As our active membership continues to grow at an amazing pace we are starting to see a growing number of support requests for technical issues in our photo booth forums. This great and the great part of the PBO community, we are here to put the collective experience of all of our fantastic members to use. At the same time though this can become very frustrating for both those trying to help an individual and the individual themselves. This is commonly due to missing information. To help with this I am writing this tip on how to best get support for your technical questions.
There are three common types of issues that new and experienced photo booth owners face. First is the photo booth software issues, second is camera and lighting issues and the final is general hardware issues. Below I am going to identify some very important information that should be provided whenever requesting assistance in the photo booth forums. As a general practice you should include this information in any technical support request you have either here at PBO or anywhere else you might ask for assistance.
Photo Booth Software Issues
First up is photo booth software issues. These are commonly due to the learning curve that software like Breeze DSLR Remote Pro, Photoboof and Sparkbooth have. These are not completely intuitive programs and you do need to consult their manuals from time to time.
When you have technical issues with your software please include the following information in your post.
- The photo booth software and version you are running. This can typically be found under the help or about menu. Example: Breeze DSLR Remote Pro for Windows v2.5.1.
- The operating system you are running. Examples would be: Mac OS X 10.8 (aka Mountain Lion) or Windows 7 Home Premium.
- If you are running any of the Breeze Systems programs please include any custom AHK scripts that you have installed. Also any profiles you are using.
- If you purchased your booth please include the manufacturer such as Atlanta Photo Booth or Mojo Photo Booth.
- Take screenshots of the settings in your photo booth software. As members help assist you they may ask for further screenshots to help find the cause.
- For printer issues include the printer manufacturer and driver versions installed for them.
Photo Booth Camera and Lighting Issues
Camera settings and lighting are the second most common type of issues we see. This is understandable as many booths use DSLR cameras and you do need to understand photography terms and basics such as ISO, Shutter speed and Aperture (F-stop). This catches many new photo booth owners by surprise. Don't worry we've got tons of experts that will help!
When you do have technical issues with your camera or lighting please include the following information in your post.
- The camera make and model. Example: Canon Rebel t3i.
- If related to exposure (dark or light photos) please include your cameras dial mode. If you are using Manual mode (M) please include the following settings.
- Aperture setting such as F/7.1.
- ISO setting such as 1000.
- Shutter speed such as 1/250.
- White balance setting. If you have set in Kelvins please include the value, i.e.4200K.
- The photo booth software and version you are running. This can typically be found under the help or about menu. Example: Breeze DSLR Remote Pro for Windows v2.5.1.
- The operating system you are running. Examples would be: Mac OS X 10.8 (aka Mountain Lion) or Windows 7 Home Premium.
Photo Booth Printer Issues
The least common of support requests is the photo booth printers. This is most likely due to the commercial build and rigor that is put into them as they server many markets besides the photo booth one. We have members that are employees of the largest printer wholesalers in the US that are always happy to help you resolve your issues quickly.
Please provide the following information in your post.
- The printer manufacturer and model. Examples would be DNP DS40 or Hiti 510L.
- The driver version you have installed. If you have a link to where you downloaded them please provide this to.
- The operating system you are running. Examples would be: Mac OS X 10.8 (aka Mountain Lion) or Windows 7 Home Premium.
- The photo booth software and version you are running. This can typically be found under the help or about menu. Example: Breeze DSLR Remote Pro for Windows v2.5.1.
With the items identified above we can help keep the PBO community responsive and helpful when issues arise. Please point members to this post if you see that they are not providing the necessary information. By doing so we can all improve the time it takes to resolve issues.
