Operator Spotlight: Karen from Foto Machines Adelaide

Karen from Foto Machines joins us this week to talk photo booths. Foto Machines services Adelaide in South Australia and hires out automated photo booths with all inclusive packages at affordable prices. Karen is relatively new to photo boothing but has built herself a great little business which she is growing and able to scale thanks to her business model.

When was the first time you can remember being in a photo booth?

My first photo booth experience was at my 21st birthday. I had heard of photo booths at parties and really wanted one for my birthday! Hiring one was outside of the budget, so I figured out how to do a D.I.Y. one. I got to see how much everyone loved it and it was a huge success with hundreds of photos taken that night. This experience made me want to make sure my product was affordable and saved people the time and resources needed to make their own. 

How long have your been a "photo boother" and what made you decide to become one?

I started researching photo booths and running a business in September 2014. I opened FOTO Machines in March 2015. Fast forward to today and we have been operating for about 15 months. I decided to become a “photo boother” after my Dad suggested it one day. I then spent that evening doing a bit of a google to see what was already in Adelaide and what was involved in starting a photo booth business. By the end of the evening I knew it was something that I wanted to do! With the help of my family and partner (who still help me now!), FOTO Machines has grown to where it is today!

What do you believe it is about your photo booth hire business that sets it apart from your local competition?

I have always wanted FOTO Machines to be affordable and simple. We have one package that includes all of the essentials that you need for a photo booth hire. We then have optional upgrades which if you are looking for something a bit extra you can add on to the standard package. Simple. Our photo booth hire is for the duration of your event (up to 7 hours!). The idea being that you don’t need to pick a 3 or a 4 hour package and only have your guests entertained for part of your event. The photo booth can be there for the whole event and provide hours of laughs and entertainment! Finally, our photo booth is so simple to use that you don’t need an attendant on site to run the photo booth. The photo booth runs its self after the start button is pushed. This enables us to keep our prices very competitive.

Is there one photo booth hire you have done that has stood out above all the rest and why?

During the 2015 Christmas season we provided a photo booth for a branch of a big company’s Christmas party. The photo booth was a huge hit and hundreds of photos were taken. The next day I was contacted again by the client. Her boss was at the Christmas party and had seen how awesome the photo booth was! He wondered if we could do the Christmas party for the other branch he managed the following weekend! What an opportunity! We jumped on board and did back-to-back Christmas parties for the company. The second Christmas party took even more photos and holds the current FOTO Machines record for most photos taken at an event, with 268 sessions or 804 individual photos taken in 5.5 hours! 

What's the best tip you can give someone who is considering hiring a photo booth for their important event?

Do it! It will be one of the best decisions you make for your event. Even if you are weighing up the cost; if there is a way that you can make it work I would really suggest booking that booth! A few other tips: ask questions, even if they seem silly! Make sure that the people you book with are prompt to respond to enquiries. Don’t be afraid to ask for something specific or something to fit your theme.

Who in your opinion has the most fun in a photo booth kids or adults, boys or girls, men or women? 

Everyone! There is no age limit or gender that has the most fun in a photo booth! From young children right through to the oldies, everyone can have fun, be creative and let their hair down. If I’m being honest, I’ve heard from a few people that the kids do hog the photo booth until the adults tell them that it’s their turn! The oldies often have the most surprising or funny photos. They do things that you don’t expect!

So there you have it, a little peak into Karen's motivation and some behind the scenes insights from her Foto Machines business. For her time we thank Karen and wish her well on her photo boothing journey. If you are in Adelaide and thinking about getting an affordable automated photo booth be sure to get in touch with Karen from Foto Machines. 

CLICK HERE to enquire with Foto Machines today!

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