How to Make a Photo Booth More Fun – From High Tech to No Tech

January 24th, 2012 by Beth Baynum | Share Blog

This past year saw a lot of action our YouBooth photo booth.  And we’ve learned a lot from these events!  We love distilling what these experiences have taught us and bringing new ideas to our clients.  Some ideas are pretty high tech and probably require a technician (like us!), but others are easy and anyone can do them.

Our latest and best innovation for the YouBooth photo booth is our Social Media Portal.  We’ve created a way that seamlessly allows everyone to email their YouBooth photos to anyone else, and to upload them to Facebook and Twitter.  People LOVE this feature!  The Social Media Portal makes sharing photos really easy and it extends the brand awareness for any corporate event.

The Social Media Portal requires a Wifi connection and our equipment.  The portals attach to almost any table or counter – the more portals you have, the better!  Easy image sharing guarantees your event will be remembered.

Another technical addition for the YouBooth is projecting the images onto large screens in the room.  People love to see their photos blown up on the wall – for most of them this is as close as they’ll come to being in the movies!

We’ve incorporated some fun No Tech ideas into our YouBooth events as well.  Props, of course, are always a hit.  We used holiday-themed props again this year and they were more popular than ever.

We’ve also included dry erase boards and large markers, allowing people to create their own fun signs.  The quick signs encourage creativity and yield some truly funny (and memorable) photos.  It’s fun to use a question-answer format, with a question printed on the photo above the shot, and the answer written on the board.

 

And remember, the photo booth backdrop can make a world of difference.  Some corporate clients use a standard step-and-repeat banner, but others (like Nintendo) take it a step further and use fantastic product artwork.  Of course, flowers always have great affect, softening the overall effect and adding shots of color. 

A Look Back on 2011: Lessons Learned From the Trenches

January 18th, 2012 by Elizabeth Beskin | Share Blog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The overall morale in 2011 was higher than it has been for the past three years.  There was hopefulness in the air.  Here at 5^th Avenue Digital, we saw:

•    Companies having summer outings and holiday parties for the first time in years.

•      Advertisers spending marketing dollars on events with consumer interaction and (thankfully) photo capture, for   mementos or social media benefit.

•     The return of corporate incentive trips and large company celebrations.

•      Companies putting money back into their image and deciding to update their employee’s headshots.

•      Business surging once again for the venues and planners we work with.

It seems like everyone is starting to see the economic woes dissipate. The many jobs we were lucky enough to be part of this past year indicate we are on our way, after two years of corporate celebrations being relegated to the back burner.

I’ve worked hard to assemble a team of super-talented photographers, who have captured not only incredible corporate images this year but have also taken our 5^th Avenue Social division to new heights.  We have partnered with a dynamic group of planners and venues and are very excited to share our new portfolios that feature images from their clients’ events.  I am already anticipating the new images we’ll be seeing in the coming months.

 

One of my proudest accomplishments in 2011 is the newest model of the YouBooth photo booth.  The collaborations with our clients have allowed us to introduce the newest technology crazes to their events.  The YouBooth has a new exterior design, plus the most exciting new feature: a social media application that allows guests to upload their photos directly to Twitter, Facebook or email.

This year the YouBooth was proudly used at pop-up store events, holiday parties, mitzvahs, weddings – any occasion where fun was required.  What we love the most is finding creative solutions that maximize each client’s use of the booth.  I owe a special shout-out to my producer, Rylan Crooks, for always finding ways to execute our clients’ unending ideas of how they envision using the YouBooth.

Building a strong business in this economic time is certainly a challenge.  We have watched many of our partners in event planning scale down the past few years, and it’s so comforting to watch them scale back up.  We are very grateful for their trust in us and we treasure these partnerships.

I am also very grateful to my 5^th Avenue Digital team: the amazing group inside the office, Beth, Rylan and Tim, and the photographers, videographers and designers that make our clients their number one priority.  Teamwork and partnerships have been the overall theme in 2011.  Knowing that you have the right people in the ship makes being the captain a joy.  I am grateful every day that I get to work with the team I have, and I would not have been able to double our business this year if it hadn’t been for them.  There have been some rough waters in terms of owning a photography business over the past three years, but it looks like smoother sailing ahead.

Thank you all who have contributed to an amazing 2011.  We will be sharing some of our favorite photographic moments in galleries over the next few weeks.  Here are a few more of my favorites.

The Fun (and Art) of Marketing YouBooth photobooth at Trade Shows

October 26th, 2011 by Elizabeth Beskin | Share Blog

Having been in the event industry for over 20 years, naturally I’ve become adept at working trade shows and other industry events.  I like them because they offer opportunities to mingle with some of the movers and shakers in both the social and corporate events industry.  This week was one of the most fulfilling for my little networking self.

The YouBooth photobooth was a huge hit at The Knot gala, the first event I attended in my marathon week of networking events.  We brought in our YouBooth “photobooth” to give everyone there a chance to see it in action.  Carley and her dynamo team at The Knot were lovely to work with and many industry friends stopped by to check out the photobooth. Read the rest of this entry »

The Photobooth: A New Event and Party Phenomenon

August 22nd, 2011 by Beth Baynum | Share Blog

We’re seeing more and more interest in our photobooth – it’s the favorite new thing for corporate and social parties alike. But some folks still aren’t sure of what a photobooth is and how it works.

