Why do we all do it? Because it's a great laugh, you get to take the pictures away and keep them forever afterwards, right? Imagine if you could do that whilst dressed up in your prom outfits. Even better, imagine that it has a background much more interesting than plain white, blue or grey – a backdrop designed to tie in with your prom theme even! Sound cool? Well, that's exactly what a rather brilliant company called Pergola Photo does: fun photo booths that you can have at your prom with decorated backdrops to go with your prom theme.

I interviewed the lovely Deborah who is the bright spark behind this idea to get the low-down on the Pergola "Fun booths" so you can learn all you need to know.

Prom Organiser: Your photo booths are a great idea – how do you sum up what you provide to people in a nutshell?

Deborah from Pergola: A Pergola "Fun Booth" is just like a passport photo booth but more luxurious, able to be decorated and using the latest state-of-the-art digital technology. The booth offers novel and lasting entertainment, quickly producing superb portraits that guests will enjoy and keep forever. The pictures provide happy memories and appealing souvenirs of their prom night.

Prom Organiser: Can the booths be decorated in any way by the prom committee?

Deborah from Pergola: Yes, but they should consult us first so they are fully aware of the specifications of the booth. We like to see a booth as a blank canvas, like a theatre set that can be decorated to match whichever prom theme they like.

The decor can be something simple or more exotic, a lavish beach hut with reeds and bamboo, butterflies and cockatiels, or the Taj Mahal booth design, to give a couple of examples.

Prom Organiser: Does a member of your company come to set everything up?

Deborah from Pergola: Yes, at least 2 people come to set it up and then stay for the rest of evening to help out.

Prom Organiser: How long does the setting up take?

Deborah from Pergola: This depends on where the Booth will be situated within a venue.  Usually a total of between 1 to 1 ½ hours but we like to allow two.

Prom Organiser: Do the booths replace traditional photographers?

Deborah from Pergola: We are entertainment – NOT photography. If a prom was strapped for cash they could be an alternative but the pictures produced are a very different style to the ones provided by professional photographers. The photo booth pictures are very informal and private.

Prom Organiser: Tell me about the wristpic bands (again, another brilliant idea!)

Deborah from Pergola: These are USB memory sticks on a wrist band. Guests can use them to take their pictures home to load onto Facebook. It's on a wristband because prom dresses don't come with pockets! They cost around £5.00 each.

Prom Organiser: What is the funniest picture you've seen taken in one of your booths?

Deborah from Pergola: Hmmm, I daren't say!  Some rather risqué pictures have been taken that we have been requested to delete afterwards.

Prom Organiser: Are the pictures stored over the evening so reprints can be ordered?

Deborah from Pergola: Yes, we keep the images for some time after the event.  We don't display them on the Internet as we respect the privacy of individual guests, however, a DVD containing all the images is sent to the Host/Organiser.

As for reprints, we have a unique feature called the Concierge Desk. The photo concierge desk produces reprints and enlargements on the night itself, so there's no waiting around afterwards. Typically these are 4″ x 6″ but we can do 6″ x 9″ enlargements if anyone wants them.

Prom Organiser: What can be done with the pictures afterwards (thinking about prom year books, personalised T-shirts etc – do you help with any of those?)

Deborah from Pergola: Absolutely! We have a section on our website dedicated to school year books for example, we can also do mugs, key fobs and all sorts of digital take-home items. There are loads of ideas on our website.

Prom Organiser: If a prom committee is interested in hiring a booth, how do they do this? What is the booking process? (i.e. call, deposit, payment before/after event?)

Deborah from Pergola: We like to talk to the prom organiser or prom committee representative first in order to get the full details, e.g. number of guests, timings, décor etc.  After which, I will send a confirmatory email giving prices and what they will get for their money. We require a 50% deposit with the balance being paid at least 4 weeks before the event.

So there you have it – what a great idea! Pergola Photo has loads of experience and have provided their booths to huge events and weddings as well as proms, so you don't have to worry about getting in touch. Have fun!

On prom night

Obviously everyone wants a fun and enjoyable time and a good photographer will contribute to this. A good rapport and a degree of flexibility are, in our experience appreciated by the guests. If your photographer has specified a time limited attendance only for arrivals then it is important that your guests are aware of this so they aren’t left disappointed when he or she has packed up and left. On the flipside if the photographer is there until the end there is no need for everyone to ‘pile’ into the studio area at the same time especially if the food is being served.

From a photographers point of view we would love to have orderly queues and a reasonably calm area but…we know this isn’t going to happen! Personally I think the noise and excitement add to the fun of being there.

