The Photo Booth Turns 100: From a 1920s Invention to Modern Party Entertainment
It is hard to imagine a party today without somebody taking photographs.
Phones come out. People pose. Someone shouts "one more!" and another photograph is taken.
But the idea of stepping into a dedicated machine and having your photograph taken automatically is considerably older than the smartphone.
In fact, the origins of the modern photo booth go back almost a century.
The machine that changed photography
Anatol Josepho, an immigrant from Siberia, developed an automated photographic machine during the 1920s.
His Photomaton studio opened on Broadway in New York in 1926 and quickly became a sensation. Customers could pay 25 cents for a strip containing eight photographs.
The appeal was simple.
- You didn't need a professional photographer.
- You didn't need to make an appointment.
- You simply stepped inside, followed the instructions and waited for your photographs.
- According to the Smithsonian, the machines soon appeared in cities around the world.
From serious portraits to having fun
The photo booth gradually became part of popular culture.
People used booths for everything from personal photographs to romantic memories and simple entertainment. Famous figures including John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Andy Warhol became associated with photo-booth photography.
The basic attraction has remained remarkably consistent.
- Get together with someone.
- Step in front of a camera.
- Do something silly.
- Take a photograph.
Then technology changed everything
The traditional photo booth relied on mechanical and photographic processes.
Modern digital booths are very different.
Instead of simply taking a photograph, today's technology can allow guests to experiment with digital effects, virtual props and different ways of sharing their photographs.
The emphasis has shifted from simply getting a photograph to creating an experience around the photograph.
That makes the modern photo booth particularly well suited to parties and events.
The modern selfie booth
A contemporary selfie booth can be as simple as stepping in front of a camera and pressing the screen.
But then the fun begins.
Guests can use physical props supplied with the booth, while virtual props can be added directly on the screen.
A ring light helps create the bright, flattering lighting associated with modern social-media photography.
Once the photographs have been taken, guests can access them digitally through a QR code or email their favourite image to themselves.
The organiser can then receive the complete collection of photographs after the event.
From Broadway to Auckland
Almost 100 years after Josepho's invention, the fundamental idea is still surprisingly relevant.
People like taking photographs of themselves.
They like taking photographs with friends.
And, perhaps most importantly, they like having an excuse to do something a little silly.
That's why photo booths continue to work so well at weddings, birthdays, parties, corporate functions and Christmas celebrations.
Get Flashed NZ brings the modern version of that idea to events throughout Auckland.
The technology may have changed dramatically since the 1920s, but the reason people step in front of the camera hasn't changed much at all.
They want to have fun and remember it afterwards.
And sometimes the best photographs are the ones that weren't planned.
Get Flashed NZ Photo Booth Hire is available throughout the Auckland region, bringing a digital selfie-booth experience to parties, Christmas functions, corporate events and celebrations.