1- How many photo strips does it make PER session?
Most Toronto photo booth rental companies offer “Unlimited Photos” which can be a deceiving phrase. What it really means is unlimited photo sessions. i.e.: The photo booth will photograph one group after another as long as it is running. What they don’t tell you is that the photo booth is limited to making only 1 or 2 photo strips PER session! Now imagine a group of 4 or 5 guests being photographed together. If only 1 or 2 photo strips are produced, many of those guests will be left disappointed without a copy.

Look for photo booths that can make up to 4, 6 or even 8 photo strips per session. Avoid those that only make 1 or 2. Your guests will be thrilled!

2- What size are the photo strips?
Since each photo strip needs to display 4 different shots as well as your custom event graphics, avoid companies that offer the standard 2”X 6” photo strips (4”X 6” photo cut in half). Standard 2”X 6” photo strips will display 4 “squished” shots with little or no room for your custom graphics.  To avoid this problem, some companies may resort to taking only 3 shots to allow more room for the custom graphics – but that means you are getting less pictures for your money! To avoid the hassle of cutting, other companies may offer 4”X 6” size photos with 4 shots in each corner. These are not photo strips; lack the nostalgia of the real thing, and look awkward in the guestbook.

Look for Toronto photo booth rental companies that offer larger photo strips. These are usually 2”X 8” or 2”X 8.5”. These will allow much larger shots, as well as enough room to display your custom graphics.

3- Are the photo strips placed in a frame?
Placing each photo strip in a frame before it is handed out to the guests avoids the photo strips being scratched, smudged, bent or lost. It also looks much more professional.

Opt for Toronto photo booth rental companies that offer frames as standard feature in their packages. Avoid companies that offer no frames at all, or those who charge PER frame (usually $2-3 each) which can get very costly.

4- How heavy is the photo booth?
You might think that the weight of the photo booth is not your concern. However, the heavier the booth, the more expensive it is to transport. That is why heavier photo booths always charge a higher price (Some weigh over 700lbs!)

Moreover, heavier booths can damage the venue’s flooring, cannot be carried over stairways, and will not fit in smaller elevators. Look for Toronto photo booth rental companies that offer lightweight photo booths at a reasonable price.

5-What kind of technology does it use?
Most photo booths offered in Toronto are digital i.e.: Photos are saved as digital files on a computer, and then printed using a commercial photo printer. Digital photo booths in Toronto offer high quality photos with fast print speeds (less than 25 seconds).

Some photo booth companies may offer old fashioned photo booths that use chemical processes to develop the photos. Although nostalgic, they are prone to breakdown due to the many moving parts and the photos require a longer time to be developed.

6- Are the rental hours consecutive?
Suppose you start the photo booth at the beginning of your event. Eventually your guests will sit down for dinner and no one will be using the photo booth. Meanwhile, the clock is still ticking and you’re losing out!  Look for Toronto photo booth companies that provide non-consecutive rental hours and offer to shut down the photo booth temporarily during off times. This can be either for a small fee ($30-$60/hr) or better yet, at no charge.

7- Does it offer a live video preview?
Most of the fun experienced from using a photo booth happens before taking the shot not after. That’s because of the suspense guests feel during the few seconds leading to the final “Click”.  Having a live video preview before each shot allows the guests to quickly try different poses and actually see what they look like before the inevitable happens! Toronto photo booths that offer no video preview are a lot less engaging.

8- What does the photo booth look like?
Toronto Photo booths come in different shapes and sizes. However it is important that the photo booth is designed to fit well with your elegant event décor. Clearly you don’t want a photo booth looking like it came straight from your local mall or from your nearest “Chuck E Cheese’s”!

Surprisingly, many Toronto photo booths have unsightly appearances ranging from pop up tent structures to industrial flight cases complete with shiny metal handles and corner braces!

Look for companies that rent aesthetically pleasing photo booths that combine both form and function.

9- Is it a sit-down, stand-up or “hybrid” model?

Sit-down models are obviously more comfortable than stand up models. Moreover Sit-down models also allow guests to change the props in between shots since the prop box is at arm’s reach. This results in a more fun experience.

Stand-up models on the other hand, although not as comfortable and fun; allow larger groups to be photographed together since the guests can stand behind one another (as opposed to sitting beside one another in sit-down models)

“Hybrid” models offer the best of both worlds. These are usually “open style” photo booths (open on both sides). They incorporate a bench with a flexible backdrop. They allow guests to be seated with the option of other guests standing or leaning behind.

10- How many guests can fit in the photo booth?
Since an event photo booth in Toronto needs to accommodate larger groups like bridesmaids, groomsmen, co-workers, friends, teens, classmates, families with kids…etc, look for Toronto photo booths that can accommodate groups of up to 5, 10 or even 15 guests at a time.

Regular “mall style” photo booths that only accommodate 2 or 3 guests at a time are
obviously not practical for special events. Due to their limited capacity, you will need more hours to photograph the same number of guests and larger groups will not be able to be photographed together.

