One strip from two places
- Agree on poses first (ideas below), so the frames feel like one sitting.
- Each of you takes two photos with your normal camera. Keep your face near the middle, because the booth crops every photo to a square.
- Send your two photos to the other person. If your chat app can send them as a file instead of a compressed photo, use that.
- The person with all four opens the booth, picks a look, then taps the layout name at the top to pick Classic strip or Grid and a frame.
- Tap the picture button next to the shutter and select all four photos.
- Save the strip, or tap Share strip to send it straight back.
Matching strips at the same moment
If you would rather both shoot live, get on a video call on one device and open the booth on another, usually your phone. Many laptops only let one app use the webcam at a time, so the call and the booth should not share a camera.
Send each other the same link so you start on the same look, for example https://retrocam.studio/booth?camera=disposable-camera. Count down together, press the shutter at the same time and you each get a strip from the same moment. Swap them afterwards.
Using video call screenshots
Screenshots from a video call work too. Take four during the call, crop out the buttons and names in your photo app, and add them to the booth the same way. A grainy look such as VHS Camcorder or Super 8 hides the softness of a call image well.
Pose ideas for a strip shot apart
- Half a heart each: one of you makes the left half with your hands, the other the right.
- Pass something across: hold a mug or a snack at the edge of the frame, and the other one "takes" it in theirs.
- Same pose, two places: both point at the camera, both pull the same face, both hide behind a pillow.
- Your time zones: one with morning coffee, one ready for bed.
- Lean in: tilt your heads toward the side the other person will be on, as if you were sharing the booth.
Making photos from two cameras match
- Both face a window or a lamp. Similar light matters more than having the same phone.
- Stand about the same distance from the camera so your faces are a similar size.
- Black and white removes the different color tints of two cameras. Try HP5 B&W.
- Grain and faded color blend the rest. The Disposable '98 and Polaroid looks are good starting points.
Questions
Can two people use the RetroCam booth at the same time from different places?
Not in one shared booth. RetroCam does not connect two cameras over the internet. Each phone or laptop runs its own booth, so you combine your photos into one strip, or shoot matching strips at the same moment.
Do we need an account or an app?
No. It runs in the browser on iPhone, Android and laptops. Send the other person a link and they can start straight away.
Does RetroCam see our photos?
No. Filters and strips are made inside your browser, and nothing is uploaded to RetroCam. When you send photos to each other, they go through whatever chat app you use.
Can we each get a printed copy?
Yes. Make a Classic strip and save the Print format. It is a 4 × 6 inch sheet with two copies of the strip, so you can print it, cut it in half and post one to the other person, or each print the same file.