Tips For Choosing A Photobooth For Your Event
When planning events, it’s so important to give your guests something memorable from the event. Albeit an experience or something they can take with them, the gesture goes a long way. If you choose to go with the option of hiring a photobooth for your event, you can offer your guests free prints of the photos they are taking.
Location Is Everything
If you’re booking your event venue knowing you’ll have a photo booth there, be sure to choose a venue that’ll be big enough for the booth to set up. If this is something you have decided after you have made a booking, the standard size of the booths are around 3m x 3m. This again will be dependent on the type of photo booth you select.
Choosing The Type Of Photo Booth
Thanks to the many technological advancements, the way we know photobooths have changed! As there is now a large variety of photo booths, the technology can be adapted to fit the shell of the photo booth.
Choosing Your Photo Booth Backdrop
Surprisingly enough, the backdrop is an important consideration to bare in mind when deciding on where you’ll be setting the photo booth up. You can choose if you want a backdrop with a custom background, an open air backdrop with the view in the background, or if you prefer the booth to be enclosed.
Will Guests Be Standing or Sitting
This links very closely to where you set up your photobooth and how much space is available. To ensure a much smoother transition between each picture, having your guests stand when they take their picture is recommended. You can give guests the option to sit just as long as they’re a smaller group, and are willing not to use as many props. That way you’ll avoid any sort of injury!
THE NEXT GENERATION OF PHOTO BOOTHS HAVE THEIR SIGHTS SET ON YOU
A machine named Queso wants me to pose like a spy. A short video shows three people making finger guns, backs against one another, and even though I feel awkward doing this alone in the middle of a Las Vegas convention show floor, I oblige. Next, Queso says to pretend like I’m thinking, and I’m beginning to understand why this photo booth was named after cheese. Finally, it tells me to jump around. I hop a few times until Queso floods me with light for the final time. Then I quickly gather my things and move behind the machine to retrieve a copy of my pictures.
But there is no printout — yet again. I came to the fifth annual Photo Booth Expo hoping to go home with a comically large pile of selfies, but none of the 40-something exhibiting photo booths have printed out anything. Instead, they’re offering to email or text links to the photos for easy online sharing
This is the state of photo booths in 2019. What was once on a highway to extinction has been reborn as an Instagram machine, transforming the humble self-portrait into theatrical displays for social media currency. While the machines pander to the young demographic that loves these experiences the most, they’re also monetizing a valuable asset in exchange: their data.
To photo booth operators, there are two types of customers, says Brandon Wong, founder of Photobooth Supply Co. (PBSCO). First, there is the birthday, wedding, and anniversary party crowd, which are the types of events that make people want to take home a souvenir. “Everyone’s already dressed up, looks great, and wants a fantastic picture to hang up,” Wong says.
The photo booth’s modern revival roots back to 2010, the same year that both the iPad and Instagram were born. Event photographers could now build smaller, cheaper photo booths that relied on the tablet and then email the photos to customers instead of having full-sized cameras and photochemical solutions. All the while, Instagram encouraged people to think of their online counterpart as a visual homepage that’s filled with unique photos that presented them as their most interesting, beautiful selves
Tips to Survive a DIY Photo Booth Experience
Most everyone has probably been to some type of event that had a photo booth set up for the guests. Photo booths seem to have gained a lot in popularity, especially at weddings, but you may see them at birthday or retirement parties, or a variety of other gatherings. They can be lots of fun and offer little pressure to those being photographed. Even those who generally don’t like sitting in front of a camera will often break out of their shell, garner a few props, and take a few silly photos. Not only is it a fun experience that will leave some fond memories, but the resulting photos can be a valuable keepsake for the guests who get involved as well as the event’s honorees.
Recently, I was asked if I could set up a photo booth at a big surprise going-away party. This wasn’t a paid gig, but rather a favor for friends and something I wanted to try out. After all, it’s just a matter of setting up a camera, a light or two, and letting people take pictures of themselves. Pretty simple, right? Well, there is a bit more to it than that, so I took to the internet to learn what I could about setting up a photo booth. What I found was information that was either over-simplified, using a point-and-shoot camera and maybe a flash, or a much more complicated system utilizing a full enclosure and lots of fancy (and expensive) gear that I don’t have. I knew that there had to be something in between, that would provide some decent images with good lighting, without being overly complex and expensive to set up. That’s what I set out to do and this article provides some of the things I learned along the way. Note that this article does not deal with the business side, such as how much to charge for your photo booth, insurance needs, or contracts, but rather the gear that is necessary and how to set it up. So, let’s get started!
Scout the Location
As with most types of photography, but especially where portraits of people are involved, it’s a good idea to scout out the location of the shoot to get a ‘lay of the land’. There are a few things to look for on these reconnaissance missions that will help you prepare your gear and to make sure you have everything you need when the shoot starts. This will help to increase your confidence level and also help to remove some of the variables so that you can focus on providing the best experience possible. For my particular experience, the event was being held in a location that I was familiar with, so I already had some idea of what to expect. However, it was still a good idea to set up several hours in advance to determine the best layout for the photo booth in relation to how the venue was arranged and the activities that were going to take place. Additionally, it is important to figure out the location of the nearest electrical outlets to plug in chargers, battery packs, lighting, or your laptop. As they say, if you fail to prepare, then you prepare to fail. So don’t skimp on this part
Safety First!
