What to Ask before Booking a Photo Booth

1. Do you carry liability insurance?

Liability insurance is important because it helps protect us, you, and your guests should an injury happen. Every professional at your event should carry insurance.. If you have any concerns we can provide a certificate of insurance for your event.

2. What is included in the Rental Package?

Making assumptions about what is included can lead to dissappointment. Work from a list of detailed questions and make sure they all get answered. You will make a decision on who is the best fit from a well informed viewpoint. Questions such as do all guests receive their own prints can make a big difference at the event. What about the theme on the of the screen graphics? Do you have your own graphic ideas? Just adding your name to a booth template will look boring to your guests. If you are particular about the printouts we will work with you for a special look.

Do you want social media posting and is it included?
"Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten."

Gucci

3. What are your props like and can you help build the prop selection?

Props can be one of the most fun part of the photo booth or one of the most disappointing. Ask to see if you can help select the props and don't be afraid to ask for special props. Photo booth owners love to add to their props.

4. Do you offer a scrap book where people can leave a personal message?

Scrapbooks albums come in all kinds. Some are very nice while others are cheaply made. We no longer stock scrap books. If you want a scrap book we have recommendations for a quality look.       

Scrap books are not as common a part of photo booth rentals as they were a few years back. Your scrap book will be more memorable when there is a dedicated person to help the guests  and encourage them to leave a nice message.  We can supply a person for you. However, we recommend that you ask someone who may know some of the family or guests. It will all be a part of the planning process when we meet.

5. Can I design my own photo booth printout?

If you have custom graphics or have enough design experience to create a design you should be able to create a design that we can use. For 2x6 prints we need a 2x6 layout at 300 ppi and a 6x4 also at 300 ppi.  We use a 3x2 ratio. We prefer a photoshop un-flattened file format. 

6. What does "unlimited" mean?

Simply put, unlimited means that everyone in the session gets their own copy. This is a good question to ask because not all companies take this approach.

7. Is there an attendant dedicated to running the booth?

Companies who are offering multiple services may not plan to have a dedicated person running the booth. While the technology is pretty stable small things like keeping the props at the booth and adjusting the camera up and down and zooming in and out all add to the guest experience and image quality.

8. Will I get a copy of all of the photos taken at the event?

It takes less than 15 minutes to upload the images for your download. If you would like we can also create a download site with a link you can share.  The site will allow downloads and give people the option to purchase fun items such as coffee mugs. 

9. What type of camera and printer do you use?

Don't assume that they are printing. Some vendors push you to a non-printing photo booth because it is less work and expense for them. Despite their arguement that people are just as happy with digital copies we can tell you they are not.

A lot of the people entering the photo booth industry have no photography knowledge and will tell you that web-cam photographs are as good as a digital camera. Ask to see actual photos from the booth you will have at your event.

Most companies use dye-sublimation printers but there are a few around who use Selphy type printers. These are not designed for high volume and speed.

10. Does your photo booth have the ability to send users digital prints?

All professional grade software has this capability. The question is does the vendor know how to do it and are they willing to spend the money and time to do it. While you are asking this question also ask about the format. Most professional companies will send your guests a printable 6x4 format.

Planning for an Outdoor Photo Booth

Spring through fall is a time of outdoor events and many people would like a photobooth at the event. Having a photobooth inside when the guests are outside doesn't always work so we can move outside with your guests. Outdoor photobooths require more planning. Here are some of the common considerations:

• Can you run on a generator? We can rent a generator and be anywhere that you would like. If you have a generator we would like a chance to test it before the event. Our equipment has a lot of components that have to communicate and good power is a must. If your event is large enough to have a power station we rarely have issues with those.
• Can you run on batteries? Yes, we can. However the booth either needs to be paperless where people send images to email or they text or a runner can take the photos to a location for printing and people pick up on the way out.
• What about weather? We live in Kansas and the wind is not our friend. If it is too windy we will reduce our props to props which aren’t as likely to blow away. Sunlight is another consideration. We really need to be in a shady area so people can see our monitor. If we need to be in full sun we can place a hood over the monitor and use an audible countdown in case people can’t see the screen. Keep in mind, people tend to squint in bright light which is another reason we prefer to work in a shady area.
  
  A last consideration is temperature. Computers don't run well above 95'. We do have a cooling approach which has worked at many events. However, we do have concerns when the temperature is over 95'.
• Can you have a background outside? Backgrounds are the biggest challenge for an outside booth. A 7x6 background quickly becomes a sail in even the slightest breeze. When we are not in a protected area we recommend using the event as a background. We will do our best to pick an angle with some color so that the background shows a celebration.

As you can see, an outdoor event has some challenges. We will work with you to make it a success.