Who here runs a photo booth at their weddings?

I'm a 2nd shooter and one of the "new" guys I'm going to shoot for sets up a remote shooting station at the reception and does on-the-spot printing. I suspect he's going to want me to man it. (No big deal but I'd rather be shooting drunken bridesmaids.)

He says he makes a killing on this. Charges $10 for a crappy 4/6... and more for larger prints (I think). Since half goes to the couple there's plenty of people buying.

I've seen these a few times before but never paid them much attention. It sounds pretty cool though.

Anybody else do this with any kind of success?

I have never seen this at a wedding. I'd be more interested in spending the time focusing on ya know...the B&G who are paying for it.

We do a Photo Booth at weddings but a bit different to one your describing. We don't do prints at the wedding (we add them to the couples online wedding gallery) and we only run it for about 1-2 hours during the usual lull in the evening reception so it doesn't take over the day.

Our photo booth isn't actually a booth either, its a large Hi-Lite background that we set up along with some some flashes and shoot through umbrellas for lighting people from the front.

Further info on our> Wedding Photo Booth

and a few of my fave pics from this years photo booths.

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I got married this past October and we had a make-shift photo booth. Basically just hung a white sheet, had a tripod set up with my 30D and had some costume items (hats, boas, oversized sunglasses, fake guitars, etc) for people to use. It was a HUGE hit. My grandparents were putting wigs on, people were crowding into the pictures, etc. My cousin and her friend were our wedding photographers and so they took turns manning the camera.

Not quite what you're talking about, but I'm Vietnamese and at wedding receptions (which are huge feasts with free drinks), most couples great all guests and take a picture with them. Often, the photographer will print the photos and hand out as gifts to the guest. The B&G pickup the tab.

jonwhite wrote in post #9074644
We do a Photo Booth at weddings but a bit different to one your describing. We don't do prints at the wedding (we add them to the couples online wedding gallery) and we only run it for about 1-2 hours during the usual lull in the evening reception so it doesn't take over the day.

Our photo booth isn't actually a booth either, its a large Hi-Lite background that we set up along with some some flashes and shoot through umbrellas for lighting people from the front.

Further info on our> Wedding Photo Booth

and a few of my fave pics from this years photo booths.

How big a hilite do you use?

Dunedan wrote in post #9074416
I have never seen this at a wedding. I'd be more interested in spending the time focusing on ya know...the B&G who are paying for it.

The bride and groom always hang around our photo booth and have lots of pics with their friends and family, there's only so many pictures you can take of people dancing, a photo booth adds another dimension to an evening reception and it doesn't have to be to the detriment of the main wedding photographs, it should compliment them.

jonwhite wrote in post #9074780
The bride and groom always hang around our photo booth and have lots of pics with their friends and family, there's only so many pictures you can take of people dancing, a photo booth adds another dimension to an evening reception and it doesn't have to be to the detriment of the main wedding photographs, it should compliment them.

Great point. The cold fact today is the stay at home moms (and dads) of the world are savvy enough to get the basic shots, tone a photo in PS, and hand over a disc to a couple for $500. Three things separate the men from the boys now: Creative composition, an intricate understanding of lighting, and something different when it comes to product. Uncle Tony can bang away with his 20D and 430 EX on camera all day long, but its this sort of idea that can make a big difference in convincing a couple to go with a pro.

Especially if you like to, you know, charge real money for your time.

No offense intended to Uncle Tony, the 20D, or the 430 EX. Especially the 430 EX -- I own one!

Dunedan wrote in post #9074416
I have never seen this at a wedding. I'd be more interested in spending the time focusing on ya know...the B&G who are paying for it.

No. You don't do this as a solo photographer. Somebody else is running it off to the side while all the candids and stuff are still being handled by somebody else.

As far as the couple's go... what's not to like? It's extra spending cash for the cruise. (And it's not as embarrassing as the silly-assed dollar dance ).

Yes, this is what I'm talking about... a strobe or two on sticks, maybe a backdrop (but no umbrellas). You can rent those big-assed photo booths but they're freaking pricey.

Love the "horseplay" pics too BTW. Mine will probably look like something from the DMV.

This photographer's been doing this for 2 years now. The way he describes his process he's got it down to an art. 95% of his bookings ask for it but he won't do it if the guest count is too small to make it well worth the trouble for himself and the couple.

Again, I know this is nothing new... just thought I'd see if anybody else found this to be a viable source for extra revenue - especially these days.

a recent wedding I photographed had a separate company that came in and set up a photobooth for them. in lieu of a guest book, an attendant printed two photos of each image, gave one copy to a guest and put the other into an album for the bride and groom, with a space for the guest to write next to the print. it was actually incredibly neat.

Dunedan wrote in post #9074416
I have never seen this at a wedding. I'd be more interested in spending the time focusing on ya know...the B&G who are paying for it.

I think, quite honestly, they are the stupidest things to to have setup at a wedding. I think it's gimmicky and i think the photographer who sets one up would be much better served watching for natural interactions between the guests at the wedding and capturing those. I'll leave the gimmicky/novelty sideshow (no matter how many "extra dollars" it would make me) to others and concentrate on getting shots of the bride and groom and their guests NOT acting like drunken jackasses. I'm sure friends will get plenty of those later on their point and shoots.

PMCphotography wrote in post #9077194
I think, quite honestly, they are the stupidest things to to have setup at a wedding. I think it's gimmicky and i think the photographer who sets one up would be much better served watching for natural interactions between the guests at the wedding and capturing those. I'll leave the gimmicky/novelty sideshow (no matter how many "extra dollars" it would make me) to others and concentrate on getting shots of the bride and groom and their guests NOT acting like drunken jackasses. I'm sure friends will get plenty of those later on their point and shoots.

Well, Debbie Downer, people seem to like them and it doesn't take any of your focus; if it is profitable enough to run, you put an assistant on it. It is gimmicky but so are a lot of things at receptions. I've never run one at a wedding but I've set them up at my own parties and they are lots of fun. At a reception you obviously get guests being goofballs to make the B&G laugh at the photos later on.

If you're not running it... it makes money... and both guests and clients like it... why not?

TheHoff wrote in post #9077231
Well, Debbie Downer, people seem to like them and it doesn't take any of your focus; if it is profitable enough to run, you put an assistant on it. It is gimmicky but so are a lot of things at receptions. I've never run one at a wedding but I've set them up at my own parties and they are lots of fun. At a reception you obviously get guests being goofballs to make the B&G laugh at the photos later on.

If you're not running it... it makes money... and both guests and clients like it... why not?

Why not? because I'd rather be known for the strength of my photographs than "that guy who does the photo booths"...

man .. you're so missing the point of a photo booth .. and trust me, no brides will book you based on you having a photo booth .. so you wouldn't have to worry about your strength of your photographs

guests will walk away with a great funny picture and the B&G will get a slideshow or some sort of all who had attended the booth with is HILARIOUS to watch

tsw910 wrote in post #9078503
man .. you're so missing the point of a photo booth .. and trust me, no brides will book you based on you having a photo booth .. so you wouldn't have to worry about your strength of your photographs

guests will walk away with a great funny picture and the B&G will get a slideshow or some sort of all who had attended the booth with is HILARIOUS to watch

Well, there's a local photographer who does one at every wedding, and he's known as "the photo booth guy..."

I'd rather not be known as that.