Lightboxes are groupings of images -- created by you or your client -- that are best used for editing selections or collaborating using star ratings and comments. If you allow it, your clients may also download or purchase images directly from a lightbox. Lightboxes are inherently private: They must be explicitly shared with others, and all invitees must log in before being able to view a lightbox's contents.
If you have lightboxes enabled in your Archive Page Settings, your clients will be able to create their own lightboxes on the fly.
As the photographer, you can create a lightbox from your Image Browser (read on for specific instructions) or by navigating to Clients > Lightboxes from the Navigation Bar.
Creating a Lightbox
1. Navigate to your Image Browser.
2. Select the gallery that contains the images you'd like to add to your lightbox on the left pane.
3. In the center pane, select the images you'd like to add to your lightbox. (Note the "Select All" / "None" links at the top of the page -- these may save you some time.)
4. Click the "Actions" dropdown menu at the top of the center pane and select "Add to lightbox."
5. Here, you may choose to add your selected images to a preexisting lightbox or to create a new lightbox. Select or create the lightbox in which you'd like these images to appear and then click "Submit."
6. Once you're done building your lightbox, access it by selecting "Clients" > "Lightboxes" from the navigation bar.
7. This page has two tabs: "My Lightboxes" (those you have created) and "Shared Lightboxes" (those that others have shared with you). Click on the name of the lightbox with which you want to work.
8. To add details to the lightbox, click the word "Details." Here you will have the option to enter the client's name, the project to which this lightbox relates, and a general description.
9. Notice the star ratings available at the bottom of each thumbnail. Each person with access to the lightbox will be able to use these to set their own ratings. (You can see everyone's ratings alongside one another by clicking the Ratings Matrix button.)
Sharing your Lightbox with Clients
Lightboxes are a great way to share images and receive feedback from clients.
1. To share the lightbox with a client, click the "Share" button. This will trigger the "Share Lightbox" pop-up box.
2. Here you can select the image owner, enter the email addresses of the client(s) to whom you'd like to give access, and type the email message that they will receive.
3. You will also need to give your client permissions allowing them to interact with the lightbox. There are two options: "Allow person to invite others" and "Allow person to remove, rate, sort and comment on images." Check the boxes to set your preferences accordingly.If you'd like a copy of the email sent to your own address, check "Email me a copy of this invitation."
4. Click "Share Lightbox" and an email notification with a link to the lightbox will be sent to the client.
5. To see all the sharing permissions that you've set for this lightbox, select "Sharing." Here you'll see a list of the people with whom you've shared this lightbox as well as the option to invite another person.
6. If you'd like to change permissions for any individual, simply click on that person's name. This will launch the "Update Lightbox Share" pop-up box, where you'll be able to manage this person's access.
Adding Comments, Giving Download Access, and Ratings
Allow your clients to comment on, download and rate your images.
1. To comment on an image, double-click on the thumbnail to enlarge the image, and then click the comment bubble above the image. Everyone with access to this lightbox will be able to see the comment.
2. From the single-image view, you can allow download access to an image. From the "Download Permissions" area in the right column, use the "Allow Download" drop-down menu to select the type of download you'd like to allow. (Note: If your client is creating a lightbox from a gallery to which they already have download access, this download access will be conferred to the lightbox without your intervention.)
3. If you've shared this lightbox with multiple clients, you may find it helpful to view the Ratings Matrix, which displays different clients' ratings alongside one another. Access this from the lightbox's main page.
Turning your Lightbox into a Gallery
If you would like to grant download access to your lightbox images in batch, you will need to copy the images from the lightbox and move them into a gallery. From a gallery, you can turn on download access for all images at once, and your client will also be able to batch download. You can work with additional editing tools once the images are in a gallery, as well.
1. When viewing the contents of a lightbox, select one or multiple images and click the "Add to" button.
2. From the drop down menu that appears, click "Add to new gallery."
Note: if you don't see this option, make sure you're viewing this lightbox in the back-end of your account as opposed to through your website.
3. Enter in a name for your new gallery and click "Add to gallery."
4. Now that your lightbox images have been copied over to this new gallery, you can choose to either go directly to the gallery or continue working within the lightbox.