Few things build community within a church more effectively than a fun event, and few things capture a moment and tell a story more than pictures. A church photo booth lets you do both!
I recently spoke with Carolyn Clement, website and social media manager at Trinity Episcopal Church in Tariffville, Conn., about a photo booth project she coordinated at her church on Easter Sunday. She said the photo booth was a great opportunity for families to capture a moment that otherwise might have been missed.
Carolyn decided on the spur of the moment to set up a simple, yet attractive photo booth in her church’s narthex. She draped fabric over bulletin boards to create a nice backdrop for the pictures, and then a friend helped her by providing creative props, chairs and flower arrangements. In a matter of minutes the fun and functional photo booth was ready to go.
On Easter weekend people took pictures, captured moments and made memories. There’s a lot more to the story, though.
In the days following Easter Sunday, family members posted their photo booth pictures to their personal social media platforms, tagging their entire family and Trinity Episcopal Church. Word of the church and its faith family spread across social media platforms in a fresh and unique way, authentic to the voice of its members and community. What a fantastic way to spread the word about the church and create opportunities for faith life discussions and invitations to “visit Trinity!”
Convinced a photo booth is a really good idea? Great! Let’s get going on your photo booth project. Here are some how-to tips:
Form a Volunteer Team
Photo booths are a great way to involve people in a fun project. Make sure to recruit a photographer and then find people skilled at creativity, organization and processing to help you out.
Don’t Overthink It
Take it from Carolyn: photo booths don’t need to be complicated. They can be as simple as a chair, some flowers, a pretty window or maybe an outdoor spot. Simply create a fun setting that lets your members capture a special moment, share an important message or tell a story. Rely on your creative team member for help.
Invite Participation
In the days or weeks prior to the photo booth event, send out notices to people, inviting them to participate. Remind them to come early or stay late for a fun photo opportunity. In most cases, people want to participate and are just waiting for an invitation. Rely on your organizer for this task.
Line up Cameras and a Photographer
Some people might want to take their own pictures or pose for selfies, but not everyone carries smartphones with good cameras in them. Make sure a volunteer photographer is ready when needed. Or you might prefer that all photos be taken by a professional photographer, which is fine too. Whatever the case, rely on the photographer on your team to manage this responsibility.
Process. Process. Process.
To prevent confusion, be sure to put a process in place. Here are some things to communicate:
- Where the line starts at the photo booth.
- How members can get copies of the photos if they don’t take their own.
- You want them to post their pictures on social media!
- Where and when you will post the pictures on your social media.
- How members can tag themselves in posted pictures.
- They can “opt out” of having their pictures posted on social media (then tell them how: a simple “opt out” form is all you need).
Rely on your processor to work all this out.
Have Fun
Remember, you’re building community among your members and making great memories. Have fun doing both! Fun and spontaneous photos tell a great story and send a positive message about your church community. All of your volunteers are responsible for ensuring this is a fun event, so encourage them to relax and enjoy themselves.
Share & Utilize the Photos
There are several ways you can share and utilize your photos.
- Be sure everybody receives a copy of their photos, whether printed or digital.
- Ask people to share the photos on their social media platforms and tag your church. This spreads the word about your mission and opens doors to growth in members and ministry.
- Create a member directory with the photos and put your directory online. This helps everyone become more familiar with one another and provides a ministry tool your staff can use to review member names and faces.
- Rely on both your organizer and photographer to get the pictures out to your members and on your social media platforms.
If done correctly, your photo booth will be a big hit and your event a big success!
Carolyn plans on offering a photo booth at Trinity several times throughout the year, especially during holidays and special events, which is an excellent idea. Make yours available as often as you like. Change the themes to fit the season, but always remember to keep it fun and functional.
More
For additional photo booth ideas and information, take a look at these sites:
- Church Directory Photo Booth on Pinterest
- How a Simple Photo Booth Supercharged My Social Media by Steve Fogg
- 8 Things I Learned Hosting a Church Photo Booth by Kendall Conner
