. She saves the folder on a laptop and on a second drive, and sends a copy to her sister abroad. She also asks the delivery contact what our team keeps after the link ends. The answer is recorded in her email. Years later, when the child's school asks for a photograph, she finds it at once in her own folder.
Why not simply rely on a long access period?
A long period is helpful, but it still ends, and accounts can change in the meantime. A calendar reminder and a saved copy cost little and remove the risk entirely.
What if access is about to end?
Act early. Download first, then ask questions. If the download is large or difficult, tell the delivery contact right away. Our pages on downloading and handing over a large gallery and checking download completeness before a gallery expires give practical routines.
If the person who manages the gallery is leaving a job or closing an account, plan the handover now. See moving an event photo archive when changing storage providers. For the wider path from event to archive, return to event photo delivery, editing and preservation. Check each delivery with the photo delivery acceptance checklist.
If your gallery is already live and the date is close, message us the expiry date and what you still need to download. We will reply on how to proceed.
Checklist
- Note the gallery expiry date in your calendar.
- Download all originals well before that date.
- Check that the download is complete.
- Ask what we retain and for how long.
- Ask how a later request would be handled.
- Keep copies in at least two places.
Before you confirm, ask us to write the access period and any retention arrangement into your quotation, so you know the dates to plan around.
Check your gallery access datesCommon questions
Does expiry mean the photographs are deleted?
Not necessarily. Expiry usually ends your access through the link. What we keep afterwards depends on our practice and your agreement. Ask what is retained, for how long, and whether the files can be retrieved later.
Can access be extended?
Sometimes, but do not assume it. If you think you may need more time, ask before the date, and ask what an extension involves. Confirm any extension in writing.
Should I rely on you to keep my photographs?
No. We may keep files for a stated period, but you should treat your own copies as the main record. Keep originals in two places you control.
What if I miss the expiry date?
Contact us as soon as you notice. Whether the photographs can still be provided depends on what has been kept and on your agreement. Early contact gives the best chance of a helpful answer.
Check your gallery access dates
Before you confirm, ask us to write the access period and any retention arrangement into your quotation, so you know the dates to plan around.
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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