What Is a Photo Booth and What Are Its Different Types?

The word comes from the Photomaton, the first automatic photo machine, patented in New York in 1925 and exported to Europe a few years later. That is why the same machine shows up under several names: photo booth, photobooth, photomaton machine, photo kiosk or camera booth. In Spanish it is fotomatón, in Italian cabina foto, in German Fotobox.

The meaning is the same in every case: an automated photo machine that people operate themselves, with no photographer, and that delivers the result on the spot, on paper or on their phone.

A photo booth machine combines three parts: a camera (a Canon DSLR or a webcam depending on the model), a touchscreen where the guest sees themselves and picks an effect, and a thermal printer that delivers the print in seconds. The software ties them together: countdown, shot, template, then print or send to the phone by QR code. That is all the photo booth technology there is.

From the guest's side it works like this:

• Stand in front of the camera and tap the screen to start.
• Pick photo, photo strip, GIF or video, depending on the model.
• Pose with the countdown; the booth shoots on its own, no operator.
• Collect the print or receive it by QR code, email or WhatsApp.

A 360 photo booth works differently: the guest steps onto a spinning platform and a motorised arm holding the camera circles around them recording a slow-motion video, or the arm hangs from an overhead stand and spins above the group without a platform.

These are the photo booth types you will find on the market and what each is used for:

Classic strip photo booth: an enclosed cabin with a curtain that takes a series of photos and prints them as a strip. It is the original booth, and photo booth pictures printed this way are still called photo strips.

Open photo booth: no walls, a tower with camera and screen in front of a decorative backdrop. Fits big groups and all the props you want.

Magic mirror photo booth: a full-length mirror with a touchscreen. Guests see their reflection, add effects, sign their photos and share them instantly. It is the luxury booth you see most at estate and hotel weddings.

360 photo booth: a spinning platform (or overhead arm) with a camera that circles the guests and records slow-motion videos for Instagram and TikTok.

Vintage or analogue photo booth: a cabin with a retro 80s look, like our Vintage Premium or Vintage Neon. Almost all are digital today, with thermal printing; very few chemical booths remain and they work as collector pieces in a handful of labs and bars.

Coin operated photo booth: the arcade style passport machine in shopping centres and stations that prints ID and passport photos. It is a document machine, not an event booth, and we explain the difference below.

For weddings, the most requested types are the magic mirror, the vintage strip booth and the 360; all three print or share on the spot and take custom templates.

Many searches for "photo booth near me" or "photo booth machine" are looking for the coin operated passport booth: the kiosk in shopping centres, supermarkets, bus stations and metro stops that prints ID, passport and driving licence photos. These machines take coins and, increasingly, cards; they shoot on their own with a plain background and official dimensions, and most large stores have one.

If that is what you need, type "photo booth" or "passport photos" into the map app on your phone with location switched on, or ask at the information desk of the shopping centre.

This site is about the other kind: the event photo booth you buy or rent for weddings, communions, birthdays, fairs and shopping centres, which prints unlimited photos with a custom template and records 360 videos. That is what we build and sell, and what the rest of our guides cover.

An event photo booth is used at weddings, birthdays, communions, christenings, private parties, corporate events, fairs, openings and advertising campaigns. At a wedding it works as entertainment between the ceremony and the reception, and the printed strips double as a guest book; at a company event it activates the brand with corporate templates and generates social content instantly; in a shopping centre it works on its own, charging per photo, as a vending photo booth.

We have dedicated guides with prices and models for each case: wedding photo booth, communions, birthdays, corporate events and shopping centres.

The price of a photo booth depends on the model and on whether you buy or rent it.

Buying a photo booth: from 2.290 € to 4.290 € depending on the model, direct from our factory in Spain and with a warranty. It is the logical option if you are going to use it professionally or often. The Canon camera and the DNP printer are quoted separately, on request. The full breakdown by model is in our guide how much is a photo booth.

Renting a photo booth: from 300 € to 800 € for a one-off event, usually with setup, an on-site attendant and takedown; at weddings it normally includes unlimited photos. We offer rental in the main Spanish cities, including Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Valencia, Malaga and Mallorca, see all cities.

Second-hand photo booth: advertised cheaper, but with no warranty or support and often with expired software. Before deciding, read is a cheap photo booth worth it and what to check on a used photo booth.

The choice depends on the use:

• Physical photos and a paper keepsake → classic strip booth or Magic Mirror: instant printing with a DNP printer (quoted separately) and unlimited photos.
• Viral videos → 360 photo booth: slow-motion videos for Instagram and TikTok.
• Rental business → 360 Platform or Overhead, or a mirror if you work weddings: they are the most rented and the investment comes back within a few events.
• Fixed spot charging per photo → vending photo booth for a shopping centre, hotel or park, with Nayax card and coin payment.

If you are torn between a photo booth and a 360 platform, the comparison is in 360 platform or overhead 360 and every model is in buy a photo booth. We are direct manufacturers in Spain, no middlemen, with warranty and fast shipping.

A few variants come up often in searches and are worth clearing up:

• DIY photo booth: a tablet or a DSLR on a tripod, a ring light and a photo booth app. Fine for a house party; for paid events it falls short because it does not print, does not handle continuous use and lacks the presence of a tower.
• Portable photo booth: the 360 platform assembles in about 45 minutes with a click system and fits in a car boot; mirrors and photo towers travel in a flight case.
• Digital or virtual photo booth: a web app where guests take the photo with their own phone and everything lands in a shared gallery. No printing and no professional camera, but it works for online events.
• Automated photo booth: any modern booth is automated; the guest runs the whole session from the touchscreen and the machine shoots, prints and shares without an attendant.