The parents of post-bar or bat mitzvah children often display their photo album featuring moments from the big day — their child holding the Torah, posing with family, hanging on for dear life during the chair dance and mugging for the camera with friends. But these albums reflect how the parents see their child, rather than how the children see themselves.
Today’s teens live in the Facebook age. Their expectations exceed the traditional brag book gathering dust on a coffee table. They don’t remember a time before computers and multimedia, and a photo album — real or virtual — is often a visual statement about who they are and what they want to become.
Mindful of this trend, a new breed of event photographers offer services that allow for greater creativity during the celebration as well as provide added entertainment.
In addition to photo booth rentals, like those found in malls or amusement parks, photographers are also offering setups that resemble a fashion shoot, with props and green-screen backdrops as well as multiple wardrobe changes and magazine-inspired glamour. Family and guests get unique take-home souvenirs, effortless scrapbooking and instant gratification with photos that can be printed and shared on the Web — even before the bar or bat mitzvah is over in most cases.
While these photographers are also still preserving the bar or bat mitzvahs’ serious moments in elegant, conventional ways, they are adding fun to the celebration afterward through add-on packages that enhance both big-budget themed celebrations and more scaled-back events, with prices that start around $500 and can run more than $10,000.
L.A. photographer Jay Lawrence Goldman credits the rise in this innovative photography to the fact that today’s teens are savvier than ever when it comes to pop culture. He says that because the ways teens want to celebrate the big day is becoming more sophisticated, a byproduct of this shift is the implementation of photo booths and photo studio environments at the celebration.
“Bar mitzvah photography is becoming themed around the personality of the child, and an integral part of the party’s décor,” Goldman said.
The trends he sees at the forefront are shots that mirror popular magazine covers and iPod commercials.
Interactive photo companies with green-screen technology have been around since the late 1990s. As the technology and quality improved, along with the pricing, more providers began offering the service.
Traditional photography packages range from basic services starting at about $800 to photojournalism-inspired approaches that can run $3,000 to $10,000. Interactive packages, which can include photo booth set-ups, novelty video and other amenities, can run an additional $500 to $3,000.
Vivian Hurwitz hired Cliques Photo Booth for her son’s bar mitzvah earlier this year, and said it was a hit with both children and adults.
“Our guests were having such a great time with the fantastic backdrop and props,” she said. “They kept coming back for more.”
The company’s instant digital results enable kids to post the bar/bat mitzvah party highlights on their MySpace or Facebook page, while adults can visit the Cliques site to download their favorites for free to share with others.
Cliques’ pricing ranges from $1,500 for a basic package to more than $2,500 for elaborate packages using the latest interactive photo booth technology. Owner Dov Viramontes said all of his packages include photo booths or backdrops as well as a roving photographer to capture the day’s more serious moments, and he is planning to add 3-D backdrops in the coming year.
“Not only are we added entertainment, but we do formal shots of the child and his family, for use in traditional albums,” he said. “Because bar and bat mitzvahs are big on themes, we also work closely with families to model our booth to fit with the party’s personality as well as the child’s.”
Looking back on the experience, Hurwitz recommends consumers consider selecting something beyond the most basic package. Two hours “is not enough time, especially because kids and adults are going to be doing other things during the party. Those who miss out [on the photo booth] will leave the party disappointed,” she said.
Madison Bishop’s parents hired LA Photo Party after hearing a recommendation from friends. Similar to Cliques, the business attract