# How It Works -- RealTime.Photos

How it runs at your event. From setting up the event to uploading live selects during the day -- here's the full operational picture.

## Before the event - Create the event

### Set up once, before the doors open.

RealTime.Photos gives you full control over the guest experience -- branding, access, privacy, and behaviour -- before the event starts.

1. **Create the event** -- Log in to the dashboard, set the event name and URL slug, choose a plan. Takes five minutes.
2. **Configure the experience** -- Set the access mode (free browsing, password-protected, or face-gated), enable downloads and likes, set the default sort order, upload branding, and configure the disclaimer banner if needed.
3. **Invite photographers and editors** -- Collaborators join free of charge. How many you can invite depends on the plan.
4. **Deploy the QR** -- Download the branded QR code and place it at the venue -- on signage, presentation slides, menus, table cards, or lanyards.
5. **Follow the analytics** -- Follow engagement live from the dashboard. Custom adds audience, expression and networking analytics.

## Before the event - Set up the team

### Invite your photographer at no extra cost.

When you create an event on RealTime.Photos, you own it. Invite your photographer, editor, or coordinator as a collaborator -- they get access to what they need and nothing more.

- **Co-owner** -- Full access to the event dashboard -- upload, edit, curate, manage the gallery. Everything except deleting the event.
- **Upload only** -- Can add photos to the gallery. Nothing else. Perfect for a second shooter or a remote editor delivering finished files.

Collaborators join free of charge. How many you can invite depends on the plan.

## Before the event - Set up the camera

### Getting photos off the camera, your way.

Most photographers already carry what they need. These are the setups that work best.

- **Cable to your phone.** Most cameras connect over USB-C or Lightning, with the cable you charge them with.
- **Card reader.** Put the SD card into a reader on your phone or laptop.
- **The camera's own app.** Many cameras send photos to your phone over Wi-Fi.
- **Then upload.** Open realtime.photos in any browser and pick the photos from your camera roll or files.

## During the event - Live selects

### Live selects during the breaks, and the full edit on your usual timeline.

Live coverage is real additional work. The photographer shoots as normal, but during natural breaks, a selection of photos needs to come off the camera, get processed, and reach the gallery -- while the event is still running.

1. **Shoot** -- You cover the event as normal. Nothing changes about how you work behind the camera.
2. **Transfer** -- During a break between sessions, at lunch, or between speakers -- selected photos come off the camera via direct phone connection or SD card adapter. You can send them to a remote editor or assistant for processing, or handle the editing yourself.
3. **Edit & Upload** -- Photos are processed and uploaded to the live gallery, ideally by a remote editor or assistant. If those are not in place, files can go through the RealTime.Photos auto-correct workflow on upload. Final touches can also be applied through the in-app editing tool.
4. **Curate** -- Review what's live: hide a photo that didn't make the cut, merge face avatars that were split, check the gallery looks right. Do it from your phone between rounds.

### Who handles it: works with whoever you already have

- **Photographer directly** -- The photographer uploads from their phone during breaks. Auto-correct handles the edit on upload. Best for smaller events where the photographer wants to keep the setup simple and self-contained.
- **On-site assistant** -- An assistant edits and uploads in real time while the photographer shoots without interruption. Allows faster turnaround and a higher volume of live selects per break. The recommended setup for mid-size to large events.
- **Remote editor** -- The photographer sends files during breaks to an editor who processes and uploads from anywhere. Most scalable for larger events or photographers with an established editing pipeline and remote team.

## During the event - The guest gallery

### Scan. Browse. Find yourself. Share.

1. **Scan** -- A QR code at the venue opens the gallery in any browser, with nothing to download and no account to create.
2. **Browse & Filter** -- Photos appear in real time as the photographer uploads. Tap a face avatar to filter the gallery to any person.
3. **Find Your Photos** -- Tap "Find my photos", take a quick selfie, and filter instantly to every photo you appear in -- out of hundreds.
4. **Like, Download & Share** -- Like photos, download them in full resolution, and share directly from your phone.

## After the event - The results

### What you have once the event is over.

The gallery stays open for guests after the event: 30 days on Basic, 60 on Pro, and as agreed on Custom.

- **All plans** -- Every plan shows how guests used the gallery, from views to downloads.
- **Pro and Custom** -- The most-liked photos, and activity hour by hour.
- **Custom** -- Audience, expression and networking analytics, plus a report per sponsor.

[See every metric](https://realtime.photos/features#analytics)

## Ready to run your first live event?

Start with a free trial -- one event, up to 20 photos, no credit card required. Or book a demo and we'll walk you through it live.

- [Start free trial](https://realtime.photos/dashboard)
- [Request a demo](https://realtime.photos/contact)