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Beam by FotoOwlOn shift · Delivery · FO-01The Runner · Beam · Camera-to-cloud

Beam: Camera to Cloud Photo Uploads for Event Photographers

Upload photos from a compatible FTP-enabled Canon, Sony or Nikon camera directly to your FotoOwl AI Gallery while you shoot. Beam connects capture to gallery delivery for wedding and event photographers — no card readers, no laptop at the back.

  • Works with your camera's built-in FTP
  • Uploads in about 5 seconds
  • Camera to guest's phone in under 30 seconds
  • Included on all paid plans
Get startedWatch camera setup
Back of a Canon mirrorless camera sending a photo with Beam
● BEAM

Live gallery

LIVE · 1,248 photos

NEW

Act 1 · One wedding night

Camera to cloud on a wedding night: the same shot, twice.

Every photographer has a second job at every event: getting photos off the camera and to people. You've been doing the Runner's job all along. Here's the same night, with and without it.

Without Beam · you are the runner

  1. 7:42 PM

    The varmala.

    You get the shot. The best one of the night. It sits on a card in your camera.

  2. 9:15 PM

    Card full. You leave the stage.

    You walk to the laptop at the back, swap cards, start an import. You miss the first dance.

  3. 11:40 PM

    Venue Wi-Fi gives up.

    Uploading 2,000 photos over guest Wi-Fi isn't happening tonight. You'll do it at home.

  4. Day 3

    “When will the photos be ready?”

    The moment's gone. Guests have already posted their phone photos. Nobody tagged you.

With Beam · the Runner's on shift

  1. 7:42:10 PM

    You get the varmala shot.

  2. 7:42:15 PM

    It's in the cloud, backed up.

  3. 7:42:40 PM

    The bride's sister has it on her phone.

  4. 9:15 PM

    You're still on stage. No laptop, no card swap.

Same camera. Same shot. The only difference: something else carried it.

FOTOOWL STUDIOFO-01

The Runner

Beam · Camera-to-cloud

Carries every frame from your camera to the cloud while you shoot.

Shift
24 / 7
Reports to
You
Uploads
Live

Act 2 · Meet the Runner

Camera-to-cloud photo delivery with Beam, the Runner on your AI Crew.

FotoOwl is building an AI crew for photographers — one teammate for every job you do alone today. Beam is the Runner: it carries every frame from your camera to the cloud, then hands it to the Curator (AI Gallery), who sorts photos by face and gets them to guests.

  1. Your cameraFTP / SFTP over Wi-Fi
  2. BeamUpload in about 5 seconds
  3. AI GalleryGuest's phone in under 30 seconds
What it is
Camera-to-cloud upload. Your camera's built-in FTP sends each photo to your FotoOwl AI Gallery as you shoot.
How fast
Each photo uploads in about 5 seconds and reaches guests' phones in under 30 seconds on a good connection.
Who it's for
Wedding studios first — and sports, marathon, concert and corporate photographers whose clients want photos during the event.
Meet the whole AI Crew
On shift · Delivery · FO-01The Runner · Beam · Camera-to-cloud

Act 3 · Live demo

See camera to cloud in action: shutter, cloud, guest's phone.

Your camera's built-in Wi-Fi FTP sends a copy of each photo to Beam the moment you take it — about 5 seconds to upload. Beam drops it into your event, and AI Gallery gets it to every guest in it in under 30 seconds. Your original stays on the card.

Shooting on
Now shooting
  • Weddings
  • Sports
  • Concerts
  • Schools
  • Conferences
1ShutterSony · Wi-Fi FTP
Sony mirrorless camera held from behind
1/250 F2.8 ISO640● BEAM
JPEG4182

Lead + second shooter? Each camera gets its own Beam login — one gallery.

2The RunnerWaiting for the next frame
  1. Shoot — frames appear here.
3Live galleryGuests see it right away
gallery.yourstudio.com

All photos

LIVE · 1,248

Frames beamed today
1,248
Cloud backup
Real-time
Card readers used
0
Live gallery
On

Demo timing. Real upload speed depends on the venue's internet upload bandwidth.

Straight from the camera

Camera Wi-Fi → FTP or SFTP. Works with FTP-capable bodies like Canon R5 / R6 II, Nikon Z8 / Z9 and Sony A7 IV / A1.

Through your phone

Tether the camera to your phone and send with the maker's app — e.g. Canon Content Transfer Professional.

From a laptop

Any FTP client — FileZilla, Cyberduck, Transmit, WinSCP. Drag whole folders for batch uploads.

Beam uploads JPEG, PNG and WebP. Check your camera supports FTP before you buy.

Act 4 · Put the Runner on shift

How camera-to-cloud uploads work, step by step.

Pick your camera. Each step shows the screen you'll see — set it up once, and Beam runs on every event after.

Shooting on
  1. 1Generate credentialsAdd a Beam login in your dashboard and link the event.
  2. 2Connect the cameraJoin venue Wi-Fi or a phone hotspot.
  3. 3Configure transferEnter the Beam server, port, username and password.
  4. 4Verify in the galleryTake a test shot and check it lands in the event.
dashboard.fotoowl.ai/beam

Beam (Secure FTP) Server Details

Secure FTP Users

+ Add Secure FTP User
UsernameLinked eventPasswordstudio-cam1Sharma Wedding · Reception••••••

Add New Secure FTP User

CancelAdd User

Step 1 of 11 · Create a Beam login in your dashboard

How to connect Canon EOS R6 Mark II to Beam with SFTP

Beam on Canon, at a glance

Protocol
SFTP (recommended) or FTP
Port
8022 for SFTP
Where
Network menu → Transfer images to FTP server
Models
EOS R1, EOS R3, EOS R5, EOS R5 Mark II, EOS R6 Mark II, EOS R6 Mark III, EOS-1D X Mark III
Full Canon setup guide

Compatibility

Does Beam work with my camera?

