JOIN USPick your favourite click
From black and white photographs to glossy, colourful pictures, three boys in the City are clicking pictures and articulating them with a twist.
‘Pictureculate’, a quirky photobooth, was started a year ago by Sean, Binoy and Sujith. Since then, they have been working on making mundane photographs more stylish — thus making them more memorable and unique. An event management company that provides customised photographs with themed backdrops and quirky props, they bring out fun photographs even to the most sober event.
The boys decided to start ‘Pictureculate’ when they felt that the concept was popular abroad but at a nascent stage in India. They felt that the photobooths that exist here aren’t upto the mark.
Sujith and Binoy are MBA graduates while Sean holds a master’s degree in mass communication and finance. “It was destiny that brought us together. We know each other through common friends and have had a lot of fights over cricket. We felt that this would work as India has a large but untapped market for it,” says Sean.
Sure enough, they spiralled to success in a short span. The trio have travelled to different parts of the country, clicking pictures and freezing time at various events like weddings, birthdays, corporate events, festivals and big concerts such as ‘MAD Festival’ in Ooty, ‘Great Indian October Fest’ and ‘Circus Indigo.
They use the latest technology of printers for the photobooth and offer the customer an instant hard copy. They source props like rimmed glasses, quirky moustaches, big hats and colourful wigs from various international markets. “Our main aim is to give the customer a high-quality customised photograph,” Sean says.
Elaborating his work with an example, Sean adds that if a wedding has a red-and-white theme, the three design according to the theme in consultation with the client. Apart from the props that they provide, they also customise the cut-outs and make a border on the photograph. “The laying of this template happens in between ‘click-and-print’.
We have a border with the text as well depending on the customer’s needs. For a wedding, many want the name of the couple and date while at corporate events, the border may contain the sponsor’s logo. Behind the photograph, we also provide a link from which they can download their pictures,” says Sean.
A self-funded start-up, their marketing mainly took place through word-of-mouth and their Facebook page. One of the biggest challenges they had to face initially was convincing people. Despite that, in one year, they have received a great feedback about their work and have a number of repeat customers as well. Now, Sean is working on a flip-book which will be made in seven seconds on photo-paper.
“It’s a great quality paper that will last two generations,” he says. “Photobooth is fun because of the people who come in. They are extremely excited about customised photographs and the more energetic they are, the better it is for us. They always have quirky ideas up their sleeve and pose in fun ways, which makes it easier for us,” he wraps up. Visit their Facebook page for details.