After your session, a photographer chooses the best frame of each moment, edits every chosen photo for color, light and small distractions, and delivers them in a private online gallery. You view, download and share from there. Here is what typically happens at each step, what good editing includes, what it deliberately leaves alone, and what to check on a profile, since numbers and timing vary by photographer.
Step one: choosing the best frames
During a session, photographers take many more photos than you will receive. That is intentional. Kids blink, toddlers turn away, someone's hand blurs mid-wave. Many moments are also caught more than once.
The first step after the session is culling: going through every frame and picking the best version of each moment. Good photographers look for:
- Eyes open and expressions real. The smile that reached the eyes, not the one held a second too long.
- Sharp focus on the faces that matter.
- Everyone visible. No hidden child behind a parent's shoulder.
- Variety. Different groupings, poses and moments, so no two photos in your gallery feel the same.
Then they narrow down to the number the session includes. That number differs by photographer and session type: a short mini might include around a dozen photos, a longer family session several dozen. Check the session details on the profile. Why curated beats hundreds is covered in how many photos you get from a family session.
If there is a must-have photo, like grandma with all the grandkids, tell your photographer before the session so they make sure to take it.
Step two: color and light
Every delivered photo should be edited individually. The first part is the foundation:
- Exposure. Brightening or darkening so faces look natural.
- White balance. Making sure skin looks like skin, not too orange or too blue.
- Color. Keeping colors true and consistent from photo to photo, so the gallery looks like one set.
- Contrast and tone. A gentle, clean look rather than a heavy filter.
- Crop and straighten. Tidying the framing so the photo feels balanced.
Consistency matters as much as any single photo. When you print several photos from the same session, they should look like they belong together, especially in a wall grouping or an album.
Step three: light retouching
Once color and light are right, a photographer cleans up the small things you would notice in a print but would not think of as part of the person.
What is typically retouched:
- Temporary blemishes, like a scratch on a toddler's cheek or a passing spot.
- Stray marks on clothes, like lint or a small stain.
- Distractions in the background, like a stray crumb on the floor or a cable at the edge of the frame.
- Under-eye shadows, softened lightly, not erased.
- Flyaway hairs where they pull attention.
What should be left alone
Equally important is what stays. You want to recognize your family in the photos.
- No reshaping of bodies or faces. Nobody gets slimmer, taller or a different jawline.
- Freckles, birthmarks and dimples stay. They are part of the person.
- No heavy smoothing. Skin should look like skin, with texture.
- No swapping heads between photos to "fix" expressions. If a moment did not work, pick a different moment.
- No added elements that were not there, like fake snow or composite backgrounds.
Newborn photos follow the same principle: babies should be posed simply and safely, so there is no need for composite tricks to fake a risky pose.
Headshots work a little differently
Headshot sessions often deliver a smaller number of finely retouched images, sometimes alongside a proofs gallery of every frame, so you can see all your options across your looks. Retouched headshots usually get more detailed attention than family photos, since they are often viewed close up on a screen. Check each profile for what is included. For more on how that session runs, read what happens during a headshot session.
Step four: your private online gallery
Photographers deliver through a private online gallery, and the time it takes varies, commonly from a few days to a couple of weeks, so look at the delivery time on the profile, especially if you have a deadline like holiday cards.
From the gallery you can usually:
- View your edited photos at full quality.
- Download them to your computer or phone.
- Share the gallery link with family who would like to see them.
A private gallery is not posted publicly, and only people with the link can see it.
What to do once your gallery arrives
A few habits keep your photos safe and useful:
- Download everything right away. Do not rely on the gallery link as your only copy.
- Back up in two places. For example, your computer and a cloud storage service.
- Print your favorites. A photo on the wall gets seen every day. Our guide to printing family photos covers sizes, paper and labs.
- Choose the holiday card photo early, if that is why you booked.
- Share with grandparents. They are usually the most excited people in the family.
Quick answers
How long does photo editing and delivery take?
It depends on the photographer. Delivery times are shown on each profile, so check before you book if you are working to a deadline.
Can I request extra editing on a photo?
Ask your photographer. Color, light and light retouching are normal on every delivered photo. If something specific bothers you, like a scratch you would like removed, tell them and they will tell you what is possible.
Do photographers deliver unedited photos?
Practice varies. Many family photographers deliver edited photos only, while some headshot photographers also share a proofs gallery. The profile or a message to the photographer will tell you.
Find your photographer
Compare what is included, how many photos and how fast they arrive on each profile. Browse family photographers in NYC and Long Island, or see what happens at a studio session.