Party Photos

Erin & Cindy at Janie’s Yo Gabba Gabba themed party in 2013!

Having a photo booth at a party is a popular trend of late and we understand why! If a photo booth connects to the party theme (like the glamour shot style photo from the Napoleon Dynamite party, or Scout’s Red Carpet party), or if guests are dressing up, this is a fun way to document the silliness.

There are a lot of different ways to add a photo element to a party. We have become big fans of using the photo booth frame and/or backdrops, but in the past we have also just had poster paper and a banner on a blank wall. The Silhouette site has fun options to make photo booth props, or many different prop themes can be purchased inexpensively on Amazon or at party stores. For dress up parties, very little is needed aside from a backdrop, though props can create a fun contrast to formal clothing too. 

We often have someone acting as a photographer the entire night to encourage people to use the photo booth. We have tried using the cute new Polaroid cameras for instant prints, and we’ve also invested in some great lighting for our booths so that guests can take photos with phones that turn out really fantastic.

In addition to photo booths, we recommend trying to capture candid photos of guests throughout the party. This can be hard to do when you are hosting, so Cindy and I often play photographer at one another’s parties after we set things up. 

These photos can be a fun social-media-ready souvenirs for guests, especially then the theme is silly. I love when I share party photos and then see these shots shared on friends’ social media in the days following a party.

Suggested tools to capture amazing party photos:

Backdrop: The key to a photo booth is a good backdrop. That can be any solid background that draws the attention in the photo to the individual(s) and not all of the busyness of the party. It can be as simple as the fence in the animal mask shots or be “dressed up” with details like the pink Halloween ghosts. For some parties we have just pulled the curtains closed, or hung a piece of fabric against a wall, or even made a backdrop out of butcher paper. If you do not have a space to hang a backdrop on the wall, or are seeking a detailed backdrop, you can use a backdrop stand. The backdrops typically come in two different varieties - fabric styles that hang much like curtains (such as those shown in the gold sequin photos) or vinyl backdrops that you clamp to a frame. The vinyl backdrops come printed with a design on them that give the appearance that the person is standing in a completely different location (such as the Harry Potter castle backdrop above). Amazon has a lot of options for under $25.00, many options linked below, just make sure it will be big enough for the space you need to cover.

Props:

Props aren’t always essential, but they do tend to make the photos more fun and get some people who may be uncomfortable just posing for photos to participate. Photo prop kits that are tailored to your theme can be purchased at party stores, Amazon, or Etsy. I have even made them with my Silhouette Cameo electronic cutter. For my husband’s 40th Birthday, I made a cardboard Dukes of Hazzard Car prop with a CB radio that everyone had a blast posing with. Another option is to provide a selection of hats, glasses, scarfs or costume pieces. These can be easier to use, especially for kids. Another option is a photo frame. EmmaSueBowtique can create a custom designed photo frame prop for your event. Or you can purchase these fun designs and cut them out yourselfIf you want to splurge, Mink and Maple from Etsy will prepare them for you. Check out this awesome bulldozer design they carry.

Lighting:

I often use an external flash with my Nikon camera at parties. The external flash helps an amateur photographer like me take better photos with ease. When the parties are in the evening or there is irregular lighting because of other party elements, using the external flash can minimized the impact of those factors (which might otherwise ruin shots with weird shadows). It also saves me from having to constantly adjust other camera settings throughout the party.

Softbox Lighting Kit - Cindy recently purchased this lighting for photo booths and we were very impressed with how much of an impact it had on photo quality, especially for those using camera phones. This model, MOUNTDOG 1350W, is inexpensive, easy to store, and makes a huge difference on photo quality.

Camera:

I have a Nikon DSLR camera that I use to shoot most of the Davis & Scout events. I’m still learning how to use it well, but like that it is fast, allows an external flash, and has good auto-focusing capabilities. The cameras on our phones have advanced so much since we started doing parties and most take pretty great photos. We have also found that the Polaroid cameras can be a big hit for parties, especially with the tweens who are fascinated with how old technology works.

In addition to photo booth photos, I recommend taking lots of candid shots during your event. If this is challenging for you as the host, ask a friend or two to play photographer for a portion of the party. When I am not hosting the event, I tend to be that friend (or sister) that encourages (or maybe forces) the photos. Guests will rarely regret having a fun moment captured in a photo. And, as party host, you’ll appreciate seeing all your hard work captured forever!

It doesn't matter what type of camera, photo props, backdrop, or lighting that you use, so long as you are documenting all the party fun! external flash with my Nikon

Check out this great photo tip post from Chickabug about how to get amazing party photos.

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