This year I’ve covered several events in Montreal from corporate gatherings and annual conventions to 40th birthday parties, and I’ve witnessed a huge increase in demand for an onsite photo booth. I am a big supporter of this trend as it really adds a lot to an event and takes the photographer from being a part of the background to being an integral part of the event. Guests love the opportunity to ham it up in front of the camera and the resulting photos can be displayed almost immediately if the venue is set up with a screen and projector. This creates a great feedback loop that encourages more people to wander over to wherever the photo booth is set up, and the photos can get wilder and wilder. It is a really fun way to use an event photographer’s skill and equipment, and provides guests with something fun to do at the event. Add in a few different backgrounds and some onsite insta-prints at the end of the night and you have a recipe for a very successful event you and your guests will love.
Photobooths can range from renting out actual old-school photo booths (the kind that you posed in with your girlfriend in high school at a metro in Montreal) which nowadays can be quite expensive, to a camera on tripod with a simple backdrop and one flash unit that can be set up almost anywhere no matter how small your event space. While you can do it yourself (using the self timer function on the camera or a remote control for your camera) it is much easier to ask the professional photographer you’re hiring to include the photo booth option as part of the quote.
As a professional event photographer, I am increasingly incorporating a photo booth into my work with great results. At weddings you can be guaranteed to get a portrait of all your guests for your wedding books and if you are hosting a theme oriented party (see onsite print posts from a James Bond themed event here) you can really add to the guests enjoyment and engagement throughout the event.
The advantages of including a photo booth for your event:
- More fun!
- Highly engaging for guests
- Images can be seen and shared with all guests instantly
- Moderately more expensive than simply asking for event photos – but hugely more entertaining and instant value generated for event organizer and guests
