Some people walk up to a photo booth and immediately know what they’re going to do. They grab a prop, get into position and are ready before the countdown even starts.
Other people look at the booth. Then the props. Then us.
And ask, “What am I supposed to do?”
It happens more often than you might think.
At a recent wedding, the father of the groom was looking through the props when he asked us that very question. We told him this particular photo booth session would take three pictures. He could be serious, funny, use one prop, use several props, change his pose for every picture or not use a prop at all.
Basically, it was up to him.
And then he gave it a try.
The First Picture Usually Explains Everything
If you have never used our photo booth before, it doesn't take long to figure out how it works.
You’ll see the countdown on the screen. When it reaches the end, the camera takes your picture. If you have good hearing and you’re standing close enough to the booth, you may even hear the camera click.
Then the picture you just took appears in a small box along the side of the screen. It stays there while you continue through the rest of your session, so you can see the pictures you have already taken.
But don’t spend too long admiring that first one.
You may have only two or three seconds before the next countdown begins. If you want a completely different pose for the next picture, you need to be ready.
By picture number two, most people understand the rhythm.
By picture number three, the person who walked up asking, “What do I do?” usually isn’t asking anymore.
So...What Do People Actually Do?
Just about everything.
Some people grab as many props as they can carry. Others don't touch a single one. Some smile for every picture, while others deliberately make the most serious face possible.
People watch the countdown so they can time a kiss. Someone hops on someone else's back. Couples pick each other up for the customary carry-over-the-threshold pose.
Peace signs are still going strong.
And somehow, after all these years, the Charlie's Angels finger pose refuses to disappear.
Then there are the poses that come from whatever is happening on TikTok or social media. Something becomes popular, people start doing it, and eventually somebody brings it in front of the photo booth camera.
That's part of what makes watching photo booth sessions so much fun. Some poses are planned before people ever walk up. Others are invented with about two seconds to spare.
“Do I Really Need to Do What They Did?”
This is another one we hear.
Someone who isn't familiar with photo booths will sometimes stand back and watch a group ahead of them. Maybe that group gets crazy with the props or comes up with some ridiculous pose.
Then the next person walks over and asks:
“Do I really need to do what they did?”
Nope.
That's the whole point.
If they grabbed props, you don't have to. If they made funny faces, you can smile. If somebody jumped on somebody's back, nobody is expecting you to be next.
Watching other guests can give you ideas, but their photo was their moment. This one is yours.
What If I Still Don't Know What to Do?
Make it up.
Seriously.
Grab a prop. Don't grab one. Smile. Make a face. Strike a pose. Throw up a peace sign. Kiss somebody when the countdown gets to the right spot. Pick somebody up. Try something you saw online.
Or do something we've never seen before.
There isn't a list of poses you're supposed to complete. There isn't a correct way to take a photo booth picture.
It is your moment behind the camera.
Think of the photo booth as the photographer waiting for that moment.
The countdown starts.
The camera is ready.
Now strike a pose.
And if you have absolutely no idea what you're going to do when that countdown begins?
That's okay too.
Sometimes those turn out to be the best pictures.
Why call it Lotsa Laffs if you can't have fun?