A DIY photo booth is a must-have in any party or event nowadays. On top of adding fun to the party, a simple DIY booth helps you capture the most memorable moments of your shindig. It also saves you from the hassles and the associated costs of finding a booth to rent or hiring professionals to run one.
What’s more, it’s easy to create a simple photo booth leveraging the electronics that are already available in your house, including your phone, computer, camera, and printer. Follow these simple steps to create a simple photo booth for your upcoming party.
Jump to:
#1 Identify the Best Spot for Your Custom Photo Booth
The location of your custom photo booth should be not only easy to find but also easily accessible. Find spots that will ensure the smooth flow of your event. Some of the best options include dance floor corners, empty coat closets, wide hallways, or the ample open spaces of the beautiful outdoors. Space should also feature a sufficiently huge wall to accommodate your backdrop. For instance, if you want to capture waist-up shots of 3 to 5 people, the wall should have a length of 5 feet and height of 4 feet.
#2 Create a Custom Backdrop
Although the faces of your guest having the best time of their life will definitely be stunning all on their own, a beautifully designed backdrop can make pictures even more breathtaking. You don’t have to build a complex setup that’ll take lots of time and money. Instead, go for a simpler setup. Use things like ribbons, streamers, balloons, fabric, flowers, and other accessories you can find at the store to decorate your photo booth space.
If you’re using a rented space or family or friend’s home, seek permission first before styling your backdrop. Once you get the permission, use easy-to-remove tape to stick ribbons on the wall as well as temporary hooks that preserve the original appearance of the wall. Alternatively, you can just buy a premade backdrop and skip all the artsy work.
#3 Get the Lighting Right
Lighting can mean the difference between the success and failure of your custom photo booth. So ensure you have quality lighting equipment like a ring light, strobe light, photography umbrella and spotlight. The lighting equipment spreads the light and incorporates a lovely glow to your guests’ faces. But if you don’t have a budget for lighting equipment, you can put on your camera’s flash or use cheap floor lamps to brighten up space.
#4 Select the Right Props for Your Custom Photo Booth
Do you want your guests to let loose and bring out the inner child in them? Just select the best props for your booth. A wide array of well thought out props keeps things enjoyable and guests engaged. Hats, paper speech bubbles, necklaces, vintage pieces, sunglasses, toys, and other creative things you can think of can make the photo session fun-filled and memorable.
#5 Choose the Right Camera Equipment
A simple digital point-and-shoot camera is an excellent choice for your custom photo booth. Other things you’ll require include a remote shutter release and a sufficiently tall tripod. With a remote shutter release, your guests will take their own pictures, allowing you to enjoy the party rather than operating the camera all day or night.
#6 Power Your Photo Booth with a Raspberry Pi
By powering your photo booth with a Raspberry Pi 4 set, you don’t have to play the photographer all night. Instead, you can have fun as your guests take pictures of themselves. Start by installing the Raspbian operating system on your Raspberry Pi 4 and hooking it up to a mouse and keyboard. The next step is to make sure your Raspberry Pi is connected and accurately communicating with your digital camera to capture images, download pictures, delete pictures, and even re-adjust the USB. Download the Raspberry Pi Camera guide and learn the codes that can help you program your digital camera to capture memories with just a touch of a button.
Conclusion
A simple photo booth is all you need to capture the best memories at your event. Ensure your digital camera has sufficient battery life and storage space. Inform your guests regarding the photo booth when they arrive at your event and show them how it works by taking a few pictures with each guest. Also, ensure you have as many props as possible to offer your guests unforgettable photo sessions.
