Here are some of our photo booth success stories from the month of September!
Another month has gone by and we couldn’t be happier with all of the progress that we have been seeing with all of the PBI Family members. As you know, our exclusive Facebook community has been popping from all of the activity that you guys have been up to. We would like to highlight some of our favorite stories and photo booth success we noticed this month!
Our Top Contributor This Month in the Facebook Group
Congrats To Zoraida C Alvarez For The Top #PBIfamily Contributor Of The Month Of September. Who Will Win This Month?
Zoraida is new to the PBI Family but she is doing well already with her business, Pics and Tales Photo Booth. She is continuously gracing us with great news about her business inspiring new and old members alike. We are happy to see her utilizing the group for help in her own business, and giving help to others. We are happy to have you in our family, and wish you even more success with your photo booth business!
Oh Snap, All Snap is Here! Congrats Guys on Your New Branding.
First Gigs with their New PBI Photo Booth Equipment
Thanks for sharing your first gigs guys! We know that the first few gigs are a really exciting milestone. It proves to us that this concept can really work. Keep working hard and you can grow your business to be as big as you want.
Kristel and Michael Rogers had a great first gig this September. Congrats guys!
Tharaneka Sparrow was also kind enough to share their first event with us as well! We look forward to seeing the rest of your success to come!
Winner of Our Media Kit Prize Raffle!
EddyGee won our Media Kit Prize from our raffle. Enjoy!
Make sure you sign up for all of our contests so you can be our next winner. Find out about them in our Secret PBI Family Photo Booth Success Facebook Group!
September Big Wins
#PBIFAMILY
We like to acknowledge people when we see them making strides or having particularly big wins. This month have have two.
First we saw Alejandra Charles head out for a 3 event night. He was running 2 weddings and 1 quinceñera. That truck looks packed.
The other good thing we saw was that Brian Burns did $6100 worth of business.
We wish you all even greater success this month as you keep developing and growing your businesses!
What Is A 360 Photo Booth?
BlogWhy the 360 Photo Booth May Not Be a Good Starter Photo Booth
BlogStarting a photo booth business is one of the hottest business ideas for freelancers and independent contractors that want to make extra money in their spare time. For professional photographers and those that work weddings and other events, it’s a great way to increase your revenue while offering a simple add on product. All it takes is a portable photo booth to start your own photo booth business, and most photo booths sold today are hardly as difficult to transport and set up as photo booths in years past.
If you’re wondering how to start a photo booth business, you’ll need a modern photo booth, reliable transportation to and from your events and clients that have an interest in this hot new offering. Even if you already have an existing business, such as a restaurant, bar, club or event hall, buying a photo booth machine is a great business opportunity, and you’ll get a passive form of income that you can add to the books at the end of each day.
But if you’ve considered starting a photo booth business you’ve likely come across information online about newer and trendy 360 photo booths. They’re immensely popular and are able to shoot a unique 360 view that is generated via a platform with an arm attached that swivels around the subjects. If you’ve always wanted to capture that intriguing 360 view, a 360 photo booth is the only way to do that.
Manual and Powered 360 Photo Booths
One type of 360 photo booth is powered. It comes with everything you need to take 360 video, complete with a platform, rotating arm and a motor that powers it all — just supply the user’s phone. However, they also tend to be significantly more expensive to own, as well as more complicated to run and maintain.
There’s also a manual form of the 360 photo booth, which features the same kind of platform and rotating arm, but without the costly motor, complicated electronics and wires and cords that need to be taped down and tucked away out of sight. That can make it ideal for events where the alcohol is flowing or children are present.
Once set up, a manual 360 photo booth works just like a powered one except that the arm must be swung around to take the shot. But, compared to a powered 360 photo booth, that’s actually a benefit because that means you can monitor the shot in action, especially if the person(s) standing on the platform have their feet or anything else over the edge, and that can help prevent accidents and damage to the photo booth.
