Photo Booth Basics
One of the liveliest ways to create fun at a party, formal or corporate function is to add a photo booth. Not only will your guest have a great time at your event, they will also enjoy reminiscing. As photo booths have become more popular, so have the variety. Some photo booths are like the old arcade style kiosk designed for a few people but always able to cram in one more body behind the curtain. An increasingly more popular option is the photo booth that can be characterized more like a professional on-site photography studio with an event photographer.
When deciding on the best photo booth for your event, it is important to consider the size of your event, the quality of images and what you want your guests to remember.
Go Big!
Size matters when selecting a photo booth. This is important for two reasons. The first is how large of an area do you have for the booth and how many guests will want to be pictured together. If you have a small area, then your best option is likely a rental photo booth kiosk. The larger the size of your event the more likely you will have groups of people wanting to be in the photo booth at the same time. The larger on-site photography studio creates excitement with more fun and variety with props, posing and expressions. If you are anticipating group photos with more than four people, then request a minimum of a 10 X 10 backdrop.
Go Bright!
With larger groups, a bigger backdrop and more flashes are needed to have a good quality set of images. Some “Photo Booth” photographers and most kiosk units have only one small flash. We have found that this method while economical, will typically exaggerate skin imperfections and leave people in groups over shadowed. If this is a concern, then request a photo booth with a minimum of a single 48 inch light source or two flashes. Bounce reflectors properly angled can also help with increasing the effective size of the light source.
Oro Valley Photography recently photographed around 500 students at the IRHS Winter Formal, during this “Photo Booth” we used 5 studio flashes with 3 front lights and two back lights. The back lights were used to create an ultra-white background which made a soft rim light that made the formal dress colors pop. The multiple front lights made it easy to switch between groups and couples without having to reposition the lights. As one school administrator commented, “Your photo booth is more popular with the students than previous photo booths." Additionally, many of the students and parents have commented about how good the images look. These high quality images are possible with professional lighting techniques.
Go Flashback!
As everyone heads home from your event they will begin reminiscing. The photo booth keeps those memories alive. The big decision is how you want to keep those memories alive and how soon do you want the buzz to start. In today’s world, the old norm of one to two weeks is too long to wait to see photos. Oro Valley Photography offers our clients the ability to have images posted online the following day, on-site professional printing and on-site slide shows. The on-site options provide immediate gratification and more importantly make the event more fun. Additionally, these options can be used at corporate or fundraising events to create excitement around a brand or company.
The Running Shop in Tucson received several compliments from the Thanksgiving Cross Country Classic for providing a free photo booth with immediate professional prints from Oro Valley Photography. Three month later, a friend of mine still has one of these branded images on her refrigerator.
When planning your next event, remember to Go Big, Go Bright and then Go Flashback. When it comes to parties, people do not remember cell phone selfies, they remember the pictures with their friends and family. Oro Valley Photography makes events more memorable.