2024 Portland Photo Booth Rental Cost Guide

How much does a photo booth cost to rent in Portland, OR?

Planning an event in Portland and thinking about a photo booth rental? You're in luck! We’ve analyzed the prices of every photo booth rental company in Portland, OR so you don't have to.

In this blog we dive deep into the world of Portland photo booth rentals. Breaking down prices, photo booth packages, and sharing insider tips to ensure you get the best bang for your buck.

So how much does a photo booth rental cost? The truth is, it depends on the type of photo booth and the duration of your rental. We’ll break down the cost for each photo booth type below but on average a photo booth rental in Portland, OR will cost around $600 - $900 for a 3 hour rental.

Open Air Printer Photo Booth Rental Cost

Open Air Printer Photo Booth rentals on average cost $900 for 3 hours. These rentals are premium photo booths that come with DSLR cameras capturing 24 Megapixel photos (for reference, newer iPhones capture photos at 12 Megapixels). Printed photos, a photo booth attendant, backdrops, setup and teardown are almost always included in these packages at this price point.

As you scour the internet you’ll find that these photo booths may also be referred to as:

• Printer Booths
• DSLR Booths
• Portrait Booths
• Guac and Chips (sounds crazy but this is a specific brand name product)

Open Air Printer Photo Booths are more expensive than Selfie Stations but cheaper than 360 photo booths or enclosed photo booths.

Insider Tip: As a photo booth owner I always recommend open air printer booths for weddings and galas. They're a more premium option and the photo quality to cost ratio is well worth it.

Glam Photo Booth Rental Cost

Glam Photo Booth rentals on average cost $1,250 for 3 hours. Rental companies use the same equipment for their Glam Photo Booths as they do their Open Air Printer Booths. The only difference and the reason Glam Booths are more expensive is because a black and white filter and skin smoothing feature are used. This gives the photos that model-esque look. When done right, the set up should also have extra lighting, which increases set up time and is another reason for the higher price point.

Again, us photo booth companies can make things confusing and name our booths differently so you may see a Glam Booth being called names like:

• Black and White Photo Booth
• Vogue Booth
• Kardashian Booth
• Noir Booth

As a photo booth owner I feel that I need to make a couple important callouts. If you decide to go the Glam Photo Booth route please review past Glam Booth event photos from your photo booth vendor. If there are only a couple examples on their website email them and ask for additional event photos. MAKE SURE THESE PHOTOS ARE UP TO YOUR STANDARDS!

‍My biggest gripe and something people aren’t aware of until it’s too late is the intensity of the glam filter. Photo booth operators can adjust the intensity of the skin smoothing look.

Unfortunately, many photo booth companies have a skin smoothing setting that's too intense and makes people look like cheap barbie dolls from Walmart. If that’s the look you want then perfect, if not, go find another vendor (like us 😉) or ask your photo booth operator if they can dial down the glam settings to look more realistic.

Insider Tip: Do some recon and make sure the intensity of your photo booth vendor's Glam filter is what you want. Some companies have filters that are too intense and can distort the facial features of guests.

Selfie Station Rental Cost

A Selfie Station on average costs $600 for a 3 hour rental. Now I’m going to say something that might be surprising but bear with me. Selfie Stations are iPad based photo booths. That means the camera is from the front-facing camera of an iPad, which is a 12 Megapixel camera. The same fidelity as a newer iPhone. The benefit to this is ease of use and lower cost to the consumer. 

The vast majority of photo booth companies in Portland offer Selfie Stations as a digital only rental. This means you only receive photos via text, Airdrop, or email. 

Since there are no printers involved and an iPad at the center of it all you’ll find that many companies offer Selfie Stations as a “Drop-Off” rental. With a Drop-Off rental your vendor will set up everything, give you a walkthrough, and then leave and let you have at it. No photo booth attendants are necessary. 

Insider Tip: There are pros and cons to a Selfie Station. When done right i.e. additional lighting is used, the operator knows the ideal camera settings, etc. these photo booths can capture great photos and are your cheapest option for a photo booth rental.

The biggest Con and red flag to look out for is quality of images. If your photo booth provider isn't using extra lighting beyond the ring light that comes with a Selfie Station the image quality will suffer. Ask your provider for photos of their set up and look at past event photos to make sure the quality is up to your standards.

As you scour the internet, you’ll find a number of different names for Selfie Stations. Some of these include: 

• Digital Photo Booth
• Drop-off Booth
• Social Booth
• Aura booth
• Salsa booth

360 Photo Booth Rental Cost

A 360 Photo Booth Rental on average costs $1,500 for a 3 hour rental. This is the most expensive photo booth rental option in the Portland area. 

