Today, I am happy to introduce you to Leo Ridge, owner of Snaparazzi Photo, a photo booth company serving Mississippi and the Gulf Coast since 2011.
-Steve
It all started as a DIY business with a laptop, a webcam, an EPSON inkjet printer, and a borrowed green screen.
What’s your story?
Our first event was a Halloween party in 2011 for our Downtown Association. It was a success—our photo booth line never stopped. In fact, the event organizer had to ask us to shut down because the event had ended an hour earlier, and the area needed to be cleared.
Each event brought in multiple leads for other gigs, and things quickly grew from there. We’ve come a long way since then, especially with our technology. One of the biggest turning points, about two years in, was upgrading from an inkjet printer to dye-sublimation printers from Imaging Spectrum. The speed and quality of the prints improved dramatically, and the cost of materials dropped significantly. Before the switch, we were constantly hunting for ink and paper, spending hours driving to Best Buy, Office Depot, and Walmart.
When we started, we only had an open booth and a green screen because we didn’t have backdrops or even stands. The green screen was borrowed from a photographer friend. Eventually, we upgraded to DSLRs and strobe lighting, which significantly improved the quality of our photos. We had some fun green screen events early on, and I even posted photos in the early days of the Photo Booth Network, where I received compliments from others in the industry.
Networking on social media helped me connect with key people. The biggest break came when I worked with Todd Freshman from The Green Screen Digital Entertainment. Through that collaboration, I learned the power and flexibility of Darkroom Core, which I later introduced to my market. Today, we use 4-5 different photo booth software/apps, each tailored to specific needs. Darkroom Core is our go-to for high-volume events like Santa photos, meet-and-greets, and high-end green screen setups.
Tell us about your business.
Most of our business is local—weddings, parties, fundraisers, school events, and college functions. We also do a lot of corporate work for casinos and businesses at trade shows and conferences. Over the years, we’ve built a book of annual clients that continues to grow.
I realized early on that our success in photography-based events (photo booths) came down to a few key factors: instant gratification with dye-sub printers and digital sharing, photo quality, reliability, and most importantly—the experience. It’s not uncommon for guests to tell us that the experience we provide is a highlight of the event. At its core, this is a people business.
Tell us about a particular event you’re proud of.
We spent three days taking green screen photos for the State High School Basketball Championships. It was a huge hit, and we were able to deliver some stunning photos.
How has working with Imaging Spectrum and Darkroom impacted your business?
We use DNP DS40, DS620, RX1, DS80, and Fuji DX100 printers. I rely on Imaging Spectrum for all our printing needs. Their products and services are always dependable.
Darkroom Software has opened up numerous opportunities for our business. Whether it’s Santa photos, corporate events, or green screen setups, I never have to worry about its stability or performance—it always delivers.
What else would you like readers to know about your business?
Although we’re based in a small market, we offer most of the services you’d find in larger markets. We’ve done—and look forward to doing more—white-label events. I maintain good relationships with competitors in our market and nearby areas. I’m always willing to help and have been saved by the help of these “competitors” as well.