Why a 360 Photo Booth May Not Be a Great Idea
Long-time portable photo booth business operators will tell you that you’re basically guaranteed to have operating issues with a 360 photo booth, and each time that arm and motor comes into contact with a foot or other obstacle, it’ll damage that expensive motor, raising your maintenance costs and eventually forcing you to pony up for a new motor to power your 360 photo booth. It doesn’t even take that long to break a motor — some 360 photo booths may only make it through two or three events before the motor gives out completely, and that can mean money down the drain.
Another issue with 360 photo booths is that despite warning signs and other precautions, people won’t necessarily act accordingly once you get your photo booth set up. Suffice it to say that people running on and off of the platform, even while the arm is swinging, is a common sight at events, and that can mean an accident or some kind of safety issue. Beyond the worry of someone getting injured, it’s also possible that you or your portable photo booth business will be held responsible.
For those that are interested in how to start a photo booth business, it’s actually a better idea to go with a traditional photo booth that is just as portable, just as intriguing to event-goers and just as lucrative from a revenue perspective. Avoid any issues with maintenance or some kind of accident with a traditional photo booth while also starting your portable photo booth business out right.
In fact, a 360 photo booth is no way to start a photo booth business at all. That’s because it’s more of an add-on than a foundational staple, and that means you’ll already have to own a collection or at least one traditional photo booth before you can offer what a 360 photo booth does. It won’t replace the need for standard photo booths, and that makes it more of something that you can use to augment your existing photo booth business, not a stand-in for an entire photo booth business.
If you do decide to add a 360 photo booth to your business, it’s a good idea to have everything dialed in, such as insurance, a stable of photo booths and processes that can help you get the most out of each event. If you’re lacking all that or you’re new to photo booths as a business opportunity, you may want to hold off on that purchase of a 360 photo booth until you know your precise need and how you’ll be able to insulate your business from legal issues and other challenges.
Some portable photo booth business owners report having success in setting up stanchions or other physical barriers to prevent guests or patrons from getting to close to the swivel motion of a 360 photo booth, but you’ll have to determine what works for you and your needs at each event.
What To Get Instead of a 360 Photo Booth
If you still have your heart set on a 360 photo booth, know that it’s difficult to start a photo booth business with one. Not only will you’ll likely need to pick up other photo booths to complete your offering, especially if you want to meet the expectations of your clients and their events, but a 360 photo booth may also open you up to legal liability and other issues that you’re not ready for.
Instead of a 360 photo booth, which is admittedly more of a fad than a proven business model, a traditional photo booth will still allow you to make money and spin up that side business while you’re planning your next money move. Better yet, if you add a 360 photo booth to your stable of photo booths, you’ll have more opportunities to provide interesting experiences to your clients, and that will mean more business and revenue over the long haul.
If you’re interested in getting started with a photo booth business, contact the photo booth experts at Photo Booth International. We’ve been there and done it all, and now we help entrepreneurs like you start their own photo booth businesses with all the tools and support that they need. We even provide financing to help make that next purchase possible.
8 Reasons to Buy a Photo Booth as a Wedding Photographer
BlogWedding photographers already have a lot on their plate when it comes to capturing those beautiful moments while staying out of the way. After all, you’re being paid to work, and part of it is being efficient with your time while also generating the photographs that will help make that wedding a success when the bride and groom look back on it all.
But did you know that you could be making more money while offering a unique service that’s plug-and-play for your wedding photography business? All it takes is a photo booth for your next wedding and you’ll be able to charge more and give your clients another great way to ring in their union. In fact, many couples and wedding planners are starting to add photo booths to their wedding requests, but if they know that you offer it, too, that could give you a leg up on your competitors and give you an edge in the tough wedding photographer market.
Here are some more reasons why you should consider adding a photo booth for your wedding photography business.
More Entertainment for Guests
A photo booth for your next wedding is an excellent way to provide additional entertainment to guests that may not want to opt in to dancing or some of the other festivities. It’s also another way that guests can express themselves, and that can mean more memorable moments captured in the photo booth that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. Especially if you have defined photo blocks or times that you’re shooting, a photo booth can help fill in gaps before or after things get started.
