Adrian Lennox explores why all operators should be looking for a quality photo finish…

A visit to any theme park would not be complete without the purchase of a souvenir. Leisure venues around the world are places where families and friends meet and spend some quality fun times together and as such it is only natural for guests to want to bring home a keepsake that reminds them of the time they have had – from key rings to mugs and mouse mats to t-shirts.

Of course, there is no better way to capture the moment than an actual photograph and those working in today’s ride photography systems sector continue to be at the forefront of innovation.

Photography systems in amusement venues can be traced back to the Victorian era, when roving photographers would attend fairs and seaside towns, looking to sell snapshots to the burgeoning middle classes. To this day, roving photography – particularly at the entrance to locations, often in tandem with characters or park mascots – remains an important part of the sector and was subsequently joined by static photo booths and, ultimately, action ride photography.

The history of photo booths goes back to the early 1920s when the old black and white photo booths began to spring up in fashionable areas of New York City, US. Photo booths are in many ways engrained in modern US history and the images they have created over the years have almost become an art form in their own right. However, the old photo booths were heavy and difficult to maintain as they required chemicals and other materials.

Likewise for the ride photography sector, action shots have been a common theme in amusement venues for the past 30 years, but the technology used to be slow and expensive. However, while there was previously a disjuncture between human instinct to want to capture the moment with friends and family and the length of processing time, this all changed with the digital revolution of the 21st century.

Based in Verona, Italy, Fotosmile offers high quality video and photo souvenirs for the amusement parks sector, including on-ride video and photo technologies, automatic photo booths and dog tag dispensers.

When asked to describe the principal ways in which the photography systems sector has changed over recent years, the company’s Laura Maroldi said: “The on-ride photo sector has changed for both the operators and the guests of the parks. Recent technologies have allowed [providers] to simplify and quicken the production process and consequently improve the quality of work for the personnel at the photo point.

At the same time the guests have a product of higher quality -in terms of photo quality and materials – and a larger variety of products from which he or she can choose. “Our products are installed in theme parks," Maroldi added. “In these venues we have a large variety of audience as well as a large number of attractions and themed areas.

“This allows us to apply one of our milestones, which is customisation, and we size and engineer the technology according to every specific case. Our strongest products are the on-ride photo technology, Digismile, but most of all our on-ride video system Moviesmile. Our most recent project here is the installation of the Moviesmile Technology on the Shambhala roller coaster, the new B&M attraction for season 2012 in PortAventura. The fact that the attraction was a new one allowed our team of technicians to work directly on the coaster while it was still in the phase of construction.

“This definitively simplifies the project, although in the past, in many other cases we integrated the system on attractions that were already at the park. That of Shambhala is our sixth installation and it confirms the quality and reliability of the Moviesmile technology, as well as representing the tangible success of it."

Image+ Digital was founded in the Netherlands in the early 1990s, primarily focusing on roving photography and shifting into ride photography systems on roller coasters and waterslides.

The company has grown to become a leading supplier of innovative photo and video souvenirs for the world amusement market, and technical director Jack Wiardi notes that the advent of new technologies has served to benefit the sector immensely over recent years.

“We develop our own photo and video systems as opposed to buying in solutions from overseas," he noted. “This gives us a unique position in the marketplace. The photo is a kind of souvenir, so they should be perfect every time."

According to Wiardi, despite the growth of digital images that can be emailed, physical, printed images are still crucial in today’s amusement sector. “You can do a great number of things with a printed image, from mouse mats, mugs, key chains, t-shirts and baseball caps – you name it. It’s more than just a photo – it’s a souvenir.

“We have lots of contact with universities in the Netherlands, Germany and the UK," he continued. “This has enabled us to develop 3D ride photo systems. Here, we can take 3D photos with multiple cameras and print 3D photos, without the need for glasses. This was launched last year and is working very well."

In addition to the new possibilities brought about by advances in ride photography systems, Wiardi said Image+ was also focusing on assisting smaller operators who entertain less than 800,000,000 guests per year. “Four years ago, our Digiphoto system was installed in the Netherlands.

This was made primarily for the smaller attraction parks and venues which are not always capable of placing staff at photo booths. Digiphoto is a high-quality, unmanned photo system, where visitors can email their photo for as little as €2."

Following several years of continuous software development, engineering, design and manufacturing, 3DMe’s brand and product concept is a result of collaborative efforts between partners who have over 20 years experience in lenticular technology, photo equipment manufacturing, industrial engineering, including in depth management, business development and global marketing.

“Since we launched in 2006, we have had success in Asia, in setting up at aquariums, 3D cinema, events and tie ups with photo stores and retailers," said 3DMe managing director, Gemma Guerrero. “We have several upcoming installations in Asia, Europe and the Gulf. Also, we have supply agreements in major markets around the world.

