In short
A photo booth is essentially a party version of the old passport-photo machine. Most set-ups combine a camera with flash or continuous light, a screen where guests can see themselves and a button to take the shot. Many include a printer that turns out photo strips or cards straight away, plus a backdrop and a box of props like hats, glasses and signs. Booths are usually hired from rental companies, often with delivery and set-up included.
The idea is about a century old: in 1925 Anatol Josepho installed his "Photomaton" on Broadway in New York. For 25 cents you got a strip of photos after waiting around eight minutes for it to develop, and more than 250,000 people used it in its first year (All About Photo).
Photo: 婚禮 攝影師 / Unsplash
Example
At an office party, the photo booth sits in a corner by the bar. At first nobody goes near it. Then the boss grabs a feather boa, and from that moment there's a queue. Six colleagues from different teams squeeze in front of the camera in silly glasses and take their photo strip home as a souvenir. By the end of the night there are dozens of well-lit group shots, but hardly anything from the dance floor or the tables.
What to watch out for
- Cost: Hire prices depend on the company and how long you book. Ask whether prints, delivery, set-up and an attendant are included.
- Space and power: A booth needs floor space, a power socket and usually someone to deliver and set it up.
- Posed pictures: A booth produces posed shots. It won't capture the spontaneous moments around the room, the candid photos.
- Digital copies: Check whether, and how, you'll get all the images digitally after the event.
- Lighting: Because the booth brings its own light, group shots still look clean late in the evening.
A booth and a guest camera aren't either-or: the booth handles posed group shots with props, and guests capture the rest of the night. See our comparison photo booth vs. Filmriss.
With Filmriss
If there's no budget for a booth, a QR code is enough to collect guest photos: with Filmriss everyone shoots on their own phone, free and with no app. Nothing gets printed on the night, but you get the original files and can print them yourself.