It’s the Perfect Wedding Favor
Compared to typical wedding favors, wedding photo booths provide the perfect blend of personalization and intrigue for guests as they capture interesting moments inside the photo booth. Aside from providing prints on the spot, photos can also be customized with additional graphics and other options both during and after the event. Forget about wedding favors that will quickly be thrown away after the big day — a photo booth is one of those great ideas for a wedding that’s often a big hit!
Props Make It Easy
Sure, you might be hard-pressed to throw two or more people in front of a camera and end up with something memorable and interesting, but with a handful of props and signs, that photo booth for your next wedding will undoubtedly encourage participation. Props allow people to express themselves and find a reason for a photo even if they’re apprehensive, and that means more opportunities if you have a few convenient props laying out. Be adventurous! Masks, glasses, wigs, hats and other props can turn any photo opportunity into a revenue stream at your next wedding.
Create Interesting Moments
Some people freeze when they’re confronted with a photographer and the chance to be immortalized forever in a wedding album. But a photo booth for your next wedding will give even the photo-averse a chance to capture their own interesting photo. With a photo booth and props, guests can be themselves and shoot for that perfect photo — or try again if it doesn’t work out. Since a photo booth is more private than the dance floor or out among all the guests, you might just find more interesting photos to include in that final package for the bride and groom.
Encourage Sharing and Tagging
We all know that most photos today end up on social media where they’re tagged and shared. With a photo booth for your next wedding, you’ll be helping guests create more memorable moments with photos that they can tag and share online. Whether you have an email signup for digital delivery or guests are simply taking snaps of the printouts, a photo booth can help promote your business online. And when others see how much fun your booth is, you’ll get calls for that next gig in no time at all.
Augment Your Photography
Any wedding photographer knows that there’s only so much that you can do at a gig. And unless you want to hire a support team to help capture more photos, which comes with considerable costs that could price you out of your existing market, one of the best ways to extend that income is to offer additional services like a photo booth for your next wedding. Once set up, it’ll take pictures and help make you more money while you have the freedom to go off and do what you do best. At the end of the wedding, you’ll have not only the photos you took, but also all the fun photos that were taken by guests in the photo booth.
Doubles as a Guestbook
One of the great things about a photo booth for your next wedding is that it also doubles as a guestbook. Instead of having guests sign in with a simple ledger, a photo booth can help provide context to the day’s festivities, and each image can be quickly printed out and signed for a more memorable guestbook for the bride and groom. After the wedding, you can also send a book of photos to other guests that request it, which can help provide you an additional revenue stream.
They’re Fun!
But the best reason of all to get a photo booth for your next wedding is that they’re fun. If all else fails and the DJ’s playing the wrong song or the booked entertainment isn’t working out, a photo booth will always be a hit. Who doesn’t like taking pictures in a photo booth? Besides, most people are so used to taking and looking at photos on their phone that a photo booth is something truly novel and interesting. And once guests get behind the lens and screen of a photo booth, you’ll start to see unique expressions that you won’t be able to capture in any other way as a wedding photographer.
Expand Your Business
As you can see, a photo booth is ideal for wedding photographers that want to expand their business. They’re also an easy way to make more money and bring more to your offering as a wedding photographer without taking money out of your pocket like with hiring an additional photographer. In fact, you’ll likely pay for your photo booth with just one gig, and that means turning an even bigger profit for each successive gig.
Learn more about your photo booth options with Photo Booth Int. With the Astro, the Cloee and other excellent photo booths, you can up your wedding photographer game overnight.
Are Spinning Photo Booths Safe?
BlogThere’s no doubt that spinning photo booths are a great hit with guests, but are they also safe? We take a look at the best options for spinning photo booths and weigh up the safety risks involved with them.
What Is a Spinning Photo Booth?
A spinning photo booth is a perfect way to give guests a 360-degree video of their event.
Guests stand on a circular podium and a camera attached to a long arm rotates around the podium, taking a 360-degree video.
This is becoming a popular attraction at many events because it offers something different. Rather than a regular front-facing photo, it allows you to get a more complete picture and remember the day from every angle.
Spinning photo booths, also known as rotating photo booths and 360 photo booths come with both manual and automatic options.
