retrocam

DIY photo booth with a laptop, iPad or phone

You don't need to rent a booth. Put a laptop or iPad on a table at eye height, light the guests from the front, hang a plain backdrop and open the free RetroCam booth in the browser. Guests press one button, the booth counts down and takes four photos, and the strip comes out with a film look and frame. Save the 4x6 print sheet if you want to print strips on the night.

Open the boothPose ideas for guests

What you need

A laptop, iPad or phone
Anything with a camera and a modern browser. A laptop or tablet is easier, because guests can see themselves on a bigger screen.
A stand
A table for a laptop. A tripod or tablet stand for an iPad or phone. Put the camera at about eye height.
Light
A lamp or ring light just behind the screen, pointing at the guests. Avoid a bright window behind them.
A backdrop
A plain wall, a sheet, a curtain or a cheap foil fringe. Keep it within about a metre of the guests so it fills the frame.
Props
Hats, glasses, signs, a feather boa. A small box of real props does more than any filter.
A printer (optional)
Any photo printer that takes 4x6 in (10x15 cm) paper, if you want prints on the night.

How to set it up

  1. Before the party, open retrocam.studio/booth on the device and allow the camera, so guests never see the permission prompt.
  2. Pick the layout and frame: tap the layout name at the top. Classic strip with the Film strip frame is the traditional booth look.
  3. Pick one look from the row under the camera and leave it. Every strip from the night then matches.
  4. Stand where the guests will stand and check that two or three faces fit. Each photo is cropped to a square, so groups need to lean in.
  5. Tape a small sign next to it: "Press the round button. Four photos. Three seconds each."
  6. Plug the device in. A camera running all evening drains a battery fast.

Using an iPad or phone

Open the booth in Safari or Chrome and use the front camera, so guests see themselves. Put the tablet in a stand or on a tripod with a phone clamp, in portrait. Tap Share, then Add to Home Screen, so it opens full screen like an app. If you have a ring light, place it behind the tablet so it lights faces without glare on the screen.

Printing the strips

After a strip is taken, choose Print and Save. You get a 4x6 in sheet at 300 dpi with the same strip twice, side by side, and a dashed line down the middle. Print it on 4x6 photo paper at 100% scale, then cut it in two: one strip for the guest, one for a guest book. Print is offered for the Classic strip layout. The photo strip maker guide covers sizes and printing in more detail.

Ideas by occasion

Questions

Do I need an app for a DIY photo booth?

No. RetroCam runs in the browser on a laptop, iPad or phone. If you add it to your home screen or install it from the browser, it also works offline once loaded.

Can guests start it on their own?

Yes. They press the round shutter button and the booth counts down from 3 before each of the four photos. There is no remote or motion trigger, so someone has to press the button.

Can it print automatically?

No. RetroCam does not talk to printers. Save the Print format, a 4x6 in sheet with two copies of the strip, and print it from the device. Cut along the dashed line to get two 2x6 in strips.

Where do all the strips go?

Each strip is saved in Your roll on that device, which keeps the last 20. Save or share the ones you want before the roll fills up. Nothing is uploaded, so guests do not get a gallery link.