MELBOURNE, Australia -- Who better to design a photobooth than a couple of commercial photographers? Melbourne's Marija Ivkovic and Lachlan Moore, whose clients include Elle Magazine and Foster's, the world-renowned brewery, have done just that. Their apparatus, introduced in the spring of 2008, is designed specifically for corporate functions.
Described as "seriously sexy" and "boothielicious," the new picture machine boasts an unexpected feature: it's partially inflatable. The optical, image-processing and printing subsystems are housed in a slender vertical module; the enclosure for the patron extends from this module when its walls are pressurized, forming an eye-catching curvilinear structure. According to Ivkovic, this complements the sleek design while enhancing portability.
Simply called Photobooth, the fully digital system displays images in real time on a 19" LCD monitor. Provision is made for connecting multiple large-format displays such as plasma screens, as well as projectors that can cast even larger pictures onto surfaces including walls, billboards and pavement.
Internet-enabled, the Photobooth links to an online Web gallery, with a choice of public or secure access offering download, print and "email-to-a-friend" functions to a gallery of photos that remain available for three to six months. Corporate clients also can order a disk of images for Web use, as well as an optional coffee table book containing up to 400 pages of images.
Photobooth has been installed at parties for L'Oreal Homme, Holden, Mercedes, Blackberry Bold, the National Australia Bank, Foster's and Myer Department Stores.
At present, Photobooth is only available in Australia.
