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Dept 01 · Delivery · Curator's kitPhoto Selection · client proofing

Photo Selection Software for Photographers

Your client hearts their album picks right in the gallery. You get the selected photos, their file numbers and the matching RAW files back — no WhatsApp lists, no screenshots, no hunting through folders.

  • Client proofing with hearts and comments
  • Selection limits that match the package
  • Filter picks in Lightroom or download a ZIP
  • Sync the selected RAWs on your computer
Try Photo Selection FreeSee How It Works

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Saurav & Roshni

Tap ♥ to pick your album photos

  • Couple's wedding portrait in the photo selection gallery
♥ 37 / 40 selectedSubmit

Copied · numbers

4512, 4521, 4530, 4544…

40 RAW files synced.CR3 → Selected folder

Before Photo Selection

Wedding album selection, the old way: “4533… or was it 4535?”

The guests have their photos. Now Saurav & Roshni need to pick 40 for the album — and the picks arrive the way they always do.

  1. 01

    Decode the list.

    Numbers, screenshots and “the one near the stairs”, matched by hand against 6,000 frames.

  2. 02

    No cap on picks.

    The package says 40. The list says 112. Now it's an awkward conversation.

  3. 03

    Hunt for the RAWs.

    Every picked JPEG means finding its RAW file in a folder of thousands and copying it out.

Now the same album, with Photo Selection
Saurav & Roshnityping…
  • These are our picks for the album 👇11:02
  • 4512, 4518, 4521, 4527, 4530… and the one where Roshni is laughing near the stairs11:05
  • 📷 Screenshot · 📷 Screenshot · 📷 Screenshot11:08
  • Oh and Mom wants 4533 also. Not 4535. Or was it 4535? 😅11:11
  • Got it, sending a final list to confirm 🙏11:14

How it works · the photographer

Client photo selection in four steps: share, limit, heart, done.

Arjun doesn't send a folder or a spreadsheet. The shoot is already in the gallery, so he shares one more link.

  1. 01

    Share the Photo Selection link

    One of the event's share links. The couple sees the whole gallery with a heart on every photo, behind its own 6-digit PIN.

  2. 02

    Set a selection limit

    Match the package — 40 for the album — so picks stay in scope without a conversation.

  3. 03

    They heart and comment

    From any phone, tablet or laptop. Notes like “brighten this” stay on the photo.

  4. 04

    Picks land in your dashboard

    Every heart is recorded against the exact image, in one place, ready to export.

How it works · the client

A photo selection tool your clients already know how to use.

If they can like a photo, they can pick an album. Try it: heart a few more frames for Saurav & Roshni and watch the limit hold.

Heart to pick
Tap again to swap a pick out.
Comment on a photo
Edit notes stay on the frame.
Stay in the package
The limit stops at 40.
Saurav & Roshni · Album picksPhoto Selection link · Reception collection♥ 37 / 40

Roshni on 4521: “Can this one be a little brighter?”

3 picks left

Local RAW syncNew

Sync the RAW files for every selected photo.

Roshni submits 40 picks on Sunday night. They're JPEGs — but Arjun edits RAW. Instead of hunting through 2,148 .CR3 files, he picks two folders and hits Copy.

  1. 1The client completes their selectionThey pick from the JPEGs you uploaded — the light, fast previews.
  2. 2Select the source folderPoint FotoOwl at the folder on your computer that holds all the shoot's RAW files.
  3. 3Select the destination folderChoose where the selected RAWs should go — a new folder for the album edit.
  4. 4Hit CopyEach pick is matched to its RAW by file name (IMG_4512.JPG → IMG_4512.CR3) and copied across. Your source folder stays exactly as it was.
Runs
On your computer
Uploads
No RAW files
Your originals
Untouched

Tip: Upload JPEGs with the same file names as their RAWs — that's how each pick finds its RAW.

On your computerCopying…
Source

All the RAW files

2,148 .CR3 files

D:/Weddings/Saurav-Roshni/RAW

Destination

Folder you choose

0 / 40 RAWs copied

Selected · Saurav & Roshni

Matching selected photos by file name

  • IMG_4512.JPGIMG_4512.CR3
  • IMG_4521.JPGIMG_4521.CR3
  • IMG_4527.JPGIMG_4527.CR3
  • IMG_4530.JPGIMG_4530.CR3
  • IMG_4544.JPGIMG_4544.CR3
  • IMG_4552.JPGIMG_4552.CR3

Finding the RAW for each of the 40 picks…

Copy names or numbers

Copy the selected numbers. Filter the RAWs in Lightroom.

Already imported the shoot into Lightroom? Arjun copies the couple's picks as one line of numbers and pastes it into the Library Filter. Try it — press Copy, then Paste.

  1. 1Click Copy on the selectionIn your dashboard, copy the picks as numbers (4512, 4521…) or file names — one line, comma-separated.
  2. 2Open the Library Filter in LightroomIn Lightroom Classic, go to the Library module and open the filter bar (View → Show Filter Bar, or press \).
  3. 3Paste into Text → ContainsChoose Text, set the field to Filename and the rule to Contains, then paste the list.
  4. 4Only the selected photos remainLightroom shows just the couple's picks — RAWs included. Select all and start editing, or add them to a collection.
FotoOwl · Selected by Saurav & Roshni4512, 4521, 4527, 4530, 4544, 4552, …
Lightroom ClassicLibrary | Develop
Library Filter :TextAttribute · Metadata
FilenameContains
  • IMG_4512.CR3
  • IMG_4518.CR3
  • IMG_4521.CR3
  • IMG_4527.CR3
  • IMG_4530.CR3
  • IMG_4533.CR3
  • IMG_4539.CR3
  • IMG_4544.CR3
  • IMG_4548.CR3
  • IMG_4552.CR3
  • IMG_4557.CR3
  • IMG_4561.CR3
2,148 photos

Lightroom plugin

Sync selected photos into a Lightroom collection.

