Make Photo Booth Shots Pop with Props

November 24th, 2010 by Beth Baynum | Share Blog

Photo booths are all the rage now, as evidenced by this year’s Biz Bash Expo.  Where last year we saw maybe two or three photo booth exhibitors, this year’s expo featured at least five.  It was helpful to see how we compare to the other photo booths – and gratifying to see our photo booth, which we like to call YouBooth, has some key benefits that the others don’t.

A major benefit of our photo booth that the others don’t have (aside from our lower rate) is that all the workings are inside.  You don’t see the printer or the computer; just a sleek, attractive wooden case.  When the prints pop out at the side, it seems all the more magical!

Another thing that was exclusively ours was the use of props.  I know what you’re thinking: props are cheesy!  While we admit to some cheese-factor, this is truly outweighed by the fun that props lend to photo booth snaps.  Props bring out everyone’s playfulness.  Props make mugging for the photo booth camera more natural and lighthearted.  It’s much easier to strike a pose when you’re wearing a feather boa!  

Props are a simple addition, but they make all the difference in how people interact with the photo booth.  Props add fun, and people having fun make for better pictures.  Rest assured, your guests will keep their photos to remind them how much fun they had at your event.

Props also can make the booth photos more topical.  A holiday party can use mistletoe, elf hats, candy canes, giant snowflake cut-outs.  For birthday parties, add a crown and scepter, pointy party hats, noisemakers.  Wedding photo booths are more fun with a bouquet, veil, top hat.  You get the idea.  Just about any event or theme can be reinforced and played out with the photo booth props.

But you don’t need a theme to have fun with photo booth props.  Any type of party can have more photo booth fun with empty picture frames, goofy hats and glasses, and of course the aforementioned feather boas.  

When you’re hosting the photo booth but you’re out of creative ideas or you just don’t want to bother with the props, allow us to provide them for you.  For a small additional charge, we include a prop tree with your photo booth booking.  All you have to do is stand and smile!

Background Briefing for Photo Booths and Onsite Prints

November 18th, 2010 by Beth Baynum | Share Blog

When 5th Avenue Digital provides photos printed onsite, whether via green screen photography or our photo booth, clients often ask if the background matters.  The short answer is YES!  Backgrounds can make a huge difference in how your photos look and (especially for corporate or sponsored events) what message your photos convey.

Consider photos printed onsite as an extension of your marketing efforts.  Branding for your prints is as important as branding for the other elements of your event.  Making the logo or branding message work seamlessly with your photo background is important, and we’re always happy to provide our insight and knowledge on how to best accomplish this.

If you want to convey new – fresh – fashion-forward as your event’s marketing message, we recommend incorporating bright, vivid colors into your background.  This was the impression Lord & Taylor wanted to create with the splashy launch event for their renovated flagship store on Fifth Avenue.  They brought in our YouBooth photo booth to entertain the crowd and reinforce their marketing message, and here’s the background they created:

What an impact these intense colors have on the photos!   And the logo placement is worth noting, because it connects the store’s brand with the photos’ bright, fashion-oriented style.

If course, there’s always the tried-and-true event marketing tactic of step-and-repeat photos, using a printed banner emblazoned with logos.  Step-and-repeat photography is used so much because it effectively and (somewhat) subtly communicates a sponsor message.  However, the design of the step-and-repeat background can reinforce or detract from your message, depending on how it’s done.  The most effective step-and-repeat backgrounds limit the number of logos and the colors to one or two, like these:

When the party portraits are converting to black and white photos, a plain white or soft color background is often best, or a background with a simple black and white pattern, because colors can look muddy when converted to black and white.  Sometimes, a simple architectural element in a space, such as a brick wall, works well for black and white prints.

When you want to glam it up, a glittery background adds some drama to your prints.  Add a few feather boas and other props to give the background added impact.  They work together to create a real party feel for your onsite prints.

Another option is to use a large printed image as a background, as shown in the examples below for Northface outerwear and Disney.   The only caution here is that you have to be careful about lighting, to avoid glare against the glossy finish of the printed background.  That’s why you have to rely on the experts (us!) to avoid these pitfalls.

Finally, no review of background options would be complete without mentioning the ultimate in background selection: green screen photography.  A green screen allows you to insert any background you want, so the choices are almost endless.  Whatever the focus or theme of your event, we can create a background that supports and reinforces it.

Bring the Branding Home with a Branded Photograph

November 10th, 2010 by Elizabeth Beskin | Share Blog

When you (or your client) are sponsoring an event, you want to come up with as many ways as possible to connect your logo and marketing message to the event.  Signage is the first and most common tactic that brands the event as yours.  The problem is, in these times of marketing over-saturation, a sign rarely breaks through the visual clutter.  Most signage is barely noticed, and if it is, it’s forgotten a second later.  What’s the point in spending hundreds of event budget dollars on a branding message that has no impact?
A more effective use of those hard-won event budget allocations is to put those dollars toward something people will notice and remember.  Better to invest in branding efforts that really make an impact, putting your name and logo in front of your target audience and driving your event message home.  And that’s exactly what you get with YouBooth, our new digital photo booth.

Unlike other digital photo booths, YouBooth comes with all the workings inside.  Its sleek, aesthetic design allows it to be seamlessly integrated into any event décor.  With our digital photo booth, your event guests have a blast taking fun photos of themselves, which we brand with your company name, logo or message.   The YouBooth photo booth is an entertainment element as well as a marketing tool.

The photos print in seconds, giving each guest at least one fun picture to take home after the event.   And when they take their photos home, they’re taking your branding home as well.   In most cases, that photo from our digital photo booth will be placed in the frame of a mirror or stuck on the refrigerator for weeks or even months.  Your branding message will be seen again and again, by the recipient — and probably his friends and family too.

Multiply that one recipient by dozens … and those impressions by dozens more … now that’s IMPACT!