Open-air photobooth hire · Sydney
What is an open-air photobooth, and why does Say Cheese Co. use one in Sydney?
An open-air photobooth is a camera, a studio flash and a backdrop with no enclosure, so groups of eight to ten fit in one frame. Say Cheese Co.'s open-air booth in Sydney is built around a Canon EOS R100 mirrorless camera with a true off-camera studio flash, prints in under 9 seconds, and starts at $1,299 for The Set with 3 hours of unlimited prints.
Last updated: · Say Cheese Co., Sydney
What does open-air mean?
An enclosed booth is a box with a curtain that fits two or three people. An open-air booth removes the box. The camera and flash stand on one side, the backdrop on the other, and the space between them is the stage. Eight to ten people fit comfortably, the rest of the room can see what is happening, and the queue forms on its own.
It also means the booth belongs in the room rather than in a corridor. It goes beside the bar or the dance floor, where guests already are.
What camera and lighting does the booth use?
Most booth photos look flat because they lean on a tablet camera or a harsh pop-up flash. This booth is built around a Canon EOS R100 mirrorless camera with a true off-camera studio flash, the same lighting principle that separates a portrait from a snapshot. Skin is rendered warmly and honestly, whites stay white, and every frame is properly lit regardless of the venue's lighting.
- Black-and-white, colour and glam filters on every photo.
- GIFs and boomerangs alongside the stills.
- Prints in under 9 seconds, unlimited, for the full 3 hours.
- Instant gallery via QR, SMS and email, hosted for 12 months.
Which backdrops are available?
| Backdrop | Price |
|---|---|
| Standard Black | Included in The Set |
| Standard White | Included in The Set |
| Floral White | $89 upgrade |
| Gold Stardust | $89 upgrade |
| Pink Romance | $89 upgrade |
| Dreamy Blue | $89 upgrade |
Standard black and white come with The Set. The four patterned backdrops are the premium backdrop upgrade, $89 once, whichever of the four you choose. To dress the space around the booth, a neon sign is $99 and a red carpet entrance is $89.
How much space and power does it need?
Roughly a three metre by three metre area and one standard power point within reach. That covers the backdrop, the camera stand, the flash and enough room for a group to stand without anyone's elbow in shot. Setup and packdown happen outside the booked hours, before the first guest arrives.
How does open-air compare with enclosed, mirror and 360 booths?
| Type | Group size | Output | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open-air | 8 to 10 | Prints, GIFs, boomerangs, instant gallery | Weddings, parties and corporate events where the booth should be part of the room |
| Enclosed | 2 to 3 | Prints | Small groups who want privacy behind a curtain |
| Mirror | 3 to 5 | Prints with on-screen animations | A hardware centrepiece in a large foyer |
| 360 | 1 to 3 on a platform | Slow-motion video | Video-first events with room for the platform and a clear circle around it |
The longer comparison, including what each type typically costs in Sydney, is in the open-air versus mirror versus 360 guide.
Frequently asked questions
- How many people fit in an open-air photobooth photo?
- Eight to ten comfortably. With no enclosure, the only limit is the width of the backdrop and how close people are willing to stand.
- Does an open-air booth work in a bright room or outdoors under cover?
- Yes. The off-camera studio flash lights the photo, so the room's lighting matters far less than it does for a tablet-based booth. Outdoors it needs cover from rain and a power point within reach.
- Is a backdrop included?
- Yes. Standard black or white comes with The Set at no extra cost. Floral White, Gold Stardust, Pink Romance, Dreamy Blue are the $89 premium backdrop upgrade, charged once whichever of the four you pick.
- Are props included?
- Yes. Styled props are part of The Set, chosen to suit the event rather than pulled from a generic bin.
- Is there a printer on site, or are photos digital only?
- Both. Every photo prints in under 9 seconds, unlimited, and every photo is in the instant gallery for guests to save by QR, SMS or email.
Check your date
Build your Set from $1299.
Three hours of unlimited prints, an instant QR gallery, a trained operator and the Say Cheese Guarantee™ are in every Set. Add only what you want.
Or call (02) 8789 3037