360 Photo Booths: You’ve probably seen one by now. They have become popular activations at weddings, sporting events, Hollywood red carpets, music festivals, and other events. But if you are just finding out about 360 photo booths, you may have some questions. What are 360 photo booths? How did they become so popular? What is needed to create 360 videos? Are they still worthwhile investments for photo booth businesses?
We’re OrcaVue. We invented the first motorized 360 photo booth and have been manufacturing them for 10 years. We wrote this article to get anyone interested caught up to speed on the event-industry trend that has swept the United States and beyond for the last decade.
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What is a 360 Photo Booth?
Even though the word “photo” is in the name, 360 photo booths are actually used to create stunning video footage of a person or object placed on a platform, with a camera orbiting around the subject in a perfect circle.
To achieve this shot, a camera is mounted, pointing inward, on a metal arm. The arm extends out from underneath a platform holding the person or object being filmed. A motor is then used to rotate the arm holding the camera in a perfect circle around the subject. Most 360 photo booth videos are shot in slow motion at either 60 or 120 frames per second and then slowed down to either 1/2 or 1/4 speed.
360 photo booths are used at events to send event guests home with a captivating piece of content that they can look back on to remember the event and share on social media.
You can read this article we wrote to learn more about what 360 photo booths are, how they work, and how to use them.
What Is the Difference Between a 360 Photo Booth and a Photo Booth?
Traditional photo booths and 360 photo booths are both used at events to quickly provide guests with an opportunity to showcase themselves. Traditional photo booths provide guests with a still image of themselves at the event, while 360 photo booths provide event guests with scroll-stopping video content that shows how much fun guests are having and also showcases the entire environment in the background of the shot.
What Do You Need To Run a 360 Photo Booth?
To operate a 360 photo booth at an event, you’ll need a 360 photo booth platform, photo booth software, a compatible camera or phone, and, in all likelihood, a ring light mounted on the arm to hold the camera. Stanchions to prevent guests from wandering into the path of the arm and additional lighting may also be helpful.
360 Photo Booth Parts
360 photo booths are made up of a platform, motor, and arm. Cameras and other photo booth accessories are mounted on the arm and rotated in a perfect circle around a subject that is placed on the platform. The motor is housed under the platform and is used to rotate the arm. Videos captured by 360 photo booths at events are often sent to event guests via 360 photo booth software on an iPad.
360 Photo Booth Accessories
There are lots of accessories available to improve the quality of videos produced by 360 photo booths, as well as accessories that make using a 360 photo booth a simpler process, including:
- Light-Weight Cameras
- Ring Lights and Rectangular lights
- Platform Decals
- Motor Batteries
- Wireless Remotes
- Transport Dollies
- iPad Tablet Mounts
- iPhone Camera Mounts
The Best Cameras To Use With 360 Photo Booths
The best cameras to use with 360 photo booths include:
- Light-weight mirrorless cameras or DSLRs
- GoPro Cameras
- iPhone Cameras
Because 360 photo booths rotate a camera with an arm attached to a central hub that supports the platform, it is important to use a camera that has built-in stabilization; this limits the ability of movement on the platform (such as dancing) to transfer through the center hub and up the arm, which can then result in a shaky video. An exception is the OrcaVue XL model, which includes built-in isolation via a separate set of legs that support the arm; it is designed to be used with non-stabilized cameras.,
It is also important for photo booth operators to consider how they will be sharing videos with event guests. Due to the needed rotation, any wired connections coming from the camera would become entangled. Therefore, Wifi/Cellular connectivity is required for any immediate viewing or downloading of footage captured by the camera mounted on the 360 photo booth arm.
What You Need To Know About 360 Photo Booth Software (Apps)?
360 photo booth software is typically used to:
- Create pre-event overlays (often branded) and additional effects/audio that will be added to the video after recording.
- Connect to the 360 photo booth at an event in order to sync the starting and stopping of the arm with the video recording (note: only two companies offer this capability; one is us–we invented it!).
- Quickly render the video after recording in order to apply the modifications defined in Step 1.
- Provide a means of displaying the rendered 360 photo booth output to the subjects.
- Allow subjects to enter their personal info and send the video to themselves or to share it with others via social media.
- Collect videos and other stats in a central location for later analysis/use by the event organizer.
At this point, there are many fantastic photo booth software apps available to use with a 360 photo booths, including:
360 Photo Booth Backgrounds
Many 360 photo booth activations also include event-specific backgrounds. Some organizers prefer to showcase the entire event environment while others choose to create a backdrop that completely encloses the 360 photo booth. Other events may elect to only use a flat backdrop or 180 degree screen that may only be seen as the camera rotates through a portion of the video.
