Fotio Attends Tisdale Family Benefit Concert at Portage Park Theater

April 9, 2013

"Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion." Buddha

he Portage Park community has really come together in support of the wonderful Tisdale family after Dennis Tisdale was attacked earlier this year. He has persevered through multiple surgeries and works diligently through speech and occupational therapy to recover from the attack. It has been a tragic and difficult thing for the family and the community, and everyone just wanted to do a little good, so they put together a benefit concert featuring Yesterday, a Beatles Tribute band, to help cover some of the medical costs. The tone was very uplifting, everyone was so kind and having a great time. We were just happy to be a part of it. View the rest of the photos at www.fotio.co/4-5-13

A picture of Linda and Dennis Tisdale rocking a photo booth kiss!

Fotio to attend Wed Local - Wicker Park Bucktown Expo at the Double Door!

April 7, 2013

Fotio will be one of the lucky local businesses exhibiting at the new wedding expo called Wed Local! It is hosted by the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce, and we are very fortunate that Clover Morell over at the Chamber was able to fit us in! The event is scheduled for May 19th at the famous Double Door concert venue from 10:30am-2:00pm. It should be a lot of fun with all of the local businesses there! Thanks especially to Megan from Pistil & Vine for telling us about the Expo! We also applied for the Indie Wed summer session in July, a specialty expo that invites only the top exhibitors to attend, and are crossing our finger to make the cut! It would be great to meet some cool like minded couples that are into our unique vintage camera style!

Catalyst Ranch, A Unique Event Space - Chicago, IL

April 3, 2013

Last week, we had the pleasure of visiting Catalyst Ranch (a Chicago loft building and dynamic event space in Haymarket Square) and meeting with Lauren Smith, the special events manager there. The place was extremely eclectic with hoards of mid century modern furniture, exploding colors all around, and free candy at every table. It was a delightful environment and Fotio fit right in with the unique atmosphere of the space! Here are a few of the pictures we took.

A monkey on a pogo stick with a string? Were into it.

Theresa hanging out in one of the comfy chairs!

Nick Harvey and Theresa McMullen posing for a shot against the exposed brick background!

Here is a picture of Lauren Smith from Catalyst Ranch having fun with Fotio!

Ingrid's "Hat and Wig" Birthday Party at ARTango Center Chicago, IL

April 2, 2013

Last Monday, we celebrated Ingrid's birthday at ARTango with a seriously energetic and enthusiastic group of people. The gracious host planned the whole thing herself and didn't spare a detail - from the cool steampunk venue to the live band (Tiny Miles and the Big Kids) and late night DJ, to the performance dancers and Fotio photography fun - she really thought of everything! ARTango is a very cool and quaint Chicago venue located at 4203 N. Ravenswood. It has beautifully exposed brick walls, dreamy mood lighting, and captivating art all over the place which worked perfectly with Fotio's open air photo booth design. Ingrid saw us at the Urban Folk Circuit and fell in love with our airbrushed star background. Everyone was crazy about Fotio taking pictures all night long. After the party Ingrid emailed us:

You guys are awesome!!
THANKS for making my birthday party absolutely amazing!
everybody loved the pics!!"

We were touched! Thanks Ingrid! View all the photos from the party here: www.fotio.co/4-1-13

A Black and White Easter Lawn Party - Chicago, IL

March 31, 2013

We had a wonderful time with our loved ones at our family lawn party this Easter 2013. The weather was beautiful and Fotio fit right in. We got loads of classic looking black and white family portraits. Everyone looked amazing with the beauty dish and a few people even mentioned that this was a great photo booth for people who usually don't like to take pictures! The natural sun lit back-lighting worked well with our Alien Bees Strobe and we even got a couple lucky photobombs from Uncle Mike! We set up in the backyard by a great looking old tree. View all the pictures here!

