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Client Proofing Time Saved Calculator

Reviewed for 2026, updated September 8, 2026.

Estimates how many hours and dollars a photographer gets back each year by moving client selections from email threads and image numbers to an online proofing gallery.

Your numbers

Results update as you type.

Your estimate

Hours saved per month...
Hours saved per year...
Net value per year after software cost...
Net value returned per $1 of subscription...

Estimates only. Assumptions are listed below, and you can change every input.

Selection by email is slow in ways that never show up on an invoice. A client sends a list of image numbers, two of them do not exist, one refers to the wrong shoot, and you spend an evening rebuilding a contact sheet to sort it out. Multiply that by every shoot in a month and the hours add up to real money, but most photographers never total it.

This calculator compares the hours you spend on selections today with the hours you would spend using an online proofing gallery, multiplies the difference by your shoot volume and your hourly value, and subtracts the software cost. It only measures your own time. It does not guess at faster client turnaround or extra print sales, so the number you get is a floor rather than a promise.

How to use this tool

  1. Count how many client shoots need a selection round in a typical month.
  2. Estimate honestly how many hours each shoot currently costs you in emails, contact sheets and corrections, then how long the same step takes with a gallery.
  3. Enter your hourly value and the monthly cost of the software to see hours saved, net yearly value and how many dollars of time value come back for each dollar of subscription.

What the math assumes

  • Hours saved per shoot equals your manual proofing hours minus your gallery proofing hours; if the gallery takes longer, the result goes negative rather than being hidden.
  • Every shoot in a month is assumed to go through the same selection process and take the same amount of time.
  • Time is valued at the hourly rate you enter, whether or not you would actually fill the freed hours with paid work.
  • The software cost is multiplied by 12 and subtracted from the yearly value, and the per-dollar figure divides that net value by the yearly software cost; setup and learning time are not included.
  • Faster client turnaround, fewer selection mistakes and extra print sales are left out of the estimate.

Frequently asked questions

How do I estimate my manual proofing hours per shoot?

Track one or two shoots from the moment you send the first preview to the moment the final list is confirmed. Include time reading emails, matching image numbers, rebuilding contact sheets and following up. Most photographers underestimate this, so round up.

What if the gallery hours are higher than my manual hours?

Then the calculator shows a negative saving and a negative return, which is the honest answer. That can happen on very small shoots where a quick email really is faster.

Should I use my client rate or a lower number for hourly value?

Use the rate you would actually earn if the hour were freed up. If you would spend it editing or marketing rather than shooting, pick a number that reflects what that work is worth to you.

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More free tools from Framepickr

  • Print Markup Price Calculator: Estimates the retail price, profit per print and true margin on lab prints sold through a proofing gallery, for photographers building a print price list.
  • Proof Gallery Storage and Upload Planner: Estimates how many gigabytes of proofing galleries a photographer keeps online and how long each upload takes, based on shoot volume, cull rate, file size and connection speed.

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