OK, so it is Tip #2, but safety should always be paramount, especially when we are photographing people, and particularly for a photo booth, because there is lots of activity, with people coming and going. Be sure to eliminate or at least minimize any tripping hazards, such as cables, extension cords, tripod or light stand legs, etc. If anything is left unsecured, there is a chance it could take a tumble if it gets bumped or someone catches a foot on it in all the excitement. I learned this the hard way. Within 10 minutes of opening my photo booth, one of my light stands ended up lying on the floor, mangling the brand new umbrella that was attached. Thankfully, no one was hit and the umbrella was still functional after a little ‘persuasion’, but this could have been avoided. Since the light stand will be top-heavy, consider using sand bags to add some weight to the bottom. If possible, even consider attaching the legs of the stands to the floor, possibly with duct tape. Make sure that all cables and cords are secured with cable ties and routed in areas where there will not be any foot traffic. After setting up the photo booth, make a precursory run through it and check for anything that could be a potential problem and deal with it then. Make sure to make getting in and out of the photo booth as easy as possible, with plenty of space between the flow of traffic and your gear
Establish Some Rules
This one kind of goes along with the previous tip. A photo booth will generally consist of lots of photography gear, including your camera, tripod, and lighting setup. People will be in and out of the photo booth all evening, so you want to be sure that equipment stays just as safe as the guests. Unless you plan to closely monitor the photo booth (and even if you do), it’s a good idea to set some rules beforehand. This is particularly applicable if there will be a lot of kids at the event. In all of the busy-ness, it can be difficult to keep track of everything that is going on and what each person is doing. It’s a good idea to ask that all children 10 years old and younger be accompanied by an adult. We all know that kids can be quite curious and may wonder about what all those buttons on the camera do. The last thing you would want is for a young bundle of energy to get up close and personal with your gear.
Why rent a photo booth
Having a photo booth at your event will be the ultimate hit and life of the party! Our photo booth provides a very unique and entertaining experience that everyone will enjoy from the moment they arrive. Just like many of our customers say “the least expensive and the best part of our event”.
What makes your Photobooth stand apart from your competitors?
We are Wedding and Events Photographers. As Photographers we want the best picture quality and prints coming out of our booths, we used top notch real professional Full Frame Cameras, not consumer cameras, real Professional grade lenses and lighting to insure the best picture possible. Also, our booths have video mode and is available in most of our packages. We also have a variety of Professional Modern Backgrounds for you to choose from. We do our best to make sure your photos leave a lasting impression. Oh and let’s not forget about our props! We have the most fun props and props/signs! That’s how we stand out of the competition.
How does it work?
Just get in, You will be in front of a large 21-23″ Screen with live view, touch the screen to select Color or Black & White, Push Start for Photos smile and the booth will do the rest! Images will be displayed on the monitor inside the booth, 10 seconds later the pictures are printed and available outside the photo booth. (The options vary with the model of the booth.) Or Push Start Video wait for the countdown and start saying your Message when you see the green bar. An Attendant will always be on site to guide you through!
Can I view My photo before it prints??
Yes, there is an option that requires you to confirm the photos if you are happy you hit Print if not you hit Re-Take, it is convinient but is not recommended as it will slow the line. If it Prints Automatically it will have the line moving much faster.
How long does it take to get a photo printed?
It takes about 10 seconds for the photo to be processed and printed. It’s super fast!
Choose the Best Photo Booth for Your Event
Adding a few surprises to your event is a great way to help guests break the ice, loosen up and get into the spirit of the day or night, whatever your intended outcomes. An excellent choice is photo booths, and there lots of different ways you can use them to help everyone have fun
Your Venue
Choosing the right event products is about finding the best setup for the space you have, so look at your venue and party area before selecting a photo booth. If you have limited space, for example, many think that a photo booth isn’t an option at all. However, you could consider a social media pod where lack of space is an issue. This has the same effect as the magic selfie mirror but is more versatile because it doesn’t require as much room, is easier to use and no host is required, as well as being cheaper which is always a bonus
Your Event Purpose
The type of event you’re hosting should influence the types of product you select, helping you to meet the aims of the day or night and ensure everyone has a good time. You can even combine photo booths with props the reflect and enhance your event theme. If you’re planning a product launch or corporate event, for example, social media pods are a great way to spread brand awareness online. On the other hand, the most up to date photo booths will have in-built Green Screen technology to help you create different themes and backgrounds. Equally, if the purpose of the event is for having a good time and celebrating, such as a wedding or Christmas party, magic selfie mirrors are a really fun and interactive choice.
Your Guests
How much thought you put into the guest experience is something which is going to define how they remember your event, so choosing products based on the mixture of people you have coming is always a smart move. For example, if you have a diverse range of age groups attending (especially at weddings and family parties), a traditional photo booth is often the best choice as it means young guests can reach the camera and older generations may feel less shy when in an enclosed booth, helping to get everyone involved. However, magic selfie mirrors are perfect for full length and wider shots, which is great if you have a lot of people who’ll want to show off their outfits or larger groups are involved.