The History of 360 Photo Booths
The first motorized 360 Photo booth was invented by OrcaVue founder Daniel Rosenberry on October 30, 2014, when his brother dreamed up a Michael Bay-style shot for their YouTube channel JoyRiders. After the proof-of-concept prototype (pictured above) was produced, the JoyRiders team determined that the platform needed to be able to be set up and torn down quickly, as they would need to get it in and out of their location for their video without drawing unwanted attention. It was this iteration of an orbiting camera arm, featured in the below video, that became the benchmark of what we now know of as a 360 photo booth.
The video quickly found a foothold on Reddit and drew the attention of Red Bull and other event-focused organizations, and with that, the first event company offering 360 photo booth services, OrcaVue, was born.
Over time, OrcaVue patented its motorized 360 photo booth design and used it at major sporting events including several Super Bowls, NCAA Final 4s, major All-Star Games, and College Game Day, as well as cultural events such as Coachella, Pride Week, and Comicons, as well as brand activations for HBO (Game of Thrones), Mercedes and others. You can learn more about OrcaVue’s work as an event company here.
During the pandemic, with events shut down, OrcaVue shifted its focus to becoming a full-time manufacturer of 360 photo booths (and now Glambots).
In 2024, many 360 photo booth suppliers have come and gone, but OrcaVue is still considered by many to be the world’s premier provider of 360 photo booths.
What Types of Events Use 360 Photo Booths?
Types of events where 360 photo booths are commonly used to provide guests with a captivating video of their experience include:
- Weddings
- Corporate Events
- Birthday Parties
- Music Festivals and Concerts
- School and University Events
- Charity Events and Fundraisers
- Private Parties and Celebrations
- Sporting Events
- and Marketing and Promotional Events
360 photo booths have also been used to produce 360 orbiting camera shots for live TV award and sporting events as well as for television and movie studio productions.
360 Photo Booths for Sale
You can purchase a 360 photo booth from the following companies:
- OrcaVue (This is obviously our recommendation)
- ATA Photo Booths
- DzenTech
- Mobibooth
- Photo Booth Supply Co.
- Amazon (Buyer beware… In our experience, booths listed on Amazon that are not manufactured by an aforementioned supplier may be deficient structurally and do not have a support system in place to address what seem to be an inordinate number of defects–judging by the number of calls we receive asking for us to can repair them).
How Much Do 360 Photo Booths Cost To Buy?
As of March 2024, a base 360 photo booth package ranges between $1200 and $5,800. Photo booth prices vary due to platform size and capacity, building materials, camera payload, warranty options, included accessories, and customer support resources. Be sure to call manufacturers and ask them about these topics prior to purchasing any 360 photo booth.
How Much Can 360 Photo Booths Be Rented For?
Pricing for 360 photo booth activations fluctuates between geographic regions and event types, with higher pricing available to regions with larger populations and more corporate events rather than smaller markets with more of a private event focus.
Are 360 Photo Booths Profitable?
360 photo booths can be a very profitable business to get into. To measure your chances of success with a 360 photo booth, start by auditing the extent to which 360 photo booths are currently offered by other event companies in the geographical area you’d like to operate in. If there is competition in your area, research the pricing for these event companies. Then, conduct market research to determine the demand for 360 photo booths in your area. This can be done by adding 360 photo booth services to your website with availability far enough in advance that you could be shipped a 360 photo booth should you book an event (we have all units in stock and ready to ship!). Test various pricing structures until you begin to successfully book 360 photo booth events.
How To Start a 360 Photo Booth Business
When starting a 360 photo booth business, it’s best to begin by putting a business plan together. Use software like liveplan.com to create a budget for your business that will allow you to make assumptions about your potential revenue, expenses, employees, asset planning, and any needed financing. Then, establish a name for your business to help your business rank for searches related to 360 photo booths. Next, you’ll want to establish an LLC for your business so that you can open a separate business bank account and get access to needed items such as insurance. After getting a business bank account, work with a local accountant to establish how you should manage taxes and how to use software like Quickbooks to keep good financial records for your business. Then, establish a logo, brand colors, and brand fonts, and start to build out your 360 photo booth business. If you are not in a competitive market for 360 photo booths, using a tool like squarespace.com to build your 360 photo booth business website will allow you to create the site quickly, but if you are in a competitive marketplace, building a WordPress site may be a better option.
How To Market a 360 Photo Booth Business
After coming to an understanding of your market’s demand for 360 photo booths and the competitive landscape within the market, successful 360 photo booth businesses will turn their attention to marketing their services. Effective marketing initiatives in the photo booth industry include SEO and paid search marketing efforts, as well as paid social media advertising targeted toward common event activation buyers like newly engaged people.