These photo booths typically use either a GoPro or an iPhone as the camera of choice and create a 360 video output for guests. Not only are these the most expensive photo booths but they also take up the most real estate, so keep that in mind if you plan on going this route.

As a photo booth owner myself you think we’d be all over the idea of an expensive photo booth like this, right? Wrong. In my personal opinion a 360 photo booth is not worth the money. The output is anticlimactic and the set up is an eye sore. But hey, that’s my personal opinion and if you need recommendations on a good Portland provider of 360 photo booths please send us an email. 

Enclosed Photo Booth Rental Cost

A traditional Enclosed Photo Booth Rental on average costs $1,300 for a 3 hour rental. These are your tried and true old school photo booths. The kinds you’ll often find in bars or arcades. I don’t think much explanation is needed here. If you’re looking for an intimate photo booth experience that gives you that classic vibe, then an enclosed photo booth is a great option.

Photo Booth Add Ons & Hidden Fees

As you look around for your preferred photo booth vendor there are some add ons and hidden fees to look out for. Sometimes these are obvious, sometimes they're not. Since every company does things differently I’m not going to be able to give you an exact price range for every item listed below. That said, use this as a guide for things to look out for.

Travel Fees‍

This will vary but typically for event locations further than 30 miles from city center a travel fee will kick in. This can cost anywhere from $0.30 - $0.50/additional mile round trip. For example, if you rented from us here at Puddles Photo Booth and had a wedding at the Columbia Gorge Hotel & Spa in Hood River, OR the travel fee would look like this: 

• Total Mileage Round Trip = 122 Miles
• Total Mileage Charged = 92 Miles (122-30 since the first 30 miles are included)
• Total Cost = $46 ($0.50 * 92)

Idle Time‍

This is essentially an early set up fee where the photo booth will be set up but not active. This cost will vary depending on which photo booth you choose but is typically around $50-$100/hr. We highly recommend idle time particularly for weddings to ensure the photo booth set up doesn’t become a distraction as guests arrive.

Backdrops‍

Almost all photo booth companies will provide basic backdrop options free of charge. Premium backdrops like Flower Walls or Hedge Walls will run anywhere from $100 - $300 extra. 

Custom Overlays / Photo Templates‍

These are the designs that you’ll see around each photo that you take. They’re the photo borders and are custom made for each event. Some companies like us at Puddles Photo Booth provide these designs free of charge while others may charge upwards of $300 for a design. 

Now let me say, not all designs are created equal. There are a lot of crappy photo overlays/templates out there that cheapen the look of your photos. If you want a nice design make sure to look at past designs from a vendor and be as specific as possible when making requests. Throw some examples of designs you’ve seen from Instagram or Pinterest so they know what your expectations are. 

Photo Albums

‍If you’d like a physical photo album where guests can attach their photos and leave a note you’ll find that this can run anywhere from $50 - $200. 

Almost all companies in the Portland area will give you free access to a digital online gallery of all the photos from your event. If you’re being charged extra for a digital gallery it’s a red flag and you’re being nickel and dimed. 

Unlimited Prints

‍You’ll find this terminology all over photo booth rental websites. The truth is, most of the time “Unlimited” doesn’t really mean unlimited. 

Companies will either allow each guest to receive 1 print per photo op or they’ll charge an extra fee after a certain number of prints have been printed (typically after 300-500 prints have been made). Read the fine print here or ask your vendor for specifics so you’re not caught off guard.

Parting thoughts from a photo booth owner trying to help you out

As you look around for photo booth vendors please know that cheaper isn’t always better. There’s a strong chance you’ll sacrifice photo quality in the process of saving a few bucks. 

The truth is the photo booth industry has become highly commoditized over the past few years. More and more people are buying cheap photo booths and getting into this industry as a side hustle without knowing the first thing about photography. These are the companies that are undercutting others on price. 

That said, if you're shopping on price and price alone please ask the company you’re looking at to provide photo examples from past events. If the quality looks bad, go somewhere else. 

With all that said, here at Puddles Photo Booth we are completely transparent on pricing. What you see on our website is what you get. There are no hidden fees. Every photo booth package includes custom photo template designs, backdrops, props, online galleries, and everything else you could ever dream of. 

If you’re interested in inquiring with us about a future event please submit a form here. If you have any questions about photo booths, I literally mean anything at all, please feel free to email me and I’ll do my best to help you out. 

XOXO,

Connor - Owner of Puddles Photo Booth