Sci-Fi Galaxy Backdrop for the Urban Folk Circuit

March 26, 2013

The Urban Folk Circuit and Logan Square's Farmer's market is one of our favorite places to find well crafted and unique local goods! We had Nick's brother Zak Harvey help us create another hand painted/airbrushed photo booth background. This time we went for a star/galaxy backdrop theme, and gathered sci-fi inspired props to match. Some of the hits from our prop chest included a Star Wars Wicket Ewok Mask, Big Bad wolf gloves, our vintage baby monkey puppet, a unicorn on a stick, scientist experimental goggles, and a Darth Maul light-saber (just to name a few!). We had photo-boothers all day long! Check out all the photos here.

A portrait of Rebecca VanderKloot and Luke Petillon from Puffs of Doom posing with Wicket Mask and Unicorn stick!

A picture of the Congress Theater grand stairwell.

A picture of Kelli Wefenstette and Tuesday Bennett representing the Urban Folk Circuit!

A picture of Tyler Huffman and Shelley Anderson from Cage and Aquarium Productions!

Cool New Chicago Event Venue! Roosevelt University Auditorium Ballroom

March 21, 2013

Check out how cool Fotio looked in the Roosevelt University Auditorium Ballroom! This event space recently opened up to the public and is perfect for a corporate event, Chicago Wedding or your next Great Gatsby party! It used to be reserved for Roosevelt University events only. It's extremely charming with ornate wooden columns, delicate wood paneling, oil painted ceiling murals, and a beautiful view of Lake Michigan! The tables and chairs are as vintage as it gets and the combination of natural and ambient lighting is simply spectacular. Fotio's wooden photo booth look and freestanding design worked perfectly in the space!

Theresa McMullen posing against the fine wood.

Head on view of Fotio with 16" beauty dish.

Thanks to Jim Boardman, Nancy DeBiasi, and Gretchen McGinn from Venue Logic who invited us to attend the open house. Also thanks to Roxana from Food2You Catering for the excellent spread of cookies and wine! Everyone thought Fotio fit in really well with the space. We opted to use the fine wood paneling as a background which looked great. Check out some of the photos below!

Bridgeport Art Center - Urban Event Space Meets Interdisciplinary Arts

March 16, 2013

We had a great meeting with our friend Jay Strommen and Event Manager Jim Boardman at the Bridgeport Art Center on Thursday. Jay makes some seriously amazing ceramic works, and he's an incredibly zen and down to earth guy. Jim is not only the event manager at the Bridgeport Art Center, but also a Managing Partner at Venue Logic Chicago. If you are having a party of any kind and want to find the perfect venue for your event, Jim is the guy to ask!

Now on to the Art Center itself. It's located in the old Spiegel Catalog Warehouse - a historic building from 1911. The place is HUGE and downright breathtaking with its beautiful woods floors, exposed brick, massively bright skylights, and urban vintage vibe. Every corner we turned we saw fantastic possibilities for Fotio back drops! The test shots are elegant and simplistic- we used the long draping curtains on the first floor. Check out some of the samples below!

Artist Jay Strommen takes some Fotio shots too!

Bridgeport Art Center crew posing with prized cow!

Everyone Needs a Business Partner - Art of Imagination

March 14, 2013

We had a fun time meeting Deborah and her crew at Art of Imagination on 216 N. Halsted, Chicago IL. They do creative wedding and event design with elegant drapery and colored ambient light. We brought Fotio along so they could take some pictures and see how socially engaging (and contagious) Fotio is when compared to a traditional photo booth. You can definitely tell they had some serious mid-afternoon Fotio fun! Deborah was intrigued how we work together as a team with my background in photography and Theresa's background in business. Everyone needs a business partner!

A picture of Vitaly Vladimirov from Art of Imagination!

Another great portrait of Vitaly Vladimirov!

A picture of Deborah Weisenhaus from Art of Imagination

Check Out Our Swag - Wooden USB Review and MOO Cards!

