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. 

Last month, a communications and media agency called AKA featured our YouBooth photo booth at their summer company party.  And WOW, do they know how to have fun!
Their selection of props was truly inspired.  With some thought and creativity, their props they took the YouBooth photos to a new dimension.

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Take a look at the web gallery on this link and you’ll see a life-size cardboard cut-out of Kate and Wills, a child’s inflated pool float, barbeque tools, straw hats, a boa, picture frames (we provided those!), balloons, plastic boats, and – perhaps the key to it all – Jello shots!

These photos are so much fun to look at, and it’s mostly because the props bring out the playfulness in everyone.  (Though some might argue the Jello shots had something to do with it!)  Kudos to AKA for showing us how to do it right!

]]> http://www.5thavenuedigital.com/photography-blog/index.php/corporate-events/photobooth/how-the-right-props-maximize-photo-booth-fun/feed/ 0 http://www.5thavenuedigital.com/photography-blog/index.php/corporate-events/photobooth/5th-avenue-digital-introduces-a-newer-sleeker-youbooth-photo-booth/ http://www.5thavenuedigital.com/photography-blog/index.php/corporate-events/photobooth/5th-avenue-digital-introduces-a-newer-sleeker-youbooth-photo-booth/#comments Mon, 13 Jun 2011 18:37:12 +0000 Beth Baynum http://www.5thavenuedigital.com/photography-blog/?p=1106 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

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.  

This year, we brought our YouBooth photo booth to the event held at Marquee, the noted nightspot at 289 Tenth Avenue.  We encouraged all the teens to put on a pink boa for the cause.  Music was provided by the fabulous DJ Kiss! The event was emceed again this year by television host and chairman of Deutsch Inc. Donny Deutsch and LX New York co-host Sara Gore.”

In addition to the YouBooth, the guests were entertained by a Diane von Furstenberg fashion show of professional models, who walked the runway along with survivor moms and their children.  This is always a high point of the event.
To view and download your photos from the YouBooth, click on this link :  Tickled Pink

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!

Over 10 years ago, while still a part of SMP, 5th Avenue Digital started by doing corporate photography, and we continued to focus on this segment after the split.  However, we soon realized we’d need to expand beyond this rather narrow market.  The companies officially separated shortly before the start of the economic meltdown.  Subsequently, the corporate work (particularly with our larger clients, Lehman Brothers and AIG) dwindled drastically.  We knew then that we’d need to regroup, find ways to reach new market segments and develop new offerings, if we were going to survive.

While the market has yet to truly rebound, we’ve been able to stay in business because we looked beyond our initial scope.  We now provide top-notch photographers for weddings, mitzvahs and other social events, offering a flexible range of talent, rates and services.  By offering these services at hourly rates, we differentiate ourselves from our competitors, and we’re meeting the demands of today’s consumers, who want tailored services to match their specific needs.  check out our  website for our social photography business.

We’ve also developed new products for our corporate and social clients, most notably YouBooth, our streamlined, modern version of the photo booth.  Most of our clients (especially event planners) prefer to keep things simple, working with as few vendors as possible.  By providing another service they may previously have sourced elsewhere, we’re able to be more of a one-stop-shop for all our clients’ photographic needs.

As any shrewd business person knows, thriving in this sluggish economy takes more than talent and drive.  Being a successful business owner also requires the ability to analyze and respond to the ever-changing dynamics of today’s marketplace.  And we don’t do it alone.  With help from my industry colleagues, family and friends, we plan to push forward and make the next two years even better than the first two.

Thank you, Howard Givner for the ispiration for this post on your thought provoking blog,  and thank you to all the industry professionals that have supported our growth and trusted us with your clients!  Lastly to my incredible team in the office and the photographers that work with us:  Thank you for working as hard as you do to see this business thrive!

What steps have you taken to survive in today’s economy?  I’d love to hear your stories so we can all share in each other’s successes, and we can all help each other thrive.

The second surprise and real delight was seeing our YouBooth in action.  We tested our new photo booth extensively during its development, so I’ve seen what it can do.  We’ve already contracted YouBooth for a number of events, and I’ve seen the photos and videos from those events.  But that’s nothing like witnessing for myself how people interact with YouBooth!  Seeing YouBooth at an actual event really opened my eyes to its entertainment value.

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We’ve incorporated a prop kit into our YouBooth bookings, and it makes all the difference because it allows people to do more then just stand there.  The props bring out a sense of play and silliness that makes for more fun, engaging shots.  At this event we had empty frames in various sizes, and paper lips and mustaches on sticks for people to play with.  And did they ever!

I didn’t realize, until I saw it myself, how positively people react to the modern photo booth.  It truly is a fun form of interactive entertainment for almost any type of event.  Plus, event guests leave with at least one photo of themselves (though they usually get several photos, including shots with friends), so YouBooth serves as a vehicle for party gifts.  On top of that, the customized photo template allows for branding for corporate events, or commemoration for weddings, Mitzvahs or other social occasions.  Extending the fun even further, the party host receives a downloadable link after the event, so all the photos can be shared online.

We’ve been told YouBooth was the hit of La Venue’s event.  After watching people line up for their chance to shoot – the line for the booth was longer than for the bar! – and seeing the resulting photos, I can sincerely say everyone had a blast.  Their laughter and enjoyment were abundantly real – and infectious.  It shows in the pictures: see for yourself with the entire link!

When they heard about YouBooth, they knew it was perfect for the gala.  The event was held at Steiner Studios in Brooklyn, on the third and fourth floors with to-die-for views of the city skyline.  They wanted a YouBooth unit on each floor, to give everyone an opportunity to get in on the photo fun.

5th Avenue Digital worked hand-in-hand with the event team to create a seamless production of picture-taking, photo printing and image projection.  The ball started with cocktails, where guests had the first opportunity to take their own portraits with YouBooth.  Their portraits were printed almost instantly, ejecting from the side of the booth, and branded with the hospital’s logo.

The elegant sit-down dinner was served on another floor, where a second YouBooth was positioned.  After the speakers, award presentations and dinner, the dancing resumed and so did the photos.  These photos were almost instantly projected onto large screens strategically located throughout the space.  Within moments after guests took their own photos, using YouBooth’s floor pedal, the shots were shown larger-than-life on the screens.  To augment the evening’s message, the projected images also were branded with the hospital’s logo.

By now everyone was in on the fun, enjoying seeing friends’ faces smiling down from the screens, and snapping their own portraits that they could take home with them.  5th Avenue Digital’s YouBooth turned out to be the perfect answer to our client’s needs, yielding them a satisfied client, whose message was carried home in the hands of all their happy guests.