An Explanation of the Different Types of Photo Booths

Photo booths have become one of the hottest trends; in fact, they’re so popular that it’s safe to say that they are much more than a trend, but rather, they’re here to stay! From weddings to graduations, from proms to anniversaries, from reunions to corporate events; photo booths have become a staple at all types of events, festivals, and gatherings. They’re fun and interactive, and they serve as a great memento, as the images are available almost instantly. 

If the image of a boxy, cramped booth tucked into the corner of a shopping mall, movie theater, or arcade comes to mind when you hear the term “photo booth”, you’re in for a real surprise. Photo booths have really evolved. There are so many different types available today that it’s really quite amazing. Whether you’d like to feature a photo booth at an upcoming event or you’re an entrepreneur who is looking for a new business venture and you’d like to cash-in on the photo booth craze, you might be wondering what types of photo booths are available these days. 

Read on for an introduction and overview to some of the modern-day photo booths. 

Open-Air Photo Booths

One of the most popular types of photo booths available today is the open-air photo booth. As the name suggests, they aren’t really booths, per say, but rather, they are completely open to the event space and feature a backdrop that picture takers have their photos snapped in front of. One of the key benefits of the open-air photo booth is the space they afford. Since there aren’t any walls, large groups can gather together and position themselves in various poses with minimal limitations. For business owners, the key benefit of an open-air photo booth is that the set-up and take-down process is quick and easy. Additionally, you’ll have much more control over the setup and you can customize the backdrops and props according to the preferences of your clients and their guests. If you’re looking to get into this industry and you’d like an easily accessible, portable photo booth, the open-air style is a great choice. 

Mirror Photo Booths

As the name implies, mirror photo booths resemble full-length mirrors. The advantage of this design is that groups and individuals can easily see what their poses look like before they have their images snapped. Mirror photo booths are a great choice for formal events, such as proms, parties, and grand openings where guests would be dressed-to-impress and want to take photos that are worthy of sharing on social media. 

Mirror photo booths operate just like any other type of photo booth; the main difference being that they feature a mirrored screen, which adds a more formal, sophisticated look. The mirror is a smart mirror, and guests can simply tap on the screen to customize their backgrounds, and incorporate emojis, stickers, and hashtags into their images. 

If you’re a business owner who is looking to start-up a photo booth business, while mirror photo booths do offer distinct advantages, one of the downsides is that they are heavy and bulky, which makes transporting them cumbersome. As such, the set-up and take-down can be more challenging than it would be with other photo booths. 

360 Picture Booths

360 selfie booths, as they are commonly called, are relatively new to the scene, and they are becoming increasingly popular. This type of photo booth is equipped with an array of cameras, which are set up in a circle (or they can be set up in a semi-circle fashion to capture a 18-degree effect) and captures images with all of the cameras at the exact same time. The photos are then combined into a GIF, which creates an awesome freeze-frame type of effect. The results are truly incredible. 

A 360 photo booth is a great option for events where attendees would want to show off the entirety of their outfits, freeze meaningful moments, such as kisses, dips, or twirls, or where guests would like to get creative with their poses or incorporate active props, such as tossing flower petals or throwing confetti. If you’re a business owner, a 360 photo booth would certainly give you a leg-up, as their popularity is constantly increasing; however, it is important to note that the price tag does tend to be higher than other types of photo booths, and they do require more space than other photo booths. Moreover, setting up and taking down 360 photo booths can be laborious and time-consuming. 

GIF Photo Booths

GIFs are those short clips that play on repeat on a constant loop; there’s no doubt you’ve seen them pop up on your social media pages. They’re lots of fun, and they’ve been made into photo booths! Or should we say that photo booths can capture GIFs. These photo booths either capture a few photos in rapid succession to create a video or they use a boomerang to create a loop. You don’t need to have a GIF photo booth in order to access this super-cool and unique effect. There are several different types of photo booth software available that create GIF effects. 

iPad Compatible Photo Booths

With an iPad compatible photo booth, an iPad is placed on a booth kiosk. When combined with iPad photo booth software, any photo booth can be turned into an iPad photo booth. Photobooth Supply Co. offers fantastic iPad software that you can use to provide a simple and interactive photo booth experience. It offers premium features, photo effects, and filters, and the results are simply amazing. 

Because iPads can connect to social media platforms, they can be easily used to send photos to users and they won’t have to wait around to receive printed copies or split up photos between groups of people. You can also share photos to social media platforms instantly while the event is still taking place, which can help to attract attention for business owners. Since they are more affordable than other types of photo booths and they are easy to set up, take down, and transport, iPad photo booths are growing in popularity.