Photobooth
Burst mode
Take a series of photos in rapid succession, let the guest keep the best ones and print or share them.
Format being rolled out. Burst is gradually arriving in BoothX releases. Depending on your version, some settings may not be available yet.
Burst mode takes a series of photos in a matter of moments. It captures the right moment of a jump, a bouquet toss or a group fit of laughter, where a single photo often comes too early or too late. Like the rest of the photobooth, burst works on the booth, free and offline.
When to use burst
| Situation | Why burst helps |
|---|---|
| Jumps and movement | One of the photos will land at the top of the jump. |
| Large groups | Across several photos, there is almost always one where nobody blinks. |
| Children | They never stop moving: more chances of a sharp photo. |
| Sports activities, brand stands | Dynamic sequences, reusable as GIFs. |
For a posed portrait or a bride and groom, a single photo is enough and stays faster.
The guest journey
- The guest chooses Burst (or the format is set by the event).
- The countdown starts; an instruction is displayed (“Jump on the beep!”).
- The booth takes the series of photos.
- A selection screen shows the photos as thumbnails. The guest taps the ones they want to keep (only one or several, depending on the settings).
- The kept photos are placed in the template, printed and/or shared like a regular session.
If the guest doesn't choose anything within the time allowed, the booth automatically keeps a default selection and moves on: the line is never blocked.
Settings
The exact values depend on your version. The settings you will come across:
| Setting | Effect | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Number of photos | Size of the series. | A short series is often enough; a long series makes the guest's choice take longer. |
| Rate | Interval between two photos. | The faster the rate, the more generous the lighting must be. |
| Photos to keep | How many the guest keeps for the layout. | Match it to the number of slots in the template. |
| Selection time | Delay before the automatic selection. | Long enough to choose, not long enough to create a line. |
| Keep the whole series | Also keep the photos that weren't chosen in the event folder. | Useful for a photographer who sorts after the event; takes more disk space. |
Camera and lighting
- Canon camera: the achievable rate depends on the model, the file size and the memory card. If the requested rate is too fast, BoothX waits for the camera to be ready. Set the camera to medium-size JPEG to gain speed.
- Webcam: high, steady rate, but lower image quality. See Use a webcam.
- Flash: a flash that needs to recharge limits the rate. Powerful continuous lighting is preferable for burst.
- Sharpness: with movement, you need a fast shutter speed, and therefore a lot of light. See Set up your camera for the photobooth.
The template
The number of photos kept must match the number of slots in the template. For a jump burst, a template with one large photo showcases the best shot; a template with four slots tells the sequence. See Photo slots, formats and paper.
Disk space
A burst produces several times more files than a regular session, especially if you keep the whole series. Before a large event:
- check the free space (Storage page);
- clear out old events after backing them up.
See The Storage page.
Burst and the online gallery
Only the kept photos are shared. If you enable the online gallery, the photos that weren't chosen stay on the booth and don't use any cloud quota.
Common problems
- The photos all look the same: the rate is too fast for the requested movement, or the instruction isn't clear. Add an on-screen instruction.
- Blurry photos: not enough light. Add continuous lighting or reduce the rate.
- The series stops partway: the camera couldn't keep up (slow memory card, low battery). See Troubleshooting Canon cameras.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make a GIF from a burst? That's how a GIF works: a series of photos played in sequence. See GIF and boomerang.
Does a burst count as several photos in the statistics? The statistics count the photos saved. Depending on your version, a burst session may count every photo in the series or only the ones kept.