March 5, 2013

The Fotio experience is surprisingly different than an average photo booth. We pay close attention to detail for everything we do with Fotio. That's why when we need to make something, like our customized wooden USB flash drives, we don't just find the cheapest easiest solution. We spend time finding the right product to complete the experience. Theresa's sister, Heather McMullen, is our Director of Production Supervision and uses her expertise to help us find the coolest stuff out there for our customers (plus it helps she works for Identity Links in Niles)! She also helped us choose our MOO rounded corner business cards which look and feel amazing! Aren't we lucky to have such talented family members! Cheers to sweet swag....and faux leopard print photography backgrounds....

Heather McMullen posing with a Fotio USB drive!

A Fotio rounded corner, all-white business card from MOO.

A Classic Wedding Venue in Chicago - Stan Mansion Logan Square!

March 2, 2013

Today, we had the opportunity to meet with Kevin Hjellum down the block at Stan Mansion- a classic venue for weddings, private parties, etc. He was very knowledgable in the industry, and was excited about Fotio's "open air" photo booth concept and vintage look which pairs well with the mansions natural aesthetic. The place was incredible, and it's a Chicago historic landmark. The second floor has an amazing draped alter with vintage charm, and a separate wood twin-bar and lounge area (the bar is original from the 1920's)! The nice thing about Stan Mansion is that you get to choose all of your own vendors- so you can customize the exact experience you want for your special day without unnecessary obligations. Stan Mansion often works with Deborah Weisenhaus, from Art of Imagination, for captivating space design. We took a few photos that barely do the place justice...you really must check this venue out in person!

Free Portraits 3-24-13! Fotio at the Urban Folk Circuit!

February 28, 2013

Come take your picture with Fotio at the Congress Theater on March 24th 2013 from 10:00 am-2:00 pm! Everyone is welcome and it's totally free. The pictures will rotate during the day on the live slideshow and you can grab your shots from the online gallery later that day.

The Urban Folk Circuit is Chicago's only year round traveling craft market. It's a group of artisans, crafters, and straight up cool people simply getting together to share and sell. We had the pleasure of sharing the Fotio fun last Sunday (2/24/13). The background was an afghan blanket that someone probably hand crochet a long time ago (we thrifted it last year at the Village Discount Outlet). It looked great and everyone had an awesome time!

Kelli Wefenstette, Jimmy Thomas, and friends pose for a photo with Fotio!

Kerri Lynn poses for a Fotio shot (we helped her take the picture)!

The Urban Folk Circuit is set along side the Logan Square Farmer's Market and "Swap-O-Rama". Swap-O-Rama is a pretty cool concept- you bring $10, a bag of old clothes, and you swap with other clothes to make a new hacked wardrobe. There are sewing machines, cutting sheers, and seamstresses handy to help make your creation a reality! If I weren't running Fotio you can assume this is where you'd find me.....

University Club of Chicago Photo Booth Rental with Victorian Inspired Bride!

February 20, 2013

Fotio was a huge hit at Charlie and Andrea's wedding at the University Club of Chicago on February 16th, 2013. The wedding took place in the Michigan Room at the University Club which has an old-timey feel with cool wood paneling, gothic wedding charm, and an epic fireplace. There was a crowd around Fotio the entire night- guests took over 400 pictures! Even the catering/event team were impressed by how little space Fotio requires compared to other more traditional and bulky photo booths.

We also met a really fun photography duo named Robert and Cheyenne Johnson who were the official photographers for the wedding. They call themselves rojo foto // design. We highly recommend them if you are looking for a wedding photographer around Chicago (they are based in Aurora but service the Chicagoland area as well). You can see some of their photos from the University Club here. They even took some pictures with Fotio!

Robert and Cheyenne Johnson of rojo foto // design pose for a photo with Fotio at the University Club of Chicago.

For the background we used a Didlier Nolet painting called "Promenade Dans Mes Souvenirs" that was hung on the wall of the second floor lounge at the University Club. You can view the rest of the Fotio shoot here: fotio.co/2-16-13

A fun photo booth backdrop next to the Michigan Room at the University Club.

