> ## Knowledge Base Index
> Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://helping.alive-pic.com/sitemap.xml
> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
> Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash).

# How Photo Capture Works

The capture flow is what your guests experience when they step up to the booth. It's designed to be dead simple — tap, smile, done. Here's what happens behind the scenes.

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## The Capture Flow

1. **Guest approaches** — They see the idle screen / screen saver
2. **Tap to start** — Guest taps the screen (or the booth auto-starts, depending on your settings)
3. **Countdown** — A visual countdown appears before each photo
4. **Snap!** — The photo is captured with a brief flash effect
5. **Repeat** — If your template requires multiple photos, the countdown runs again for each shot
6. **Done** — After all photos are captured, the guest is taken to the share screen

[screenshot: Capture countdown screen]

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## How Many Photos Per Session?

The number of photos per session is determined by your **template**. If your template has 3 photo slots, guests will take 3 photos. Single photo templates mean one shot and done.

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## Countdown Timing

A countdown timer controls the pace of the capture:

* **Time between photos** — The countdown between each photo (default: 3 seconds). Gives guests enough time to strike a new pose.

This setting is configurable in Settings. See [Configuring Countdown Timers](/en/article/configuring-countdown-timers-nzzo6g) for details.

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## The Flash Effect

Between photos, a brief white flash appears on screen. This mimics a traditional camera flash and gives guests a visual cue that their photo was captured.

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## What Happens After Capture?

Once all photos are taken, guests land on the **share screen** where they can:

* View their photos in the selected template
* Apply an AI effect (if enabled)
* Share via QR, SMS, email, or native share
* Print their photos

The share screen is the final step before the booth resets for the next guest.