Selecting a Camera & Adjusting Camera Controls

Your device has cameras and ALIVE lets you choose which one to use — plus fine-tune image quality with manual controls for zoom, exposure, white balance, and more.

Front Camera vs Back Camera

Front Camera (Selfie Camera)

• Faces the same direction as the screen
• Guests can see themselves while posing
• Lower resolution than the back camera on most iPads
• Natural choice for selfie-style booths

Back Camera (Rear Camera)

• Faces away from the screen
• Higher resolution and better image quality
• Guests can't see themselves (unless you add an external monitor)
• Better for setups where a booth attendant operates the camera

How to Switch Cameras

1. Go to Settings or access Camera Settings from the capture screen
2. Select Front or Back camera
3. The preview updates immediately

[screenshot: Camera selection setting]

Camera Controls

ALIVE gives you manual control over several camera parameters. Access these from the Camera Settings on the capture screen:

Zoom

Slide to adjust the zoom level. The available range depends on your device's camera hardware. Useful for framing guests without physically moving the booth.

Exposure

Adjust the exposure compensation to brighten or darken the image. Slide up for a brighter image, down for darker. Helpful when your event lighting is too bright or too dim.

White Balance / Warmth

Set the color temperature in Kelvin to match your lighting conditions:

• Lower values (3000-4000K) — Warmer tones, good for tungsten/warm lighting
• Higher values (6000-7000K) — Cooler tones, good for daylight/LED lighting
• Leave on auto — Let the camera adjust automatically (works well in most situations)

HDR

Toggle HDR (High Dynamic Range) on or off. When enabled, the camera captures more detail in both bright and dark areas of the image. Works best in high-contrast lighting situations. Not available on all devices.

Night Mode

Toggle Night Mode to boost low-light performance. The camera takes longer to capture but produces a brighter, cleaner image in dim environments. Not available on all devices.

Flash

Toggle the flash on or off. Useful in low-light setups, but be aware that flash can cause harsh shadows and washed-out skin tones. Test it with your event's actual lighting.

Which Camera Should You Use?

Tips

• Front camera = convenience — Guests see themselves and can frame the shot on their own
• Back camera = quality — If image quality is a priority (especially for printing), the rear camera is usually sharper
• Test the lighting — Each camera handles lighting differently. Take test shots with your event's actual lighting to see which looks better
• Set white balance manually — If your venue has mixed lighting (e.g., warm overhead + cool LEDs), manually setting the white balance ensures consistent color across all photos
• HDR for high-contrast venues — If your booth is near a window or has a mix of bright and dark areas, HDR helps balance the image

Updated on: 05/07/2026