What’s a Photobooth?

It’s a self-contained, attractive unit that allows you to take your own photos. They print right in front of you in just seconds. It’s the easiest, most memorable party favor around!

How Does a Photobooth Work?

All the magic is in the unit. All you have to do is book the photobooth and smile. Unlike other photobooths, YouBooth photo booth, is free-standing. No squeezing into a tiny booth  Plus, we bring the YouBooth, photobooth to your event, set it up, stay with it to assist, and take it away at the end. You get unlimited, full-size 4×6″ prints (not little strips) – and lots of compliments.

Why has the Photobooth gained popularity again?

Digital photography lends itself to many instant photography options. This together with the fact that the DIY generation loves anything that can be done themselves, makes the new round of photobooth perfect for the new generation of users.

What are the photobooth options?

The best part of the YouBooth Photobooth is the ability to customize the experience for your brand or social event.  Photos can be printed with a custom border, a logo or the guest of honor’s name and the event date.  The backdrop can be customized in numerous ways: with streamers, fabric, a printed background, or a beautiful element in the room, such a painting or decorative wall.  You can even use green screen technology, which will create a photo background that represents any place you want.  Tell us what you want to create, and we can probably find a way to do it.

How the Right Props Maximize Photo Booth Fun

July 15th, 2011 by Beth Baynum | Share Blog

We’ve noted in previous blogs that props add lots of fun to the photo booth experience.  Adding props translates to more dynamic, compelling pictures.  But nothing drives that point home better than photographic evidence! Read the rest of this entry »

5th Avenue Digital Introduces a Newer, Sleeker YouBooth, Photo Booth

June 13th, 2011 by Beth Baynum | Share Blog

One of our company tenets is to stay ahead of the curve and look for new ways to innovate and improve.  Even when we do something well, we look for ways to make it better.

That’s why, despite the strong reception our YouBooth has gotten in the past year, we looked for ways to make it even more attractive and fun to use.  I’m using the royal “we” here but actually it’s all the work of our exceptional Producer and resident Genius, Rylan Crooks.  Even though the booth he invented has been a huge success,  he envisioned some tweaks that could make it even better.

So improve it, he did!  Thus is born our new, even more beautiful YouBooth.

The new YouBooth is translucent white, so it blends with any décor, and can easily be branded with a logo or customized images.  It’s smaller and lighter.  The photos print even faster, and can of course be branded as well.  Another innovation is a count-down monitor that alerts people when the photo will be snapped.  Very cool!

If you haven’t tried the 5th Avenue Digital YouBooth before, now’s the time to find out how much fun it adds to any event!

Recent Events Using You Booth, Photo Booth Read the rest of this entry »

Nikon Uses YouBooth to Thank Their Customers

March 28th, 2011 by Beth Baynum | Share Blog

Just about every company (perhaps with the exception of the healthcare industry, but that’s another story!) says they appreciate their customers.  Most of this “appreciation” is really just advertising and lip service.  Few companies put any tangible effort into expressing their appreciation.

Nikon is a notable exception.  They put on a big bash in Arena, a renowned New York City nightclub, to not just tell, but show their customers how much they’re appreciated.

Smart marketers that they are, in addition to the huge party, everyone there got photos to take home.  And they did this with 5th Avenue Digital’s YouBooth photo booth.  Anyone at the party could stop by the booth and snap a photo of themselves – and just about everyone did!  Of course, the photos were branded with Nikon’s logo, further extending the connection of Nikon with Fun Party.

To maximize the photo booth fun, the YouBooth photos were projected onto a giant wall in the club in real time.  Everyone was able to see the photos as they were printed, which encouraged more people to participate and allowed everyone to share the laughs. Read the rest of this entry »

Tickled Pink Again This Year

March 10th, 2011 by Elizabeth Beskin | Share Blog

Every year we are pleased to be a part of the Tickled Pink fundraiser, which is organized and chaired by teens in their fight against breast cancer.  The event has grown significantly since our first involvement three years ago.  It was started by a dear friend and past client Iris Dankner, with her daughter Niki, after Iris survived her ordeal with the disease.

Together, Iris and Niki created a unique opportunity for teens to learn about fundraising in general, while also supporting a cause they believe in.  The gala evening that Niki and the teens produce helps build awareness and celebrates life.  As the event has progressed over the years, it is now being overseen by The Susan G. Koman Center for a Cure, with the Dankners’ ongoing assistance and support.   Read the rest of this entry »

A Reflection on the State of Event Photography

January 3rd, 2011 by Elizabeth Beskin | Share Blog

If you’re like me, ripping off that last page of the calendar is a time of reflection, an opportunity to take stock of your business and in some cases, the people in your life.  When I look back on this year I am truly grateful for the people I get to work with on a daily basis and to those who have trusted our company with preserving the memories of their special events.

We continue to pursue our goal to create a company that provides a quality product with exceptionally responsive service.  The wonderful news is that our planners and clients who work with us are recognizing the value we offer them, and our company continues to thrive in an environment where most photography businesses falter under the weight of intense competition and shifting consumer needs.

Our YouBooth photo booth has proven to be the most successful product we created this year.  It stands out from the other free standing photo booths because it does it all: high quality prints that pop out in seconds, simultaneous transmission to A/V screens and the ability to customize back drops and branding on the prints. Read the rest of this entry »

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!