PhotoShelter for Photographers is a popular client gallery that helps photographers deliver and sell their photos. Photographers can create and customise professional looking online galleries, which can be easily accessed in the browser without any app download. Clients can view and download the photos in different sizes, that the photographer can control.
Unlike file-sharing platforms like Dropbox and Google Drive, which lack visually appealing galleries and control over download sizes, services like PhotoShelter are designed specifically for delivering photos to clients after a shoot.
That said, we believe there is a better PhotoShelter alternative to deliver photos, particularly for events, weddings, and high-volume headshots.
There are a couple of limitations to how we deliver photos today:
- It’s too slow. People are the most excited to receive their photos while the event or wedding is happening, not days or weeks after it’s over. By delivering your photos slowly, you miss the most important time window.
- It’s too much work for guests to find their own photos, because they have to scroll through the whole gallery to pick them out. It’s also too much work for photographers or clients to send only the right photos to each guest.
As photographers ourselves, we felt strongly that there has to be a better alternative to deliver photos. Hence, we built Honcho to address these two limitations.
- Honcho helps you deliver the photos instantly, during the shoot. This is done by uploading photos from camera to cloud (by tethering the camera to your phone), while you shoot.
- Honcho helps you share the right photos with the right people, with AI-powered face recognition. Your guests can easily find their own photos by uploading a selfie. Honcho then matches the right photos with the selfie and delivers them in a personal gallery for each guest.
In this article, we describe how you can use Honcho as a PhotoShelter alternative, to elevate your photography service. You can also sign up for a free account and get started immediately.
Upload Photos Instantly, From Camera to Cloud
Honcho allows you to upload photos in real-time as you capture them, instantly creating an online gallery that can be shared with clients and guests.
This works by tethering your camera to your smartphone through the Honcho app, which automatically detects the camera. As you take photos, they are transferred to the app and uploaded to the cloud.
Once in the cloud, the photos are accessible from any device—whether another smartphone or a laptop—via the mobile or web app.
Honcho uses wired tethering for its speed and reliability, and it works with any standard data cable. High-resolution images are typically transferred and uploaded within 5 seconds.
You can also choose the resolution for uploading, from full quality down to compressed images at 640px on the long edge. Naturally, smaller files like the 640px versions upload almost instantly.
What sets Honcho apart is that it requires no additional equipment. While other tethering solutions, like the CamRanger, often require extra hardware to extend connection range, Honcho only needs your camera and phone—and provides essentially unlimited range. This lets you move freely around the venue without worrying about losing connection.
As a photographer, you’ve likely experienced the frustration of your photos not reaching the guests.
We understand that our primary responsibility is to the client—whether that’s an event planner or a wedding couple—and it’s ultimately up to them how and when the photos are shared.
However, it’s common for clients to either delay sharing photos or not share them at all, leading to guests reaching out directly to request their images after the event.
We believe that our photos hold value not just for the clients but for everyone attending the event. We capture moments that are meaningful to the guests, and they should have access to those memories.
This isn’t about blaming the clients—they’re often busy with many other tasks, and distributing photos may not be a top priority.
The real challenge has been the lack of a simple, efficient way to distribute photos. Now, with Honcho, that issue is resolved.
Honcho allows guests to view and download all the event photos through an online gallery. Since images are uploaded in real-time as you shoot, guests can access them while the excitement is still fresh.
While guests love seeing all the event photos, they also want an easy way to find their own. In the past, this meant scrolling through the entire gallery to locate their own photos, which could be time-consuming.
Honcho simplifies this with a simple solution—guests can upload a selfie, and using facial recognition, the app automatically finds and delivers their photos in a personalized gallery. Each guest receives their own gallery containing only the images they’re in.
One of the main reasons clients are reluctant to share photos with guests is due to privacy concerns. For instance, wedding couples may prefer to keep their most intimate moments private, while event planners are often cautious about sharing guests’ images publicly to respect their privacy.
As a result, photos often go undistributed, and their value diminishes over time.
Honcho addresses this issue by offering enhanced privacy controls.
The first option is to secure the online gallery with a password, granting access only to select individuals. This feature, similar to what platforms like PhotoShelter offer, is useful for sharing photos with a small, exclusive group.
However, this method has its limitations, as our goal is to distribute the photos to all guests, not just a restricted few.
Honcho provides a more innovative and user-friendly solution: blurring all photos in the online gallery. Only the photos recognized through face recognition are unblurred, so each guest can see only their own images.
This approach allows you to share the entire gallery with everyone, ensuring guests receive their own photos while maintaining privacy. It’s a unique solution offered exclusively by Honcho, allowing for both widespread sharing and privacy protection simultaneously.
Play Live Slideshows to Engage the Audience
We believe photography can be more than just documenting an event or wedding—it can be an experience in itself. All the features we’ve discussed are designed to elevate your photography service, transforming it into something more than simply capturing moments.
Live slideshows are another powerful tool for creating an engaging experience. There’s something special about displaying beautiful photos on a large screen, as people love seeing themselves in the images. It energizes the room, sparks conversations, and creates a lively atmosphere.
It’s also a great way to showcase your work to an attentive audience. And when they need a photographer in the future, guess who will come to mind?
Honcho makes setting up a live slideshow incredibly simple. Just open the online gallery in any browser, click the “More” button, and select “Slideshow.” No extra software is needed—it works instantly.
You can moderate the photos through the mobile app or any other device. For example, you can have an assistant moderate the slideshow from a laptop, viewing your photos in real-time without any need to transfer files manually. Depending on your workflow, you can choose to set new photos as published or unpublished by default.
Print On-Site Without Manually Transferring Files
All the features we’ve discussed so far not only enhance your photography services but also provide opportunities for upselling, allowing you to charge higher rates and increase your earnings per booking. Offering on-site instant prints is another popular option with clients that helps boost revenue.
There’s something special about holding a physical print, and many clients love the chance to give personalized keepsakes to their guests. These prints can serve as meaningful, customized alternatives to traditional party or wedding favors.
Typically, on-site printing involves the tedious process of manually transferring files from your camera to a laptop, which can be inconvenient during a busy event. Honcho simplifies this by enabling wireless printing from any device without the need for manual file transfers.
It also offers flexibility in how you manage printing. You can print directly from the mobile app, or have an assistant manage printing from a laptop. Since your photos are uploaded to the cloud in real-time, your assistant can access and print them instantly.
Conclusion
There are many missed opportunities in how we currently deliver photos. While services like PhotoShelter work well for post-event delivery, we believe sharing your photos instantly during the event creates a much more powerful impact.
Honcho offers a PhotoShelter alternative that allows you to do exactly that—and more. With features like face recognition, you can ensure that guests receive their photos while protecting privacy. You can also run live slideshows and print on-site wirelessly, adding to the overall experience.
As photographers, we need to think beyond simply documenting an event. Events are about creating unforgettable experiences. If we continue to see ourselves as merely capturing moments, we risk becoming obsolete—especially in a world where everyone carries a high-quality camera in their pocket.
It’s time to rethink how photography can elevate the event or wedding experience. By offering more value to your clients, you’ll grow your business and elevate your success.
Take the first step by signing up for a free Honcho account, and discover how it can transform your photography business.