If the shoot went to FotoOwl from Lightroom, the picks can come back the same way. One sync in the FotoOwl plugin and the couple's selection is a collection in Arjun's catalog.

  1. 1Upload straight from LightroomPublish the shoot to your FotoOwl event with the FotoOwl Lightroom plugin — no export, no browser upload.
  2. 2The client selects in the galleryThe couple hearts their picks on the Photo Selection link as usual.
  3. 3Sync selected photos in the pluginOne click in the plugin pulls the client's selection back into Lightroom.
  4. 4A collection of just the picksLightroom creates a separate collection with the selected photos, ready to edit in your catalog.
Get the FotoOwl Lightroom plugin

Saurav & Roshni · All — 2,148 photos

Waiting for the client's selection…

Download selected

Download a ZIP of only the selected photos.

The album designer doesn't need 6,000 frames. Arjun downloads the 40 the couple chose as one ZIP and sends it the same morning.

  1. 1Open the event's selectionThe couple's picks are already gathered in your dashboard — nothing to rebuild.
  2. 2Download the ZIPOne ZIP with just the selected photos, in the quality you uploaded.
  3. 3Hand it onStraight to your editor, the album designer or the print lab.
  • Album designer
  • Retouching
  • Print lab
  • Client preview
Selected by Saurav & RoshniDashboard · Photo Selection · 40 photosDownload ZIP
  • IMG_4512.JPG
  • IMG_4521.JPG
  • IMG_4527.JPG
  • IMG_4530.JPG
  • IMG_4544.JPG
  • IMG_4552.JPG
Saurav-Roshni_selected.zip40 photos · only the picks

Only the picks · not the 6,000-frame event · in the quality you uploaded

Watch it end to end

From gallery link to album picks.

A short walkthrough of the Photo Selection link, hearts, limits and exporting the selected photos from your dashboard.

  • Wedding album selection

    The couple hearts their album picks from their phones. You get one clean list and the matching RAWs.

  • Pre-wedding & portraits

    Clients confirm which frames to retouch before you spend an hour on one they didn't want.

  • Corporate headshots

    The marketing team approves the shots they will use, so the edit list stays tight.

  • Sports & schools

    Teams and parents pick their favourite frames; you deliver only what's wanted.

Connected workflows

Before and after the picks, the crew connects.

Photo Selection is part of the Curator's kit in AI Gallery. Cull before the couple picks, deliver to guests in the same gallery, and publish edits back from Lightroom.

What is included?

Start free. Upgrade when the albums grow.

FotoOwl has a free plan so you can try Photo Selection on a real shoot before you upgrade. Storage and features depend on your plan — the pricing page has current prices and billing terms for your country.

See plans and pricing

FAQ

Photo selection, answered.

How does client photo selection work in FotoOwl?

Upload the shoot to a FotoOwl event and share its Photo Selection link. Your client opens the full gallery on any device, taps the heart on the photos they want and can leave a comment on any photo. Every pick is saved against the exact image and appears in your dashboard, ready to download, copy or sync with your RAW files.

How do I get the RAW files for the photos my client selected?

Upload JPEGs for the client to pick from as usual. Once the selection is complete, select the source folder that holds all your RAW files, select a destination folder and hit Copy. FotoOwl matches each selected photo to its RAW by file name and copies those RAWs into the destination. Your source folder stays as it is, so you end up with just the selected RAWs, ready to edit.

Are my RAW files uploaded during RAW sync?

No. RAW sync runs locally on your computer: it reads the selection from FotoOwl, then finds and copies the matching RAW files between folders on your own drive. Only the JPEGs you chose to upload are ever in the cloud.

Can I copy the file names or numbers of the selected photos?

Yes. Copy the selected file names, or just their numbers, in one tap — as a single comma-separated line. To filter in Lightroom Classic, open the Library Filter, choose Text, set Filename and Contains, and paste: only the selected photos stay visible, RAWs included.

Does Photo Selection work with Lightroom?

Yes, two ways. Upload the shoot straight from Lightroom with the FotoOwl Lightroom plugin, then sync the selected photos in the plugin — it creates a separate collection in Lightroom with just the client's picks. Or copy the selected numbers and paste them into Lightroom's Library Filter (Text → Filename → Contains).

Can I download only the selected photos?

Yes. Download just the photos your client picked as one ZIP, instead of the whole event, in the quality you uploaded.

Can I limit how many photos a client can select?

Yes. Set a selection limit that matches the package, such as 40 photos for an album. The client can't go over it, and can swap picks by removing a heart.

Can clients select photos from phones and tablets?

Yes. Online photo selection works in the browser on phones, tablets and computers, so clients can pick from wherever they are. No app is needed.

Who can see the Photo Selection link?

Only people you share it with. The Photo Selection link is separate from the guest links and is protected by its own 6-digit PIN. Guests on AI Gallery's Guest Access still only see the photos their selfie matches.

What is the difference between photo selection and client proofing?

They are the same job in FotoOwl. Online photo selection gives the client secure access to the gallery; client proofing adds the rules — hearts, comments and a selection limit — so the decision is recorded in one place instead of chat messages and screenshots.

Let the couple pick. Get the RAWs back sorted.

Share one Photo Selection link with your next client and get their picks, numbers and RAW files back without a single screenshot.

Try Photo Selection FreeTalk to us on WhatsApp

Free plan available · ISO 27001 · SOC 2 · GDPR

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