If your camera has built-in FTP or SFTP, it uploads directly — no phone or laptop in between. These are the models we've tested and filmed tutorials on.

Direct camera upload

BrandTested modelsProtocol · portSetup guide
CanonEOS R1, EOS R3, EOS R5, EOS R5 Mark II, EOS R6 Mark II, EOS R6 Mark III, EOS-1D X Mark IIISFTP or FTP · 8022Canon setup guide
SonyAlpha 1, Alpha 9 II, Alpha 9 III, Alpha 7 III, Alpha 7 IV, Alpha 7R III / IV / V, Alpha 7S III, FX3FTP · 21Sony setup guide
NikonZ9, Z8, Z6 III, Z5 II, Zf, ZR, D6, D5SFTP or FTP · 8022Nikon setup guide

Update to the latest camera firmware before setup — FTP menus are sometimes added or renamed in updates.

No FTP on your camera? Assisted upload

  • Phone app

    Canon Content Transfer Professional, or your maker's FTP-capable app

    For bodies without built-in FTP

  • Laptop FTP app

    Cyberduck, FileZilla, Transmit, WinSCP

    Batch uploads after the shoot

Laptop SFTP guide·All Beam videos on YouTube· Camera not listed?[email protected]

Who it's for

Built for weddings and live events.

Wedding studios first. Then any event where people want their photos before they leave.

  • A couple kissing under falling flower petals at a wedding

    Weddings

    Lead and second shooter each beam to the same event. Family find themselves by selfie during the reception, and the couple gets a same-night preview.

  • A cricket stadium lit up for a night match

    Sports & marathons

    Finish-line frames go live while runners are still at the venue — when they most want to download and share. Pair with Photo Selling to sell them.

  • Conference attendees laughing over coffee between sessions

    Corporate & conferences

    Stage and speaker photos reach the marketing team mid-event, ready for same-day posts. Attendees find their own photos with a selfie.

Act 5 · The handoff

What happens after upload? The crew takes over.

Beam's job ends when the photo lands. You stay in control of who sees it, and the rest of your AI Crew does the delivery.

  1. 01

    It lands in your event

    The photo appears in your FotoOwl dashboard. Until you publish the event, only you can see it.

  2. 02

    You publish

    Publish once and guests can open the gallery link or scan the event QR code.

  3. 03

    Guests find themselves

    AI Gallery face search matches each guest's selfie to every photo they're in — new frames reach them in under 30 seconds.

Then the rest of the crew

Beam is included on all paid FotoOwl plans. See pricing

Before the event

Camera-to-cloud requirements.

A camera with FTP or SFTP
Built-in FTP on most recent Canon, Nikon and Sony bodies. No FTP? Use the maker's phone app or a laptop.
Internet at the venue
Venue Wi-Fi or a phone hotspot. Upload speed matters more than download speed.
JPEG files
Beam takes JPEG, PNG and WebP. Shooting RAW? Use RAW + JPEG and send the JPEG.
A Beam login per camera
Create it in the dashboard and link it to your event. Beam is included on all paid FotoOwl plans.

Tip: send a few test shots before guests arrive and check they land in the event.

FAQ

Camera-to-cloud FAQs, answered.

What is camera to cloud?

Camera to cloud means each photo is sent from the camera to online storage as soon as you take it, instead of copying cards to a computer later. Beam is FotoOwl's camera-to-cloud upload: photos go straight into your FotoOwl AI Gallery event.

Which cameras work with Beam?

Any camera with built-in FTP or SFTP transfer. We've tested Canon (EOS R1, R3, R5, R5 Mark II, R6 Mark II, R6 Mark III, 1D X Mark III), Sony (Alpha 1, A9 II / III, A7 III, A7 IV, A7R III–V, A7S III, FX3) and Nikon (Z9, Z8, Z6 III, Z5 II, Zf, ZR, D6, D5). Check FTP support before you buy a camera for Beam.

Does Beam use FTP or SFTP?

Both. Use SFTP when your camera supports it. Most Sony cameras support FTP only, which also works.

How fast do photos upload?

Each photo usually uploads in 2–3 seconds — allow about 5 seconds. From shutter to a guest's phone takes under 30 seconds. Speed depends on the venue's internet upload speed and your file size, so test the connection before the event.

Who can see photos before I publish the event?

Only you. Photos Beam uploads appear in your FotoOwl dashboard straight away. Guests can see them once you publish the event.

What happens if the connection drops?

Your originals stay on the card. Whether unsent photos are retried depends on your camera's FTP settings, so check your camera manual — many cameras let you resend images that didn't transfer.

Does Beam work without Wi-Fi?

Beam needs an internet connection. If the venue has no Wi-Fi, connect the camera to a phone hotspot. With no internet at all, photos stay on the card until you are back online.

Does Beam support RAW files?

No. Beam accepts JPEG, PNG and WebP. If you shoot RAW, set the camera to RAW + JPEG and send the JPEG.

Can two photographers upload to the same gallery?

Yes. Each camera needs its own Beam login, and every login can point to the same event. Create extra logins from your dashboard.

Which plans include Beam?

Beam is included on all paid FotoOwl plans. It isn't part of the free Rider plan.

My camera doesn't show an FTP option. What do I do?

Check your camera's manual to confirm FTP support for your model. If it is supported but missing, update the firmware. Without FTP, send photos through the maker's phone app or a laptop FTP client.

Stay behind the camera. The Runner's got the upload.

Create your FotoOwl account, add a Beam login to your event and send your first photo in about ten minutes.

Get startedTalk to us on WhatsApp

Included on all paid plans · works with the camera you already own