Rolla turns a night out, road trip, or wedding into a shared photo experiment. You create the event, set the rules, invite up to three friends, and everyone shoots on the same finite roll—no filters mid-shoot, no instant gratification, just a locked-in reveal when the host decides it's time. Here's how to get started.

Before You Shoot

Before inviting friends, spend two minutes setting up your event. This is where you choose how many shots you want and which film look matches the vibe.

  1. Open Rolla and tap the new event button on your home screen
  2. Give your event a name (e.g., 'Vegas 2025', 'Jamie's Wedding', 'Tuesday Dive Bar')
  3. Select your roll size: 12, 24, 36, or 48 shots
  4. Choose your film look—Kodak Gold (warm), Portra 400 (rich), or Tri-X B&W (classic)
  5. Confirm the film look preview matches your mood
Rolla create event flow showing name, roll size, and film look selection
Event creation takes under two minutes
One roll, one reveal—no infinite camera roll dumps.
— Rolla

Invite Your Group

Rolla gives you two ways to bring people in. QR codes work fast in person; links let you send invites over text or email.

  1. After creating your event, tap the invite button
  2. Choose QR code (for in-person invites) or copy the link (for text or email)
  3. Share the QR code or link with up to three friends
  4. Wait for them to join—they'll see the roll size and film look but won't start shooting until you unlock the camera
Rolla QR code and invite link options
QR code and link invites in one screen

Start Shooting

Once your friends join, open the camera and shoot blind. There's no preview, no filter adjustments, and no seeing what others shot until reveal.

  1. Tap the camera button to open the shooting interface
  2. Compose by feel—no live preview or grid
  3. Tap the shutter to capture; you'll hear a click
  4. Keep track of your remaining shots (counter shows how many left on the roll)
  5. Share the camera back and forth between your friends
  6. Stop when the roll is full or your event ends
Rolla camera shooting interface with minimal UI
Blind shooting—no preview, just capture

Develop Your Roll

When the moment feels right, the host unlocks the roll and everyone sees all the shots at once. For more detail on managing a group reveal, see our guide to how to shoot a shared roll in Rolla.

  1. Tap 'Develop' when you're ready to reveal photos
  2. All locked photos unlock at once for your entire group
  3. Swipe through the developed roll and see what everyone captured
  4. Save your favorites to your camera roll or share them in the app
Rolla group event screen showing shooting progress
Group event in progress—locked until reveal

After the Reveal

  • Download or share individual photos from the developed roll
  • Create a new event whenever you want to shoot another shared roll
  • Invite the same friends or start a new group

This article was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by a human editor before publishing.