While we’re all drawn to technology, and the automatic option might sound more exciting, there are some important benefits and drawbacks to consider between the different options. If you run a photo booth rental business, you want to make sure you’re investing your money wisely, so we’ve broken down the differences for you.
Manual vs Automatic Spinning Photo Booths
The difference between the two photo booths is simple, but it does make a big difference.
An automatic spinning photo booth uses a motor to spin the camera around the axis, allowing it to be controlled remotely. With the manual booth, you simply push it and the energy spins it around.
This makes automatic spinning photo booths more complicated. There’s more to go wrong mechanically, and you’ve also got all the wires and cables associated with automation.
The question for photo booth businesses is “do the benefits of automation outweigh the extra hassle this brings?”
The nice thing about manual spinning photo booths is that there’s very little to go wrong. It’s a simple design that’s easy to set up, has few elements, and folds away neatly at the end of the day.
It’s also very safe, and this is a big box you need to tick when renting out equipment like a photo booth.
How Safe Are Spinning Photo Booths?
Risk is a part of doing business – that’s why we have insurance. Even the most simple photo booth has some element of risk associated with it, but as business owners, we look to limit that risk as much as possible.
With a camera spinning around a pendulum quite quickly, there are a few safety concerns you need to consider. In this regard, manual spinning photo booths are a much safer option than automatic ones, and this is something would-be buyers should consider.
Photo booths are normally placed in quite hectic environments. There’s a lot going on at big parties and events, which means there’s a lot to think about from a safety perspective.
Wires and Chords
A manual spinning photo booth is low-tech. You simply attach a phone to the mount on the arm, and it records. There are no wires or cords, so there’s no plugging in, and no need to find outlets and run wires across a big event hall.
When you’re working at a busy event this is a huge bonus.
Where there are wires, there are trips hazards, and when you’re at a party where alcohol is being served, that’s exactly what you don’t want.
Of course, when you have an automatic spinning booth, you’ll make sure everything is safe and secure but with a manual spinning photo booth, there’s no need for these extra steps, and there’s less to go wrong.
People Jumping Off the Podium
Whatever rules you set, not everyone is going to follow them.
When you’ve got a camera spinning around a podium, an obvious rule is that people shouldn’t jump off while the arm is moving. However, you’re going to be working with young children, and often drunk adults who don’t always follow the rules.
You’ve got to think about the safety of both the people who use the booth and the toll it takes on your equipment.
A manual rotating photo booth is both sturdy and forgiving. Because there’s no motor powering it, it’s going to naturally decelerate, rather than have the motor continue to power it through contact. This makes it slightly more forgiving, and it also puts less pressure on the equipment.
The more times your automatic photo booth gets stopped by someone jumping off, the more it’s going to put a strain on the motor.
Feet Catching the Arm
From time to time, people’s feet are going to the edge of the podium and catch the arm – it’s easily done.
This shouldn’t be a safety concern for either the manual or automatic spinning photo booths as it will be a very light contact. However, for the automatic spinning photo booth, it is going to put extra strain on the motor.
People’s feet will inevitably catch the arm on many occasions throughout a rental, and this is going to add to the wear and tear your machine suffers.
Less to Go Wrong
Ultimately, when it comes to safety, you want as few things that can go wrong as possible.
With a raised podium, there’s always going to be the chance of someone falling off, but that’s part and parcel of the product. Beyond this, the best way to limit safety risks is with manual spinning photo booths.
In the types of environments photo booths are commonly used, the automatic spinning photo booth tends not to offer enough benefits to overcome the added risks. You want something that’s simple to operate, needs little maintenance, and still offers maximum fun, and the manual spinning photo booth ticks all these boxes.
Purchasing a Spinning Photo Booth
Spinning photo booths can be a great investment for your business. They offer something slightly different and the guests love them!
At Photo Booth International, we understand your needs because we started out in rentals. We know what it’s like to have to weigh up technology versus safety risks, so we want to help you make the best decisions by sharing our expertise.
When it comes to safety, we find spinning photo booths are safe, but the best option tends to be the manual versions. Make the most of these great photo booths and get a quote now!