Camera-to-cloud setup guide

One project. Every way in.

Shoot on a phone. Send from a separate camera. Plug in a card. Stream over local FTP. Review on the web. LightVision keeps every route attached to the right project.

Choose your setup First-time setup

No extra mobile app Upload-only QR Originals stay under your control

First-time setup

Connect the ecosystem once

Use the same LightVision studio account on desktop and web. Phone shooters normally connect by scanning a private project QR—no studio password is shared.

01
Open or create the project
On the desktop app, name the project you want incoming photos and web changes to belong to.
02
Open Shoot Inbox
Click Open Shoot Inbox in Start with Photos. LightVision creates a one-use upload-only QR code linked to that project.
03
Choose the route that fits
Shoot on a phone, transfer from a separate camera, import a card directly, use live FTP, or continue in the web editor.
04
Keep working in one project
Incoming originals return to the linked desktop project while project decisions and bounded previews sync with the web.

Interactive route finder

How are you shooting today?

Pick the closest setup. The map shows the path your files take and the four actions that matter.

Fastest route

Shoot on your phone

Scan once, shoot or choose from your library, and send each original into the open desktop project.

1Open Shoot InboxFrom the desktop project.
2Scan the QRUse the phone camera.
3Add photosCamera roll or Take a photo.
4Import on MacThe files join that project.

Detailed playbooks

Every setup, step by step

Use JPEGs for speed during a live shoot, or send supported originals when the full file needs to reach the desktop.

01Fastest

Native phone shooter

For social content, scouting, BTS, property details and anyone shooting directly on iPhone or Android.

On the Mac: open the destination project and click Open Shoot Inbox…
On the phone: scan the QR with the normal camera app. The browser confirms the project name.
Choose Take a photo for a new frame or This phone for Camera Roll and albums.
Wait for Safely received, then tap Mark shoot ready.
Back on the Mac, import the incoming shoot. It appends to the linked project.

Result Original reaches desktop · project remains unified

02On location

Separate camera via phone

For mirrorless or DSLR shooters who need to send selects before returning to the studio.

Transfer files to the phone with the camera maker’s Wi-Fi app, or connect an SD reader / camera by USB-C.
Scan the project QR from the desktop. If someone sent you the QR, scan it before another device does—it is one-use.
Choose This phone for transferred images or Camera or card to browse Files and external storage.
Select JPEGs for the quickest early cull; select RAWs when the full original must arrive.
Leave the page open until the queue confirms every file. Interrupted uploads resume.

Result Camera files move securely without a laptop cable

03Most reliable

SD card or camera direct to Mac

For full weddings, events and large RAW shoots where transfer speed and local originals matter most.

Insert the memory card or connect the camera in USB storage mode.
Open or create the LightVision desktop project and confirm its name and shoot type.
Click Choose Photo Folder, or drag the card folder straight onto the app.
LightVision reads and grades locally. Keep the card mounted until import and thumbnail preparation finish.
When signed in, project decisions and 2048px previews sync automatically for web review.

Result Originals stay local · web gets a bounded working preview

04Live

Camera-to-Mac live FTP

For tether-like event workflows using supported Canon, Nikon, Sony or Fujifilm FTP-capable bodies.

Connect the camera and Mac to the same network. A phone hotspot is often the most predictable on location.
In LightVision desktop, enable Remote Capture and open Camera setup guide…
Create a camera transfer profile with the displayed host, port, username and password.
Choose plain FTP (not FTPS/SFTP), passive mode, and enable automatic transfer.
Take a test frame. Once it appears, keep the listener on and continue shooting.

Result Frames enter the open project as they are captured

05Team

Second shooter or assistant

For teams collecting phones, camera JPEGs or cards into one editor-owned project.

The editor opens the shared desktop project and creates a QR for the first shooter.
After it is scanned, reopen Shoot Inbox to create a fresh QR for the next phone.
Each shooter uploads through their own session. They cannot see existing project photos or account areas.
The editor can leave the Inbox window open; incoming shoots refresh automatically.
Import each ready batch. Duplicate IDs are ignored if the same batch is accidentally opened again.

Result One project owner · multiple private intake lanes

06Anywhere

Continue on the web

For reviewing picks, grades and edits away from the main Mac or handing a project between your own devices.

Sign into desktop with the same LightVision studio identity used for the web portal.
Save the desktop project. The first cloud sync sends project state and working previews.
Open lightvision.studio/app and sign in with the same studio email.
Choose the project marked Cloud or Synced. Previews load as needed.
Make decisions normally. If another device saved first, reopen when prompted so nothing is silently overwritten.

Result One project list and decision history across desktop and web

Privacy by design

What moves—and what stays put

The cloud carries enough for a continuous workflow without silently copying a desktop archive.

Stays on the Mac

Desktop RAW originalsLocal file pathsOn-device face embeddingsLocal AI model data

Project syncAccount-scoped

Syncs across app + web

Project name & shoot typePicks, grades & editsCollections & shot listsBounded JPEG previews

The deliberate exception

Photos you explicitly choose in Shoot Inbox are uploaded as originals because their purpose is to travel safely from the phone or camera card to your desktop. The QR is limited to that one project.

Before the shoot

A 60-second readiness check

Do this once before leaving for a job and every route becomes a fallback for the others.

Open Shoot Inbox

✓
Desktop app restartedLoads the latest project sync and QR connection code.
✓
Signed into one studioUse the same studio email on desktop and web.
✓
Project named firstThe QR binds incoming files to that destination.
✓
Phone has enough powerLarge RAW transfers are battery and data intensive.
✓
Keep a direct-import fallbackRetain files on the card until desktop import is confirmed.

Supported intake

Phone and camera friendly

Up to 2 GB per file, with resumable multipart transfer for large originals.

JPEGHEICPNGTIFFDNGCR2 / CR3NEFARWRAFORFRW2PEFSRW3FRIIQ

Troubleshooting

Questions before you connect

The short answers to storage, networks, teams and simultaneous editing.

Do my original desktop photos upload to the web?

No. Normal desktop imports keep the original RAW and JPEG files on your Mac. LightVision syncs the project state and a bounded JPEG preview so the same project can be reviewed on the web. Originals selected in Shoot Inbox are intentionally uploaded for secure delivery to your desktop.

Do the phone and desktop need to be on the same Wi-Fi?

Not for Shoot Inbox. Both devices only need internet access. Direct camera FTP is different: the camera and Mac must share the same local network, such as venue Wi-Fi or a phone hotspot.

Can I send RAW files from a phone or card reader?

Yes. Shoot Inbox accepts common phone and camera formats including HEIC, DNG, CR2/CR3, NEF, ARW, RAF, ORF, RW2, PEF and more. For a fast early cull on location, sending camera JPEGs first is usually quicker.

Can several shooters upload into one project?

Yes. Open the same desktop project and create a fresh QR code for each phone. Each code is one-use and upload-only, so assistants do not need the studio login and cannot browse other projects.

What happens if the connection drops?

Shoot Inbox keeps its transfer queue on the phone and resumes when the connection returns. Desktop project saves continue locally and cloud sync pauses safely until the app reconnects.

What if the project changes on desktop and web at the same time?

LightVision versions every cloud project write. If another device saved a newer version, the older device is stopped from silently overwriting or deleting it and asks you to reopen the project to merge safely.

Ready to connect?

Start on the Mac. Scan on the phone.

Open a project in LightVision desktop, choose Open Shoot Inbox…, and the QR does the rest.

Open the phone inbox Open the web editor