Not all photobooths are created equal. Once upon a time the traditional black box booth – our retro booth – was your only option, but now you can also get an open-air booth. They’re a little bit different and maybe a bit more of a novelty, but are they right for you? There are two main things to consider when deciding what kind of booth will work best for you.

The first one is space. How much of it do you have? How do you access it? What does it look like? A retro booth takes up a lot less space than an open-air booth. It can sit comfortably in a corner with just a power-point and the prop table set up next to it. You want a bit of space around it for people to try out props and – especially once things get kicking – line up for their turn, but it’s pretty flexible. An open-air or tent-surround booth takes up a minimum of 2m x 2m, plus a spot for props, an attendant, and all the rest. In a small venue, a retro booth might be a better fit.

That said, a retro booth comes in one very bulky piece, so if your venue is up or down stairs with no lift access, it’s going to be a mission – or, sometimes, downright impossible – to get it in and out. While an open-air booth takes up more space, the machine itself is more portable and better suited for tricky access situations.

And what about your decor? All of our booths are pretty visible, so if you’ve spent a lot of time and money getting your venue to look just the way you want it to, that can be a factor. The retro booth is a black box that fits right in in pubs and modern function rooms but can look a little out of place in more rustic, boho venues. An open-air booth looks more modern, and can come with a customised backdrop – choose from one of ours or create your own.

If you’re not sure, have a chat to us about your venue – we’ve run photobooths in most popular venues in Newcastle, the Hunter Valley, Central Coast and Port Stephens, so we might have some thoughts of what would work best.

Still undecided? There is another, maybe more important consideration.

You. And your guests. How are they likely to react to a Photo Booth? Are they guests going to feel silly putting glitter hats and Kanye glasses on where everyone can see them, or is a crowd just going to make them bolder? How many of them are they? It’s worth remembering that open-air booths are exactly that: open air. Everyone can see what happens in them, and while for some people, that’s part of the fun, for others, that can feel a little intimidating. If you’ve got a smaller, quieter crowd, a retro booth might suit them better, while open-air booths are better for bigger events where you’re going to want more group shots – we love them for school formals and sporting club functions.

Ultimately, there’s no best type of Photo Booth. If you’re still undecided about which one will work best for you, give us a call. We’re happy to talk it through with you to help you come to a decision. Either way, all our booths are tried and tested to make sure they bring maximum photo fun to your party.