WeTransfer is a popular file-sharing platform due to its generous free plan and ease of use. However, if you’re a professional photographer and you’re using WeTransfer to deliver your photos to clients and guests, you should be aware of the following limitations:
- WeTransfer lacks a gallery to display the photos in a visually appealing way. You can only transfer your photos in a zipped folder, and your clients and guests will have to download the folder before they can view any of the photos. This is especially inconvenient for mobile devices, which is how most people will view your photos.
- WeTransfer doesn’t provide control over download sizes. There is no automatic way to generate versions of your photos at different sizes, which provides convenience for your clients and guests. For example, they might want to download smaller versions for sharing on messaging apps or social media.
In addition, there are other limitations related to how we deliver photos today, especially for events, weddings, and high-volume headshot sessions.
- 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 wanted a solution that could address all of these limitations. Hence, we built Honcho as a WeTransfer alternative for photographers.
- Honcho showcases your photos in a beautiful gallery that can be viewed in the browser, on any device. It automatically generates different sizes for download, so you can offer high resolution and lower resolution downloads for different purposes—such as sharing on social media.
- 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.
The concept behind Honcho is simple but powerful.
It helps you deliver your photos instantly, during the shoot. This maximizes the impact of your photos because you’re sharing them when people are the most excited to receive them. And by allowing anyone to find their own photos with AI-powered face recognition, you share the right photos to the right people.
When you start using Honcho in your business, you will see the impact on your bottom line:
- You get to charge higher prices because you’re offering a value-added service.
- You stand out from the competition, making it easy for your clients to choose you instead of them.
- You generate loads of leads while you’re shooting your events, because guests are coming up to you to ask about your service.
In this article, we show you how to use Honcho as a WeTransfer alternative to create a mind-blowing photography experience. You can also create a free account and start right away.
In addition, you can join our affiliate program and earn up to USD$88.50 for every new customer that you refer to us. That’s a generous commission!
Upload Photos Instantly, From Camera to Cloud
Honcho lets you upload photos instantly as you take them, creating an online gallery that’s easy to share with clients and guests. By linking your camera to your smartphone via the Honcho app (available for iOS and Android), the app automatically detects your camera and transfers each photo to the cloud the moment it’s captured.
Once uploaded, photos are accessible from any device—whether phone or laptop—through the mobile or web app. Honcho uses wired tethering for fast and reliable transfers, compatible with any standard data cable, allowing high-resolution images to upload in about five seconds.
You can also choose the upload resolution, from full-quality images to compressed versions at 640px on the longest side, with smaller files uploading almost instantly.
What sets Honcho apart is its simplicity: it requires no extra hardware. Unlike other tethering solutions, like CamRanger, which often need additional equipment to extend connection range, Honcho only requires your camera and phone, offering virtually unlimited range so you can move freely around the venue without worrying about losing connection.
Upload Post-Processed Photos After the Event
In addition to supporting real-time photo uploads, Honcho allows you to upload images after the event as well. Many photographers opt for a combination—providing immediate access to photos during the event and then uploading edited, final versions later as polished deliverables.
Uploading edited images to Honcho enables clients and guests to use the face recognition feature, making it easy for them to locate and share their own photos.
Uploading is simple; just drag and drop files onto the Honcho website. The platform efficiently handles large batches, and with flexible cloud storage options, you can scale storage capacity as needed.
You can also customize download options, offering both high-resolution and web-sized versions. Web-sized images are perfect for quick sharing on social media or through messaging apps.
As a photographer, you’ve probably experienced the frustration of guests not receiving their photos after an event.
We understand that our main responsibility is to the client—whether it’s an event planner or a wedding couple—and it’s ultimately their decision when and how to share the photos. However, it’s common for clients to delay or overlook sharing, often resulting in guests reaching out to you directly afterward, hoping to get access to their pictures.
We believe these photos hold significance not only for the client but for everyone who attended, as they capture meaningful moments for guests, too.
This isn’t to place blame on clients; they often have other priorities, and distributing photos may not be high on their list.
