Honcho, the Singapore-based real-time photo delivery platform, has reached an impressive milestone: more than 10 million photos delivered through its platform. The achievement underscores a broader shift in how event photography is captured, delivered, and experienced, as audiences increasingly expect instant access to visual content.
Honcho allows photographers to upload images directly from camera to cloud, while guests can instantly find, share, and purchase their photos using AI-powered face recognition, often within seconds of the shutter clicking. This seamless integration transforms event photography from a static service into a dynamic experience. Guests can engage with the photos while the energy of the moment is still alive, making the images more meaningful and shareable. For photographers, this immediacy elevates their work, creating a direct connection between their capture and the audience’s enjoyment.
“Reaching 10 million photos shared is a testament to how much people value immediacy,” says Boon Chin Ng, Founder of Honcho.
“When guests receive photos at the peak of excitement, engagement skyrockets.”
Innovating to Solve Pain Points
The idea for Honcho grew out of Ng’s personal experience as an event photographer. He often encountered situations where guests would approach him eagerly, asking for their photos, yet there was no efficient method to deliver them instantly. This gap in the guest experience became a persistent frustration and a clear opportunity for innovation. Ng recognized that the traditional approach to event photography was out of step with the expectations of modern audiences, who increasingly value immediacy and access.
“I’ve lost count of the times guests have approached me asking for their photos,” he recalled.
“It’s a very reasonable request, yet I didn’t have a solution at the time. That made me realize event photography didn’t make sense from the guests’ perspective. Why shouldn’t they be able to get the photo they just took?”
By focusing on this problem, Ng developed Honcho as a solution that prioritizes guest experience while also streamlining workflows for photographers. The platform turns real-time photo delivery into a central feature, redefining what audiences expect from events and giving photographers a tool that enhances engagement and satisfaction.
Instant Gratification Meets Privacy
Honcho’s face recognition technology allows guests to quickly find and share their photos at the moment of excitement. Speed and accuracy are critical, but privacy is equally important. Ng and his team built the platform to handle both seamlessly, ensuring that the immediacy of the experience never compromises guest security.
“Our face recognition is incredibly fast and accurate. Even in galleries with thousands of photos, a search takes just seconds, and it can reliably identify people in different lighting conditions and angles, even when a face is partially obscured or out of focus,” Ng explained.
To further safeguard privacy, Honcho blurs all photos by default and only unblurs images that are recognized via face recognition.
“This ensures guests can see only their own photos, and allows brands and photographers to share galleries publicly without compromising anyone’s privacy,” Ng added.
This approach creates a secure environment for both guests and brands while maintaining the excitement of real-time sharing. It allows event organizers to confidently provide public galleries, knowing that individual privacy is protected.
Transforming Photographer Workflows
For photographers, Honcho is more than a convenience—it has become a significant business differentiator. By offering real-time photo delivery, photographers can increase client satisfaction, boost engagement, and enhance revenue streams. The ability to provide instant photos sets photographers apart, creating a competitive edge that can influence client choice and repeat business.
“Real-time photo delivery is becoming an integral part of their businesses because it gives them a competitive edge. Many of our users have told us they’ve closed deals specifically because they offer this service. Clients choose them for that photo experience. And delivering that experience leads to more bookings from every event. Sharing photos with guests is like handing out your business card to everyone at once,” Ng explains.
The platform automates the entire workflow from upload to delivery, editing, and sales through an integrated online store. Photographers continue to capture events as usual while Honcho manages the operational aspects, allowing them to focus entirely on their craft and client interaction.
Major Brands and Creative Campaigns
Honcho’s growth extends beyond independent photographers to major brands. Companies such as Netflix and Sephora have leveraged the platform to drive engagement and social sharing, demonstrating the value of real-time photo delivery at large-scale events. The results often exceed expectations, proving that instant access creates meaningful audience interaction and amplifies brand visibility.
“Even at events of a modest size, we’ve seen up to 90% of guests view and download their photos. People are excited to get their own photos, especially right after they’ve taken them,” he says.
Some campaigns have produced particularly creative outcomes.
“One user captured photos of the audience at a stadium rather than the game itself. It was a powerful way for their client to drive social sharing and increase visibility for the event.”
These examples illustrate how real-time delivery can be used in unexpected and imaginative ways, expanding the potential for marketing and audience engagement beyond traditional event photography.
The Future of Real-Time Visual Content
As audiences become accustomed to instant gratification, Ng envisions real-time delivery becoming a standard expectation in event photography. Platforms like Honcho are leading this transformation, enabling both brands and photographers to meet rising audience expectations while maximizing engagement and impact.
“Imagine festivals like Lollapalooza leveraging it to drive engagement. Ignoring it would mean leaving a lot of free publicity on the table. We intend to be part of that future, helping drive the change and educating photographers and brands on what’s possible.”
With over 10 million photos delivered and counting, Honcho is setting a new standard for immediacy, engagement, and privacy, connecting photographers and audiences in ways that were previously impossible.
Pricing and Availability
Honcho is available on web, iOS, and Android. New users can start with a 7-day free trial to explore the platform’s features and see how real-time photo delivery transforms events. After the trial, subscriptions start at $39 per month, with several tiers based on storage size and additional features such as removing Honcho branding.
Image credits: Honcho