Making a custom booth that stands out.

[alexp]

Hello. Does anyone make custom fronts for photobooths? (where the camera and flash would go) I bought the DSLR Remote Pro for Windows, and would like to start using it at weddings, but I think puting the camera and flash on a tripod will not look very professional. Instead I would like to hire someone to build a custom box. Any ideas? Feel free to post photos of your booths and how it looks inside, especially of the parts where the camera and flash are located. Also, does anyone know where I can buy those poles (with bases at the bottom) onto which you place black material to create the booth itself?

[Woodster74]

Please oh please don't tell me you are considering building a pipe and drape "Booth". My wife and I started our photo booth business in February of this year 2012. We have 4 custom booths that are not your normal looking Black Photo Booths. They are made by artist as part of his "Functional Art" Line. Since launch we have done over 65 events with several more booked this year and we are already filling next years calendar. In talking to Venue and Wedding Coordinators I've found that they consider the Pipe and Drape Booth companies to be the Riffraff of the Photo booth Market. They are big, ugly, rickety, black material boxes blowing in the wind at outdoor weddings. One Venue coordinator described it to me as, "Two Coat-racks with a black sheet thrown over the top. People spend tens of thousands of dollars to get married and ask your self what would you want at your wedding? A pipe and drape booth that stands out and clashes with all your decorations or something as elegant and classy as the rest of your event.

I had the pleasure of doing a event for a large internet media company here in Seattle for Halloween. (We have done work for some Big names. And remember, We are still is year 1.) and there was a miscommunication so another department in the company had hired one of our local competitors. They are a pipe and drape outfit who hires local college students. So they have the Cute Blonde running the booth upstairs and I'm running the booth downstairs. (It should be noted that while I may think I'm Hot. I'm 6'4" 280 ex college football player and bouncer.) At the end of the night My booth was a hit. I wondered upstairs to check out how the enemy was doing as she was explaining to a group of people that it was a "Photobooth not a Haunted House" someone made the comment that the "Photobooth downstairs is 10 times nicer than this. you should go see it." I had 3 times the photos she had taken and the person who hired her told me next year they would be calling us only because while the other company was cheaper, everyone wanted to take pictures at mine so she felt like she wasted her money on the "Pipe and Drape Junk" as she called it.

My suggestion to you is if you want to really compete and be in the game long term have a hard box built. Take a look at some of the articles below.



http://www.mastersoffunpartyplanners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5
http://www.photoboothca.com/Photo-Booth-Rental-Pipe-and-Drape
http://www.kcflipbooks.com/outside-the-box-photobooth-2/photobooth-information/tent-and-pipe-and-drape-photobooths/

if you really want to do the pipe and drape there are plenty of companies selling pipe and drape supplies.

[alexp]

As I understand your booths are kiosks? How easy or hard is it to transport them?

[Woodster74]

Yes which is more inline with traditional Booths. My 4'11" wife can set it up or tear it down by herself in 30 min.

[alexp]

Do you have photos online of your booths?

[Woodster74]

Do you have photos online of your booths?

yes, just go to www.shutterspeedphotobooth.com

[alexp]

Not bad... Did the artist make the boxes as well? Or just design them?

[Woodster74]

Sorry Holidays are crazy. He built the booths for us. As a matter of fact My wife is visiting him now getting another one built.

Side note I have funny story. My nephew works for us as an attendant running the booths at events and we had a Christmas party a few weeks ago. During the event a Homeless Lady wanders into the Venue and begins taking off her clothes. The Venue attendants quickly escort her out. I show up late to check on things (Crash the party) because a Friend works for the Company that is throwing the party. Booth works great event goes off without a problem. Since I'm there, I help my nephew pack and load the van. As we are loading the booth in the back of the van I notice someone sitting in the front passenger seat. I say, "Hello". "Hi" is the response I get in a females voice from the front of the Van. My nephew nearly jumps out of his skin shouting an long line of explicatives not expecting anyone to be in the van. Apparently he forgot to lock the door and the when the Homeless woman was escorted out of the venue she found a nice warm OPEN van to get comfy in. It took me actually calling the police to get her out of the van and on her way to the local shelter. My nephew will remember to lock his doors from now on too. ;-)