If there is a single thing that concerns me more than any other at any prom or for that matter any event it would be damage to the equipment. Accidents do happen but all we would ask is simply to be careful in and around the studio area. Not just because we are worried about our equipment but we also want everyone to be safe. We have seen occasions where a guest comes diving onto the studio to be part of a group already in place. Fortunately nothing was damaged and we got some good photos but all I would add is please be careful and everything will be fine.

When the photos are being taken expect around 2-4 shots of any individual or group on the studio at the time. These should then be available to view and you can choose to have them printed. Usually if you don’t like the photos you will be able to have them re-taken. At Event-Pics we don’t put a limit on the number of photos you can have taken, so as long as you don’t mind queuing we will take your photograph.

Incorporating a prom theme into the photography

If your prom is to have a theme, for example a Masquerade Ball, then prom photographs can easily incorporate this. You will find that most photographers tend to use two particular styles of background, either a coloured patterned background or a white background for ‘high key’ images. White backgrounds are very popular because they can bring out the colour and vibrance in the dresses as well as bringing the focus onto the subject. With this type of event is it wiser to go with a simpler background and leave the theme for specific events like Christmas parties.

If you do want to have something in the photo that identifies it as the prom it is possible is to have some text added to the photograph as it gets printed. This would need to be arranged beforehand with the photographer but you could then have the name of the school and the perhaps the year included.

To summarise this post I’ve listed a few items to help in selecting a prom photographer

• Make sure the photographer has covered proms before

• Look at samples from previous events, reputable photographers will be happy to supply them

• Don’t be fooled into believing the lowest cost will be the best, it could lead to disappointment

• Make certain you know how long the photographer will stay for

• Look for on-site printing to save any delay in receiving photos after the event

Keep these in mind and you’ll have a fun night and some great photos to show for it.

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Many thanks to David, if any of you have any questions related to prom photography then simply ask in the comments below or if you’re shy, use the contact form. Next week will be part two of our series on prom themes – why not take a look at part one before you go?

How do you go about finding the right prom photographer?

Firstly decide what sort of photography you want. Do you want someone wandering around throughout the evening taking pictures of guests at the tables, with groups of friends or just capturing the atmosphere? Alternatively, and by far the more popular, do you want a studio set up at your prom providing you with an area in which you and your guests can have the photographs taken?

The majority of prom photographers operate a studio set up because this can be lit correctly and will avoid distracting backgrounds. This is what sets these photos apart from those taken in amongst the event itself.

Next, do you want printing on-site or available after the event? In my opinion, printing on site is by far the best choice as you won’t have to wait until a later date to receive your photos. In addition if the photographer is printing on site you should be able to view the images before they are printed. The one big advantage with this is that YOU can choose which photo to have printed and if there are none you like you can simply have it taken again. Be aware that not all photographers operate like this and might only take 2-3 shots that you will have to choose from.

Another point to consider is whether you will be expected to pay a booking fee. Some companies work like this, others don’t, but either way make sure you know in advance what sort of service will be provided. It is well worth checking the photographer's website to look at the types of events they have covered and the style of photographs you can expect. Some event photographers specialise in purely outdoor events and while this doesn’t mean they won’t cover a prom it does mean that you need to know they can confidently cover your event. Dealing with 150 year 11s is totally different to shooting an equestrian event!

Booking your prom photographer

So having chosen a photographer, how can you help them in the run up to the prom? Firstly, and probably most importantly, make sure that you as a committee have all agreed which photographer will be turning up! This might sound obvious but the last thing that is needed is two different photographers arriving because one has spoken to a year head and the other has dealt with the prom committee. At the very least, expect to have to complete a booking form from your chosen photographer.

What does a prom photographer need to know before the event?

Most of the information we need is usually supplied on the booking form or even at the initial contact stage. However here is a list of information that we find very useful:

• Name and address of the venue
• Event date and time and possibly the finish time
• Approximate number of guests
• Contact name at the venue

One of the most important points to know beforehand is where the studio area will be located at the event. The space available will depend on the venue. From some of our past proms we have been in the room with the guests, by the side of the dance floor, in a separate room away from the function and even in a reception area. None of these had an effect on the popularity of the service but we were slightly concerned about where the queues of people could go.

Another factor that affects the space needed is the range of photos that are to be taken. With more space available larger group shots are possible and experience tells us that group shots prove very popular. Roughly speaking an area of around 4 metres wide by 6-8 metres long would be ideal. The area will need to have power sockets nearby, preferably spread over 2-3 points and for safety reasons not encroach onto a public walkway or cover a fire exit.

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Many thanks to David, if any of you have any questions related to prom photography then simply ask in the comments below or if you’re shy, use the contact form.

Part two will be coming soon, including advice for prom night itself, and whether to incorporate your prom theme into the prom photo backdrops. Oh, and there's only one week left on our competition to win an iPod!