One of the latest trends to hit the big event scene is the photo booth. Odds are, if you've been to a wedding, birthday, graduation, or other big celebration in the recent past, you've seen a photo booth at one of these events. Their popularity is understandable―guests are always eager to line up for their turn to be goofy in front of the camera, picking out props and poses for a customized souvenir. While the pro photographers do their job, photo booths can be a fun way to give guests license to act silly in front of another lens without ending up in the day’s formal images. If you've wondered how to set up your own photo booth, it's really pretty simple. There are different ways to create one, most of which are endlessly customizable. Below, learn what you'll need to set up one version of your own great booth.
For this setup, you'll need a few basic items as a launch point. If you're a photographer by hobby or profession, there's a solid chance you already have some of this gear in your collection. A camera is the first and foremost necessity, and this particular rig requires the DSLR of your choice. Some type of wireless remote control is usually helpful, unless you intend to man the camera for the duration of the event. If you're a Canon or Nikon shooter, for example, both companies sell affordable infrared remotes for less than $20. They're foolproof for guests to use. With only one button to press, these can be used to release the shutter instantly or on a countdown. To avoid multiple bursts, you may want to go ahead and set your camera’s AF mode to single shot.
When you're picking a lens, keep it fairly simple. For full-frame cameras, a fixed 50mm should be a comfortable focal length for individuals and small groups of people. If you’re working with an APS-C format camera, bear the crop factor in mind; you may be better off instead with something like a 30mm. When you adjust your settings, be careful not to use too wide of an aperture. You’ll want to be sure that if multiple people jump in the “booth,” everyone stays in focus. If you can, keep it around f/8.
Guests also love live previews, which is part of the inherent charm of digital photobooths. A great way to achieve this is by connecting your DSLR to a monitor via an HDMI cable. In tight spaces, something like a Swivel Adapter can help you protect ports from pressure and cable strain. Tether Tools has a few different photo-booth kits that make this particular setup quite easy, depending on the specifics of what you need. The Vu Booth with Go Vu, which comes with a camera platform, monitor mounting adapter, Rock Solid Master Articulating Arm, and Rock Solid Master Clamp, is ideal for those setting up using a tripod and ball head with a ¼"-20 camera stud or an Arca-style mounting system. Its mounting adapter can support a 75 x 75mm or 100 x 100mm VESA-compliant monitor up to 35 pounds, and will be pretty sturdy on its own, although using a sandbag for ballast is a good idea.
The Vu Booth with Local Vu comes with everything mentioned above, but it has different monitor-mount compatibility. These can be fitted to ¼"-20 ball-head-threaded studs, ⅜" threaded tripod mounts, Arca-style mounting systems, or standard ⅝" studs common on most light stands, roller stands, or grip equipment. If support for 35 lb isn’t enough, consider the Vu Booth with Studio Vu. Its mounting bracket can support a 75 x 75mm or 100 x 100mm VESA-compliant monitor―up to 85 pounds―on a support with a ⅝" pin, and it’s compatible with a Bracket Adapter for larger 200 x 200mm VESA-patterned monitors. You can consider adding a Rock Solid Aero Elbow, if you’d like to be able to tilt or rotate the screen.
You might also be interested in tethering a laptop to the station. The Tether Tools Pro Tethering Kit will do just that, and comes with a padded non-slip laptop platform (16 x 14") and security straps, external hard drive compartment, light stand strap, jerk stoppers, and USB 2.0 cable. To save some room, you can pick up the optional Rock Solid Baby Side Arm Kit. This will give you a mount to which you can secure your laptop platform without needing an additional light stand or tripod.
Lighting is another important factor to consider, and you have plenty of choices here too. Strobes, wireless flashes, ringflashes, and continuous lights are all viable options. For modifiers, consider softboxes, umbrellas, or other diffusers. Just make sure you'll have something that creates nice, even coverage so everyone is lit. Don’t over-complicate your setup; one or two lights can do the trick just fine. Pick lights you're comfortable setting up and taking down quickly, and something that won’t get in the way of party-goers.
You can always use a sync cable to trigger strobes, but a radio remote system will avoid extra clutter. Wireless-capable TTL flashes can also be fired this way using the camera manufacturer's master/slave technology. As for a background and props; that’s where you get creative! Stay neutral, or use wild colors. Set up a seamless, or tape some fun fabric to the wall. Tape an X to the floor as a user-friendly guideline, and let the party commence!
Finally, once the images have been taken, you need a viable option for your guests to either receive digital files or physical prints of their photo-booth photos. Going the digital route, software options from companies like dslrBooth and ExpressDigital both feature integrated social media sharing capabilities that can be configured to automatically post the event's photo booth photos to your choice of social media site. Alternatively, these programs can also serve as a perfect interface for intuitively printing the photos of your choosing on the spot. Dye sublimation printers are the traditional choice for event printing, due to their ability to quickly and consistently output prints that are dry-to-the-touch immediately upon arrival. Regardless of the final output, whether digital or print, make sure to offer a fun and effective way for visitors to have their photos as a remembrance of the event.
