How Long Should Photographers Keep Client Photos?
A practical retention policy for photographers: how long to keep online galleries, delivered files and RAWs, how to archive instead of deleting, and what to put in your contract.
By the Terracotta team · Updated · 6 min read
Sooner or later every photographer gets the email: “Hi! Do you still have our photos from a few years ago?” Whether you can say yes, and what it costs you to keep saying yes, comes down to having a clear policy for how long you keep client work and where it lives.
There is no single legal rule
In most places there is no law that says how long a photographer must keep client photos. What you owe a client is what your contract says. That is good news: you get to set a policy that fits your business, as long as you write it down and stick to it. If your work involves minors, legal matters or commercial licensing, check with a local professional about any extra requirements.
A sensible retention policy
| What | Where | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Online client gallery | Your gallery platform | 3 to 12 months, then close or archive |
| Delivered edited files | Cold storage or an archived gallery | 3 to 7 years, longer for weddings |
| RAW files | Your own drives and backups | 1 to 2 years, then cull |
| Contracts and invoices | Your CRM or accounting | As long as your tax rules require |
Online galleries: set an expiration date
A live gallery is where clients download, favorite and order prints, so it is worth keeping open while they are most excited, usually the first few months. After that, a clear expiration date with a reminder email or two gets clients to download everything and order the prints they have been meaning to buy.
Expiring galleries also keeps your storage bill honest. On a tiered plan you pay for the whole tier whether the galleries are open or not. With usage-based storage, closing or archiving last season's galleries lowers your bill the same day. 100 GB of live galleries is about $15.60 a month on Terracotta, and the first 3 GB are free.
RAW files: keep a backup, then let them go
RAWs are big, and once a gallery is delivered they are rarely needed. Many photographers keep them for a year or two in case of a re-edit request, then cull them. If you keep RAWs longer, follow the 3-2-1 rule: three copies, on two kinds of storage, with one copy off site.
Put it in your contract
Spell out three things so nobody is surprised later:
- How long the online gallery will be available, and that it will close.
- That clients are responsible for downloading and backing up their own photos.
- How long you keep archived files, and whether there is a fee to restore them.
The client's side
Encourage clients to download their full gallery right away and keep it in two places, like a computer and a cloud drive. Printing their favorites is the best backup of all. A few lines in your delivery email go a long way. See our guide on how to deliver photos to clients for a template.
Frequently asked questions
How long do photographers keep photos after a session?
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Many keep online galleries open for 3 to 12 months, archive delivered files for 3 to 7 years (longer for weddings), and keep RAW files for a year or two. There's usually no legal minimum, so what matters is what your contract says.
Do photographers have to keep your photos forever?
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No. Unless their contract promises it, photographers aren't obligated to keep photos indefinitely. That's why it's important for clients to download and back up their gallery soon after delivery.
What's the cheapest way to keep old client galleries?
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Archive them in cold storage instead of keeping them live. Archived galleries cost less to store and can be restored if a client asks for them again.
