SELFIE SERVICE!

James Paterson shows you all the top tips and tricks you need for an epic party photo booth setup

Photo booths have become hugely popular, and you’ll often see professional setups at big events. But with a few simple skills, a DIY booth can yield results that are just as good. If you want to set one up – perhaps for a wedding or party – you’ll find a host of tips over the following pages to get you started and in the party mood!

A photo booth could be as simple as placing a mobile phone in selfie mode on a tripod. But there are ways to make the booth more polished and dynamic. First there’s the lighting, A couple of studio strobes allows for professional, flattering light that can illuminate groups large and small. Then there’s the user experience – a live-view monitor can make it easier for guests to get into the right position, and a large display for viewing the photos afterwards can give them instant gratification.

If you want to give guests access to the photos, for a simple solution you could do as we have here and set up a cloud-based image folder and a QR code so they can instantly see photos on their phones (this gives access to all the photos, so it’s best suited to an event where everyone knows one another). Of course, unless we want to be standing there supervising all night, we also need the booth to be simple to use, and robust enough to withstand users who might have had a few drinks!

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN PHOTO BOOTH

Top camera skills, lighting and tethering tips for the perfect photo booth

1 BOX FOR THE CAMERA

We don’t want anybody touching the camera, so a good solution is to make a box that fits over it. We used a cardboard box and cut frontal holes for our external monitor and lens, and a hole in the top for a Speedlight. We taped a tube along one corner of the box so that we could slot it into a light stand.

2 TETHERED LAPTOP