Running a photo session with helpers
Having a second person during a photo session cuts the time roughly in half. One person handles the camera; the other moves items and keeps things organized. This guide covers how to split the work, what to tell a helper who's never used the app, and how to handle the review queue afterward when two people have contributed to the same session.
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The basic split
**Photographer (you or whoever knows the app):**
- Holds the phone and shoots
- Monitors photo quality between shots
- Manages the app — starts and ends sessions, handles errors
- Makes calls on whether to retake a photo
**Handler (your helper):**
- Retrieves items and brings them to the photographer or station
- Orients items correctly before handing them off
- Removes price stickers or tags that shouldn't be in the photo
- Sets items aside after photographing so they don't get double-photographed
- Keeps a rough mental or physical count of what's been done
This split works whether you're shooting items in place across a room, using a photo station, or working through shelves. The photographer stays mostly stationary; the handler does the walking.
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What to tell a helper before you start
Most helpers don't need to understand the app to be useful in the session. They need to understand four things:
**1. What counts as "one item."** A ceramic bowl is one item. A set of six matching bowls that you want to sell as a set is also one item. A set of six that you want to sell individually is six items. Clarify this before you start so the handler knows whether to bring you one thing at a time or group things.
**2. How to orient items.** Facing forward, right-side up, and with any important detail facing the camera. Show one example. For clothing, lay it flat (don't hold it up). For small items, place them on the surface; don't hold them in the air.
**3. What "set it aside after" means.** After you photograph something, it goes in a done pile, a done box, or back in a spot you've designated. This prevents you from photographing the same item twice when you're working quickly.
**4. When to slow down.** Tell the helper: if the photographer says "hold on" or "wait," stop bringing things. Don't rush the queue. The photographer's pace is the pace.
You don't need to explain auto-tagging, the review queue, or pricing. Those are post-session tasks you handle yourself.
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Working through a room together
**Walk the room once before you start.** Agree on the route: left to right across each surface, top shelf to bottom, table by table. Both of you should know the order before you begin so the handler can anticipate what comes next.
**Handler retrieves; photographer confirms.** The handler brings one item at a time. The photographer checks it's oriented correctly, shoots, gives a brief nod or says "next," and the handler retrieves the next item while the photographer checks the shot.
**Don't pre-stack items at the station.** It seems efficient to stage 10 items in a row, but it creates confusion about what's been shot and what hasn't. One item at a time, done pile after.
**Mark your progress.** If you're working through shelves or a room with a lot of items, a simple physical marker helps — a piece of blue painter's tape on the shelf you just finished, or a folded piece of paper. Helps both people know where you left off if you take a break.
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If your helper will be using the app themselves
Some organizers have staff or team members run their own rapidfire sessions independently. This works well once a helper is familiar with the workflow. Before their first solo session:
- Add them to the sale as a member (Settings > Members on the sale dashboard)
- Have them download the app and log in with their account
- Walk them through one rapidfire session together before they do it alone
- Clarify which items they're responsible for photographing and which you'll handle
Their photos will go into the same review queue as yours. You review and approve everything before it goes live.
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Splitting the review queue afterward
When two people have photographed items in the same session, all photos end up in a shared review queue. You don't need to separate them by who shot what — the queue just shows every unreviewed item regardless of who captured it.
**One reviewer is faster.** The review queue is where you confirm titles, set prices, and make condition calls. These are judgment decisions that generally go faster when one person is doing all of them, because they're not re-reading each other's decisions or waiting for input.
**Two reviewers work if you split by category.** If the sale is large and you want to divide the review, split by item type: one person reviews all the clothing and jewelry, the other reviews tools and electronics. Dividing by section of the queue (first half / second half) is less efficient because you'll make inconsistent pricing decisions across similar items.
**Never approve an item you don't recognize.** If you're reviewing photos taken by a helper and you can't identify the item, go find it rather than guessing. A misidentified item priced wrong is worse than a slightly slower review.
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Common questions
**My helper keeps bringing things before I'm ready. What do I do?** Establish a clear signal: you say "next" or tap their arm when you're ready. Don't leave it to them to guess. A few seconds of extra waiting is cheaper than retaking photos because the previous item was still on screen.
**Can two people shoot with the app at the same time on different phones?** If both people have accounts and are both members of the sale, yes — each can run their own rapidfire session independently and the photos will merge in the review queue. This works well for very large sales or auctions where one room per person is a reasonable split. Make sure you agree in advance on which person is covering which area so you don't double-photograph items.
**What if the helper photographs something I wanted to skip?** Delete it in review. Tap the item, tap the trash icon. It won't go live unless it's approved.
**How do I handle it if the helper makes a mistake during the session — like photographing something blurry or cut off?** The retake decision happens in review, not in the session. Note it and move on; you'll see it in the queue and can decide whether to reshoot then. Stopping the session to re-do individual shots slows everyone down unless the photo is genuinely unusable.
**Is there a way to see who took which photo in the review queue?** Currently the queue doesn't attribute photos by team member — it just shows the queue in session order. If attribution matters (for consignment, auditing, or quality tracking), keep a simple written log during the session: item name and who photographed it.
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Related guides
- [Photograph an entire sale in one pass](rapidfire-mode.md)
- [Setting up photo stations for high-volume sales](photo-stations.md)
- [Lighting and framing for better photo results](lighting-and-framing.md)