Cowboy or Halloween party with a photo booth: ideas and tips

A photo booth really comes into its own at a cowboy or Halloween party when the props, the backdrop and the print all match your theme. Guests who turn up in costume want a photo that does it justice. For an evening party, Care-Free (€400) is your best bet, and if you want a saloon or misty forest behind your guests, go for Care-Free with green screen (€575).

How do you plan a cowboy party with a photo booth?

Hay bales, western music and country outfits set the mood before anyone has even posed. The booth simply becomes part of the scenery.

• Props: cowboy hats, sheriff's stars, lassos and guns that are clearly fake. Lay them out on an old table or a straw bale and they instantly belong to the setting.
• Backdrop: a dusty prairie or the front of a saloon.
• Dress code: ask guests to come as a cowboy, cowgirl or bandit. You can split them into two camps on the invitation, sheriffs against bandits, and the group photos will follow on their own.
• Photo strip: a vintage look or a wood pattern, with your text in western lettering like a "Wanted" poster.

Keep loose straw away from the cables and the power socket.

Which ideas work at a Halloween party?

At Halloween, most guests are already in costume. All you have to do is provide the spooky setting. See how our Retrobooth does that in photo booth hire for Halloween.

• Props: witches' hats, vampire teeth, skulls and cobwebs make a costume look even scarier on camera.
• Backdrop: a dark set, castle ruins or a misty forest.
• Photo strip: pumpkins, bats and a creepy typeface.
• Atmosphere: dim the room, but leave enough light for people to find the props. Don't put a smoke machine right next to the booth, because moisture isn't good for it.

Green screen or a physical backdrop?

For a forest, a castle or the prairie, green screen is the easiest option: your guests stand in front of a green cloth and you choose the image that replaces it. You can read how that works and what to watch out for in our guide to the green screen photo booth. If you prefer something tangible, a physical backdrop is a €50 option. A homemade set works too: a few straw bales or some sheets and cobwebs are often enough.

One thing to watch with green screen: green costumes and green witches' hats disappear from the picture.

How do you run a photo competition?

A competition keeps the booth busy all night. Let guests vote for the most hilarious or authentic cowboy photo, or for the scariest, funniest and most original Halloween photo. Add a few small prizes.

The practical side needs some thought, because you normally only receive the digital photos via a web link within two weeks. So vote during the party on what's already there:

• Prints: have guests hang their print on a wall or washing line and vote with stickers. That means choosing a package with prints, so not Social. With the extra prints by post option (€35), you also receive all the prints in duplicate at home after the party.
• Slideshow: show the photos on your own screen or projector (€50), and let the room applaud the winner.

Guests can also put their photo straight on their phone via a QR code and share it on social media. That's handy if you're organising a party for a café, youth club or association and would like some online visibility. It does require internet, and you can make sure of that with the internet anywhere option (€9). Put your logo or the name of the party on the print, so everyone can see where the photo was taken.

Which package should you choose for an evening theme party?

There's €25 between Comfort and Care-Free. That's worth it if your party might run late, because Comfort stops after 6 hours. You'll find all the details under all packages and prices.

You arrange the collection time with us. If the booth has to go during the night, there's night-time collection: €60 between midnight and 1am, €90 between 1am and 7am. If there's a problem during the party, our member of staff on standby will first help by phone or remotely, and otherwise on site until 01:00 at the latest. If someone is celebrating their birthday in costume, also take a look at photo booth hire for a birthday.