IT ALL STARTED ON AN ISLAND...

⭐ Fancy Booth Origin Story - From Our Founder

From a Christmas camera to a full-service photo booth company serving Seattle, Whidbey Island, and beyond.

Fancy Booth began long before it had a name — back in 2012, when my mom gifted me my first DSLR camera for Christmas. That gift sparked a passion I didn’t know would eventually become my career. I started by photographing friends, experimenting, learning as I went, and eventually taking portraits around town.

A year later, my high school noticed the work I was doing and hired me — while I was still a student — to photograph the Homecoming Royalty for two years in a row. That early trust is what gave me my first glimpse of what professionalism felt like, and it pushed me to keep growing.

After graduating, I photographed senior portraits and small events, building experience and confidence. Then one day, my aunt got married and had me manage a small DIY photo booth setup. After the wedding, she donated the entire booth to me — a simple gesture that changed everything.

Shortly afterward, Oak Harbor High School hired me for my first “real” photo booth event. The booth was homemade, the prints were slow, the sequins were see through, and the whole setup looked exactly like what it was — DIY. It didn’t go perfectly, but it taught me everything I needed to know about what a photo booth should be. That event wasn’t a failure — it was the spark that pushed me to invest in better equipment, learn the craft, and take this seriously.

With the help of my dad, I kept improving the booth, piece by piece. I eventually purchased a professional shell, then upgraded to the modern LED booth we use today. Along the way, that very same DSLR camera my mom gave me in 2012 became the workhorse behind hundreds of events, from weddings and schools to corporate launches, grand openings, tribal community events, military celebrations, and some of the biggest brands in the Seattle area.

As of today, that one camera has generated nearly $200,000 in revenue alone, and it’s still part of every Fancy Booth event in our lead photobooth unit. We are officially retiring this camera in 2026 as we transition our photobooths to mirrorless, but will keep it in our kit as a emergency backup.

What started as a hobby turned into a business.
What started as a DIY booth turned into a premium, professional service.
What started with family support turned into a company that now works with companies like Microsoft, Amazon, the U.S. Navy, Washington tribes, schools, nonprofits, and hundreds of families and couples across the region.

Fancy Booth is built on gratitude, growth, and the belief that celebrations deserve to be documented beautifully. It’s been a long journey from that first camera to where we are today — and we’re just getting started.

-Bailey

Founder of Fancy Booths