The real challenge lies in the lack of a simple, efficient way to share event photos, and this is where Honcho comes in.
Honcho allows guests to instantly view and download photos from an online gallery. With real-time uploads, guests can access photos while the event is still fresh in their minds.
While guests may enjoy exploring the entire gallery, they also want an easy way to find their own photos. Previously, this required scrolling through the whole album, which could be time-consuming.
Honcho simplifies this with a smart solution: guests upload a selfie, and the app’s face recognition technology locates their photos, creating a personalized gallery. Each guest receives a curated collection featuring only the images they’re in, making the experience both seamless and personal.
Privacy is a key reason clients may hesitate to share event photos with guests. For example, wedding couples might prefer to keep certain moments private, while event planners may want to protect individual privacy by not distributing guest photos widely.
As a result, many photos often remain undistributed, diminishing their value and impact over time.
Honcho addresses this with advanced privacy options.
One option is password-protecting the gallery, allowing only an approved audience to view it—ideal for sharing with a select group.
However, for events where the goal is to share photos with all attendees, password protection alone can be limiting.
That’s where Honcho’s innovative, guest-friendly solution comes in: blurring all the photos in the gallery. Only images identified through facial recognition are unblurred, allowing each guest to view only the photos they appear in.
This approach makes it possible to share the entire gallery while preserving privacy, allowing each guest to access only their own photos. Honcho’s feature provides a balance of broad sharing and enhanced privacy control.
Play Live Slideshows to Engage the Audience
We believe photography should do more than just capture moments at an event or wedding—it should create an immersive experience. Every feature we’ve designed aims to enhance your photography service, making it more memorable and impactful.
One of the most effective ways to create this immersive experience is with a live slideshow. Displaying photos on a large screen engages the crowd, sparks conversation, and elevates the atmosphere of the event.
It’s also a great way to showcase your work in real time. When someone in the audience needs a photographer in the future, who do you think they’ll remember?
Honcho makes setting up a live slideshow effortless. Simply open the online gallery, click “More,” and select “Slideshow.” No extra software is required.
You can manage the slideshow from the mobile app, or an assistant can moderate it from a laptop, viewing your photos live without any manual transfers. Depending on your preference, you can choose to automatically publish new photos or hold them until you’re ready.
Print On-Site Without Manually Transferring Files
Our features not only enhance your photography services but also open up opportunities for upselling, allowing you to charge premium rates and boost earnings per booking. Offering instant on-site prints, for instance, is a popular way to increase revenue.
There’s a unique appeal to receiving a physical print, and many clients love providing guests with personalized keepsakes. These prints serve as thoughtful, customized alternatives to traditional party or wedding favors.
In the past, on-site printing was a cumbersome task, often involving manual file transfers from camera to laptop—a real challenge during a busy event. Honcho simplifies this by eliminating manual transfers, enabling wireless printing from any device.
Honcho also provides flexibility in managing prints. You can print directly from the mobile app, or an assistant can handle printing from a laptop. Since photos are uploaded to the cloud in real-time, your assistant has instant access to them, making printing seamless and efficient.
Conclusion
As event photographers, it’s time to rethink how we deliver photos. The traditional approach of sharing images days or weeks after a wedding or event misses key opportunities—to build excitement, enrich the event experience, and grow our businesses. Sharing photos instantly during the event has a far greater impact.
Honcho offers a powerful alternative to WeTransfer, enabling you to do just that—and more. With features like face recognition, guests can quickly find their own photos, while live slideshow and on-site wireless printing options elevate the event experience.
Today, event photography is about more than just capturing moments; it’s about creating unforgettable experiences. If we focus only on documentation, we risk becoming less relevant—especially as high-quality smartphone cameras are everywhere.
Now is the time to rethink how we can deliver memorable experiences at events and weddings through photography. By providing added value for clients, you not only grow your business but also stand out in the industry.
Sign up for a free Honcho account today and discover how it can transform your photography business.
In addition, you can join our affiliate program and earn up to USD$88.50 for every new customer that you refer to us. That’s a generous commission!