Steampunk Smiles, Chicago Victorian Style Photo Booth Company

February 16, 2013

We are so happy to have an article written about Fotio on DNAinfo.com, a great neighborhood news source in Chicago. Victoria Johnson (the Logan Square and Humboldt Park reporter) stopped by our place and checked out Fotio- we showed her how it works and answered some questions. She mentioned that our rig has some Steampunk charm. Needless to say, some new Steampunk photographer outfits are in the works.....

Hand Painted / Airbrushed Photo Booth Heart Background for a Dog Party!

February 14, 2013

The hand painted / airbrushed photo booth background was a huge hit with the dogs on VDAY! Nick's brother, Zak Harvey, helped us create the glowing hearts with his creative expertise and awesome airbrush equipment. We bought a 53" roll of black seamless photography paper at Calumet Photo, and cut off a 5 1/2' piece. Zak free-handed the shapes with airbrush medium and white pigment. The hearts ended up having a romantic glow thats style was absolutely perfect for our Furry Valentines.

Check out the cute dog couple being help by their dog walker at River Shannon!

Zak Harvey our creative director helping us make the heart background!

Steampunk Wedding Venue - Salvaged and Reclaimed

February 12, 2013

We got to check out this amazing space a couple days ago in the West Loop called Salvage One. It's stocked full of mid century modern furniture and Steampunk charm. It seemed like it was converted from an old factory and like the name suggests- many of the "architectural elements" were salvaged from old buildings and spaces. The result is a super chill wedding environment paired with eclectic decor. We met with Brandy who was super cool and she added us to their list of photo booth rental companies which they send out in their media kit! This is a location you MUST check out in person. Here are a few photos of the first floor...

Theresa McMullen poses by one of the many vintage bar setups at Salvage One, Chicago IL.

One of the potential wedding ceremony spaces in the building has super vintage pews and amazing chandeliers!

My Furry Valentine Chicago Photo Booth

February 7, 2013

Come to The River Shannon on February 14th, 2013 at 425 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL from 3-8pm to get a Fotio portrait of you and your bestie for Valentines Day! River Shannon is a dog friendly bar located in Lincoln Park and has a super cool and classy feel (it's been around since 1946!). We'll have an ultra dramatic lighting setup for romantic black and white portraits of you and your pup. You don't wanna miss this one!

Nick Harvey and Theresa McMullen pose for a portrait with their manchester terrier.

Fotio Surrealism - Fun Pictures with Fotio Friends!

February 1, 2013

We've been toying with the idea of using an external flash for softer lighting and cooler photo booth pics for a while now. We just got some equipment from Alien Bees to test out with Fotio. The beauty dish looks absolutely stunning on the black back ground. Thanks to Zak and Katie. They said they felt like they were in a Gap ad. Check out Facebook for more photos from the shoot!

Chicago artist Zachary Harvey poses for a self portrait.

A picture of Zachary Harvey and Katie Pitstick.

This reminds us of Bill Brandt a surrealist photographer.

Another great photo of Zachary Harvey and Katie Pitstick!

Mac4Ever.com a French Website sort of likes Chicago Photo Booth Company Fotio?

January 29, 2013

A French blog wrote about Fotio.

According to Google translator: "Americans are sometimes a little crazy, but they have the merit of believing in some projects a little crazy, as "mobile booth" to look old camera. If think of a joke, this is not entirely the case: Nick and his wife have a small business, renting the equipment for parties or weddings."

Haha pretty funny! Enjoy.

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Fotio Inspiration - Explorers

January 28, 2013

When I was a kid I always loved that Explorers movie. You know, the one where Ethan Hawke and Rivers Phoenix make a space ship out of an old tilt-a-whirl carnival ride and visit a far away planet with long fingered green aliens? I couldn't help but think of this ship when we were making the camera. Maybe it's because I used to build spaceships when I was a kid and these are similarly shaped. Or because of the flashy bright "lights." I've always loved garbage cans. See the resemblance? -NH