A large capacity Toronto photo booth will save you money on the rental and your guests will have a lot more fun!

11- Is the photo booth manned? If so, what does he/she do?
Some photo booth rental companies in Toronto will only drop off the photo booth – then pick it up at the end of the event. (You want a photo booth? Here you go!)

Other companies will offer an “attendant” or “operator” to make sure everything runs smoothly and nothing breaks down (well, I certainly hope so!)

Professional Toronto photo booth companies realize that they are not just offering a “machine” but an actual “service” to your guests. This service needs to incorporate a human element to provide your guests with the personal attention they deserve. This includes greeting every guest with a smile, helping out seniors and children, printing additional photos for groups, placing each photo strip in a frame, suggesting poses, offering props, adjusting the camera to fit the guests, pausing or restarting the photo shoot…etc.

Make sure your Toronto photo booth provider offers a person to actually assist your guests.

12- Is the photo booth camera adjustable?
Since every guest will vary in height, an adjustable photo booth camera that tilts up or down will save your guests, especially children and seniors, the discomfort of having to move up or down to fit in the photo. i.e.: The camera adjusts to fit the guests instead of the guests adjusting to fit the camera. It also results in a better picture with no “cut off” areas.

Also, since the number of guests in each photo shoot will vary, a camera that has
adjustable zoom will allow it to zoom out when photographing groups while zooming in
when photographing couples. This will prevent the subjects from appearing too distant or too close in the photos.

Look at each Toronto photo booth company’s sample photos. If the photos look too distant or too close, they are not using an adjustable camera.

13- What type of software runs the photo booth?
Digital photo booth companies in Toronto use one of 3 types of software:

1-Pre-packaged software
This is software that comes pre-packaged when buying a photo booth from a commercial manufacturer. This software is basically the same one you will find in a mall Toronto photo booth, but without the coin prompt.

2-Purchased software
This is software purchased on-line from a photo booth software provider.

3-Custom Proprietary software
This is custom proprietary software that the Toronto photo booth company develops for use in its own photo booths.

Pre-packaged software is the least desirable since software designed for commercial purposes like a mall will lack many of the features necessary for a special event.

For example:
1-Mall software is preset to making only 1 or 2 photo strips per session regardless of how many people are taking a picture. At a special event, this means many disappointed guests.

2-Mall software cannot pause or restart a photo shoot. When you press the button, it will proceed automatically until the end. This means guests get no “second chance”

3-Mall software may not save digital copies of the photos taken.

Purchased software is “One size fits all” type software. It is designed for DIY photo booth
entrepreneurs who want a quick affordable solution to get their photo booths running. It
is not designed for any one model or the way a particular Toronto photo booth company operates. They usually have many of the shortcomings of pre-packaged software (see above)

Custom Proprietary software is the best option. Since this software was designed by the Toronto photo booth company itself, it would incorporate many features designed to set the Toronto photo booth company apart from its competitors (lucky you!). It will also be designed to fit the way that particular Toronto photo booth company operates at the events.

For example:
1- Custom software will have a prompt for the photo booth operator to set the number of photo strips printed based on how many guests are being photographed. This insures every guest gets a photo. No more disappointed guests.

2-Custom software will allow the photo booth operator to pause the photo shoot when guests need more time in between the shots to try on different props.

3-Custom software will allow the photo booth operator to restart the photo shoot if guests were not paying attention therefore giving them a second chance.

14- Is the photo booth operational while printing?
It is important that the Toronto photo booth is capable of starting a new photo session while it is still printing the photos from the previous session. Having to wait until the photos come out to start the next session will make many guests impatient and will result in lost time and money.

15- What does the price include?
When comparing prices for Toronto photo booth rentals, consider the following:

1-Value
Compare the features offered with the pricing to arrive at the best possible value. E.g.: A
Toronto photo booth that makes 1 photo strip per session may be priced lower then a Toronto photo booth that makes 4 photo strips per session. However the second booth is not 4 times the price. Hence it is a much better value.

2-Logical Pricing
Look for Toronto photo booth companies that offer a logical pricing structure. E.g.: A company offers a 4 hour rental with the guestbook, but offers a cheaper 3 hour rental without the guestbook. What if you need the 3 hours with the guestbook? Other companies may offer packages that are ” Up to 4 hours” which means you will be paying the 4 hour rate even if you only need 2!

3-Hidden costs
Beware of hidden costs. Some photo booth companies in Toronto may charge extra for set up or delivery but do not advertise this until you sign the contract. Make sure pricing is straightforward and clear.

4-Non-Consumables
Beware of Toronto photo booth companies that charge extra for non-consumable items like props.  Props are NOT a consumable item like paper or ink. Props are purchased once then offered repeatedly at the events; hence the extra charge is not justified.

5-Add-ons
Some Toronto photo booth companies may offer a low base price to lure you in, and then charge you extra for every single “add-on” despite the fact that these so called “add-ons” are standard features offered by many other companies. E.g.: A company charges extra for the custom graphics, photo CD, double prints, props, guestbook …etc amounting to 100’s of dollars above the base price.