Photo booths are now more popular than ever and a MUST HAVE at any event, party, celebration, and gathering, especially here in Australia!

The success of your event is very important and if there is just one thing wrong it usually becomes the talking point and ultimately the one thing guests will remember most about your event.

A photo booth can be that one thing as it gets people so excited that it can very easily be the highlight or alternatively if it is cheap and nasty it can break your event. We hear about this all too often so here are five tough questions you MUST ask before hiring a photo booth.

1. Does it use a good camera?

This is the first tell tell sign of a poor quality photo booth! If it does not use a good camera, like a DSLR, then the images and prints will be bad. Some may get away with a point & shoot but if they are using a Webcam or iPad then expect the worst.

There is nothing worst than having a fun experience with your friends posing for photos in a photo booth only to have the prints come out looking terrible!

Our answer: Yes, we use quality DSLR cameras which produce images good enough to print up to 20 inches. Here is a comparison:

**DSLR CAMERA (THe PHOTO BOOTH COLLECTIVE)**

2. Can it run unattended (does an attendant have to stand around)?

Open air photo booths are becoming the norm as it allows for more people, options and fun! It also encourages all the other guests to join in on the fun as they watch it unfold, especially the oldies! However most photo booths have an attendant and if they stand there it can be a massive damper on your guests experience with a strangers eyes watching the entire time :(

Yes a photo booth attendant should be available incase the booth runs out of paper or in the case of a power failure, but it is very awkward for your guests having them stand around watching or sitting in the corner.

This is also a BIG sign that they do not have faith in their photo booth running unattended without any issues. An efficient photobooth should be able to run unattended for the duration of an event.

Our answer: We believe the privacy of your guests is very important so they can be themselves and go crazy in the photobooth. Our photo booths run unattended but our o`perator will stay close to the venue, usually in a staff room, their car, or down the road waiting until your event finishes so they can pack up.

3. How often does it break down?

While we are on the topic of efficient photo booths running unattended, it is important to ask how reliable the photo booth is and how often it breaks down or needs paper changed. A sure way to destroy your event is to first entice your guests with a photo booth only to let them down because it keeps crashing!

There are a lot of photo booth companies out there who purchase their booths from overseas and do not fully understand how they work and their limits. There is also a wide range of printers on the market so it may be good to ask how often the paper needs changing which is down time.

Our answer: We have designed and assembled our photo booths in house and along with customised software our photo booths are tried and tested. We are confident that our booths will run unattended with no issues for the duration of your event, that is of course unless there is a power failure. Our printers have the capacity to print 400 sessions (1600 photos) before needing a paper change, on average that is roughly 8 hours of photo boothing!

4. How fast do the prints come out?

You may think this is not a big deal as the prints will come out eventually but just imagine having to wait up to a minute for your prints every time you hit the photobooth. In that minute you could miss dancing to your favourite song!

Our answer: All our photo booths use high quality printers which have a print time of under 10 seconds, so by the time you have thrown the props down and finished laughing with your friends, your prints are ready!

5. What is included in the hire fee?

Be sure to check exactly what is included in the photo booth hire fee. There are companies which offer cheap hire fees to entice you into booking and then later on will get you with “add ons” which you may have assumed came standard, such as prints, background, props, online gallery etc.

Our answer: We are very transparent with our pricing and list exactly what come with the photo booth hire along the standard items included as you would expect. Everything we offer is on our booking form so there are no surprises later on.

Summary

From weddings to corporate gigs and everything in between, nothing says fun like adding a photo booth to the party! The Photo Booth Collective knows the importance of capturing these once in a lifetime moments that will be talked about for years to come!

Read company reviews on Google or Facebook as these are usually a good indication of the level of professional service.

In the photo booth industry it is quite simple, you get what you pay for so if you are looking to entertain your guests and host an event your friends will rave about, please make sure you ask these questions before booking a photo booth. Or book one of ours for piece of mind and we know your guests will be raving! Click below to see our pricing: