Unveiling the Truths of the Photo Booth Industry: A Message from a Photo Booth Rental Business Owner

To all the newlyweds, wedding planners, and event organizers, this is for you. As the owner of Puddles Photo Booth, I believe it’s time to shed some light on a few things that are grinding my gears in the world of photo booth rentals. To the untrained eye it might seem like every photo booth is created equal, but the reality is far more nuanced. 

The Market Saturation Issue

Let’s start with the elephant in the room: the market saturation. I run Puddles Photo Booth in Portland, OR. Believe it or not, there are over 50 other photo booth rental companies in Portland. Google “photo booth rental near me” and you’ll be inundated with companies. Take a peek at their websites and there’s a good chance a lot of them have the same images (we’ll touch on this later), same messaging like “Premium Photo Booth”, “Luxury Photo Booth”, “Premier Photo Booth Company”, and the same equipment. 

Having more companies to choose from might seem like a good thing, but the truth is it makes it difficult to figure out which company is legit and which isn’t. Not all photo booths are created equal. Even when the equipment is the same, the output can be dramatically different. Many new entrants into the market are cutting corners, using cheap equipment, and even when the equipment is professional grade they lack the experience needed to get that professional imagery you deserve.

This influx of photo booth companies is also driving a race to the bottom in terms of pricing. Let me explain. New companies enter the market. They need business. They think having the cheapest price will win them clients so they undercut every other company in price. Another photo booth competitor sees this pricing and decides to lower their prices to be competitive. The cycle continues to repeat itself as more and more companies enter the market (read more about how much the average photo booth rental costs). 

As a company that’s been in the industry for a while now, we have certain expenses we have to pay for, we know our worth, and we know our quality trumps many other companies in the area. Because of that we charge a slight premium. We’re 100% transparent with our pricing and despite a new photo booth company popping up every other month we’re not lowering our prices because there’s someone else out there with a cheaper product.

Key Takeaway: Shopping on price alone is a dangerous game as it's typically the newest companies with the cheapest prices. Experience and quality costs money. 

Photo Booths Are The New Side Hustle

In recent years, the landscape of the photo booth industry has shifted with the mass production of photo booth equipment, leading to its widespread adoption as a side hustle phenomenon. This accessibility has flooded the market with newcomers looking to make a quick buck, many of whom have never used a professional camera in their lives. 

I’m all for a side hustle but I’m scared for the end consumer, particularly when people’s wedding days are at stake. The thing is, you can have the same equipment and still have drastically different output, which is something I’m seeing far too often. How good your photo quality is ultimately comes down to experience. Let me repeat that for the people in the back. IT COMES DOWN TO EXPERIENCE! Ask your photo booth provider how long they’ve been in business, what photography experience they have, and ask for photo samples from recent events. This is the best way to weed out the good from the bad. 

Here’s the other thing. You might see some good looking photos on a company’s website and think, “oh, these are really nice photos, I’ll book with them”. But be warned. There are some shady and misleading marketing tactics going on all in the name of making that quick side hustle money. In the end, people are spending a good chunk of money for shitty photos. 

Key Takeaway: Experience matters . Companies can have the same equipment and produce dramatically different results.

Stock Imagery and False Advertising

So you find a photo booth company, you go to their website and their Instagram, the pictures look awesome. You book them. The day of the event comes and your photos look nothing like what you saw online. What the hell happened? Stock images, that’s what happened. 

Photo booth manufacturers and other companies are providing stock images to photo booth companies to use in their marketing. In some cases I think this is fine but what worries me is when companies only use these photos and not their own to promote their services. From my experience, this can mean a company has never done an event and they’re leaning on stock imagery to get some bookings or they’re using stock images because the quality looks better than what they’re able to produce themselves. 

What’s far more concerning is the number of photo booth companies stealing photos from other established companies to falsely promote their services. I’m a part of a number of photo booth groups online. You’d be shocked by the number of times this issue comes up. As a result, unsuspecting customers are being lied to and finding themselves disappointed when the actual service fails to live up to the advertised quality. 

At Puddles Photo Booth, we’re never going to lie or deceive you, we’re like a really good boyfriend in that sense. Authenticity and transparency is what we live by. Everything you see on our website and social media is 100% real. No stock images and no images from other companies. What you see is what you get here. 

Key Takeaway: Watch out for stock images. If it looks like a stock image it probably is. Either the company hasn’t done any events or the stock imagery is better than the actual imagery the company can produce. Proceed with caution.

The iPad Photo Booth Epidemic

One of the biggest trends we’ve noticed is the rise of iPad-based photo booths. Let me make this crystal clear. Most photo booths use a tablet that acts as the user interface. Some of these photo booths, however, are not only using the tablet as the user interface (an iPad in most cases) but also the camera. What this means is you’re paying for the quality of a front-facing iPad camera. The iPad photo booths look sleek and modern, but there’s a trade-off: quality. These setups often sacrifice image quality and reliability for convenience and cost-cutting. 

It’s no shock that an iPad-based photo booth won't have the same quality as a photo booth with professional-grade equipment like Canon cameras and studio flash (our Printer Booth and Glam Booth use professional-grade equipment). That said, there are ways to make iPad photos look decent, and that secret is lighting! There’s a number of photo booth companies, us included, who invested in powerful external lighting for their iPad booths so that clients can get a more affordable option but not sacrifice quality. The problem is there are more companies who don’t use any additional lighting and it shows. If you end up with an iPad booth with no additional lighting you can expect grainy, poorly lit photos that look awful. 

When done right, iPad-based photo booths have their place. We own one at Puddles Photo Booth – our Selfie Station – and recommend them for birthdays or casual gatherings, where budgets are smaller and having fun is more important than top of the line imagery. The big problem in the industry is a lack of transparency on what photo booth is iPad based and what isn’t. You’ll likely have to ask your photo booth provider if the photo booth is an iPad-based photo booth or if it’s using professional grade equipment. If they say it’s an iPad, followup and ask what kind of external lighting they use and ask for photo examples. This is the only way you’ll know for sure what you’re in for. It’s a pain in the ass, I know, but that’s the reality unless you want to work with us at Puddles Photo Booth 😉.

Key Takeaways from a Venting Photo Booth Owner

1. Experience matters - companies can have the same equipment and produce dramatically different results. Choosing a photo booth vendor off price alone is a dangerous move.
2. Know what you’re buying - ask if you’re getting an iPad-based photo booth or if professional grade equipment is used. If it’s an iPad, ask if they use external lighting. If they don’t, find someone else. 
3. Watch out for stock images - if it looks like a stock image it probably is. Either the company hasn’t done any events or the stock imagery is better than the actual imagery the company can produce. Proceed with caution. 

That's all I got for you today. The next time you’re planning an event and considering a photo booth rental, keep your eyes peeled for these hidden truths. Not all photo booths are created equal, and it’s important to do your research. Look beyond the shiny exteriors and flashy marketing to find a rental company that prioritizes quality, experience, and customer satisfaction. Your memories deserve nothing less.

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XOXO,

Connor - Owner of Puddles Photo Booth