# Running an album or retouching selection

> A start-to-finish workflow for album and retouching selections in CoreHue: set up the gallery, ask for picks, review notes, edit and send files on.

Source: https://help.corehue.co/docs/gallery-favorites/running-an-album-selection/

Album selections have a reputation for dragging on for months. Most of the delay comes from vague asks and lists that keep changing. This workflow keeps it short: a clear brief, a fixed number, a locked list, and file names you can paste straight into your editor.

It uses features that are on every plan.

## 1. Set up the gallery

Deliver the gallery as you normally would. Then, before you ask for picks:

1. Go to **Settings → Collections** and check **Allow collections** and **Allow submission** are on.
2. Turn on **Lock after submission**, so the list can't change once you start designing.
3. Leave **Collection notes** on. Notes like "can we lose the exit sign?" are exactly what you want at this stage.
4. Click **Save**.

See [Collection settings for client favorites](/docs/gallery-favorites/collection-settings) for what each switch does.

> **Order matters more than you'd think**
Sort each chapter in story order (**Date taken** works well) before your client starts. People pick better when the photos read like the day.

## 2. Ask for exactly what you need

1. Click **Selection requests** at the bottom of the chapter list.
2. Enter your client's email.
3. Click the **Album picks** template. Change **Max photos** to the number your album package includes, and edit the brief, for example: "Choose 60 photos for your 30-page album. Pick your must-haves first."
4. If retouching is part of the package, add the **Retouch list** template too, with its own limit.
5. Click **Continue to share** and send the **Send preset collection** email.

Give a deadline in the email itself. Selection requests don't have a due date, so a line like "If you can send your picks by 15 March, your album will be with you in May" does the job. See [Requesting client selections](/docs/gallery-favorites/requesting-client-selections).

## 3. Let your client pick

Your client opens the gallery with their email and finds **Album picks** waiting, with your brief and a count like "24 of 60 photos". They star photos, add notes, and click **Send to photographer** when they're done. Because the list locks on sending, the confirmation warns them first.

Send them [Choosing your favorite photos](/docs/for-clients/choosing-your-favorites) if they'd like a walkthrough.

While they work, you can peek at progress under **Activity → Collections**. Collections show as **Active** until sent.

## 4. Review the selection

You'll get a **Collection submitted** notification when they send it. Then:

1. Open **Activity → Collections** and click the collection.
2. Read the message they sent and the note on each photo.
3. If something needs a conversation (they picked 58 and want to swap two), sort it out before you start.

## 5. Get the photos into your editor

1. In the collection's **⋯** menu, choose **Copy file names**.
2. Pick the separator your editing software expects.
3. If you edit from RAW files with the same names, use **Replace** under **File extensions** and choose your RAW extension, such as dng.
4. Click **Copy** and paste the list into your editor's search or filter.

**Export CSV** gives you the same list with each photo's notes and chapter, handy as a checklist while you edit. See [Reviewing your client's favorites](/docs/gallery-favorites/reviewing-client-favorites).

## 6. Send files to your album designer or lab

If someone else builds the album, choose **Send as download** from the same menu, pick **Original**, and email them the link. It lasts 48 hours and needs no password. See [Sending favorites as a download](/docs/gallery-favorites/sending-favorites-as-a-download).

## 7. Share the finished edits

Once retouching is done, there are two easy ways to show your client:

- Use **Copy to new chapter** on the collection to build a chapter of the selected photos, then replace them with your edited versions. See [Renaming, replacing and checking photo details](/docs/galleries/managing-individual-photos).
- Or upload the finished files to a new chapter, such as "Album edits".

Copies count toward your storage like any other photo. See [How storage works for photos and videos](/docs/plans-and-billing/how-storage-works).

## If your client needs to change their picks

Turn **Lock after submission** off and save. Their collection opens up, they make the changes and click **Send update**, and you turn the lock back on. It helps to agree the changes first, so the design only has to change once.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can both people in a couple pick photos?

Yes, but each selection request goes to one email. Create a request for each of them, or ask them to pick together under one email, which is usually simpler.

### Can my client pick more than the limit?

No. A selection request enforces its photo limit, so your client is told "You've reached the 60-photo limit for this collection." If you're happy to add extra spreads, edit the request and raise **Max photos**.

### Can videos be part of the selection?

No. Collections hold photos only, so videos can't be part of an album selection.

### Does any of this need a paid plan?

Mostly no. Collections, selection requests, notes, locking and copying file names are on every plan. Sending **Original** files with **Send as download** needs Plus or Pro.