“The integration of new technologies has been our primary focus and strategic intent since we started our company. 3D technology has been in existence for over 40 years. It is an extremely difficult, challenging and expensive proposition. In fact, it has taken us several years to simplify and remove the complexities behind such 3D conversion and use. Our 3DMe concept and product application is pioneering and a breakthrough in lenticular technology."

Explaining the benefits of 3DMe, Guerrero said: “There are 3D cameras and 3D phones available but none can print 3D photos on the spot cost effectively. Our 3DMe technology, however, can convert any 2D image into 3D using our combined dual 3D software and lens. It allows any users and customers to have a one of kind photo experience, a fun, interactive, and memorable photo offering in 3D. Our 3DMe offering generates additional revenues by bringing their 2D offering to the next level – into a 3D dimension.

“With the latest trends in digital cameras and 3D consumerism, more and more people around the world are looking for new and exciting ways to personalise and download their content. 3DMe is the only company that has the latest 3D photo offering accessible for both the users and consumers. We have converted our 3D technology into a mass consumer platform, affordable and highly viable as a product offering and as an investment vehicle to improve any existing photo business."

Of course, the advent of cheaper, more accessible digital technologies eventually opened up the possibility of being able to provide customers with branded DVDs that trace the entire journey of the ride. However, taking this one step further, Image+ recently introduced its latest 3D photo system at Attraction Park Slagharen in its domestic market.

“The development of this 3D photo system started a few years back when Philips introduced their 3D WowX monitors to the market," explained the company’s Jan Bijl. “The quality of these 3D monitors was such an improvement compared to the other available monitors on the market that we decided to take 3D photography seriously. The biggest advantage of these Philips monitors is that you can see the 3D effect on the monitors without the use of any glasses.

 “Visitors are photographed with a custom made 3D camera and within seconds these photos are converted into a 3D image and shown on the 3D Philips monitors. Printing is done on a specialised printer, making it possible to print photos with 3D experience within minutes."

When asked whether there were any particular challenges facing the ride photography systems sector, Maroldi said: “A real challenge for us was that of giving a continuity to the video activity also during the night; we have to keep a constant high quality of the video also when the rides are working at night. In the first installations we used infrared cameras to be able to offer a good video product to the guests at any time. But now we have implemented the software and hardware of the Moviesmile technology and instead of infra-red cameras we have created an artificial light system that allows us to film the guests with regular cameras also at night, with a perfect performance.

“We have worked on the quality and intensity of the light in order to create a perfect filming area and we have also paid a lot of attention to reducing the power consumption. This way we can offer a wonderful product to all the riders."

Moving to the photo booth sector, Francois De Freitas, head of marketing for Photo-Me, said: “The main challenge of the last decade in many European countries has gravitated around the adoption or non-adoption of biometric solutions for Passports or Identity cards. For years now, Photo-Me Group has developed biometric enrolment solutions in parallel to the photo booth operations. With its strong leadership position in the ID photo booth market, Photo-Me is acknowledged as an expert in facial image capture and automatic equipment design and it is only natural that the Photo-Me Group is offering solutions for biometric data capture. However, the business remains fully committed to the customer choice available within the current open market, including photo booths, and believes this market offers consumers better quality and convenience than enrolment facilities operated as a State monopoly, as mooted from time-to-time.

“We are greatly concerned about the possible impact on private sector jobs from any possible state nationalisation of ID photographs, both to professional photographic outlets, and to retailers who enjoy commission revenue from photo booths. We note with interest that France, which initiated a State monopoly for passport photographs a couple of years ago, has now rescinded this decision and recognised the professionalism of both photographers and photo booth service providers by making them the source of all official passport and ID photographs.

According to De Freitas, Photo-Me photo booths are performing well as they still remain the most convenient, cost-effective and ideal locations to take photographs for all ID purposes. “All our photo booths are equipped with the exclusive Photo-Me ICAO software – integrated state of the art software which enables real time checking of the conformance of the photo for the new standards. In 2011, 10 million customers used one of the 5,300 Photo-Me photo booths in the UK alone.

The opportunities to promote your theme park, FEC or leisure venue do not, of course, end with physical merchandise or related take-home swag. However, operators must tread a very fine line when it comes to promoting their brands and services, as the digital revolution is fast becoming a double-edged sword; for although the possibilities afforded by technological advances are many and varied, they have at the same time heralded the birth of a new, media-savvy, über-sophisticated consumer who doesn’t want a message to be, in the words of many contemporary bloggers and theme park forum members, “rammed down their throat."

Looking ahead, Guerrero said: “We believe that 3D is here to stay and that social networking is the next phase of growth in terms of photo sharing and photo printing. We have a lot of exciting 3D offerings that will be launching soon including 3D apps that will change the dynamics of the photo industry worldwide."

Interestingly, while social networking remains a hot topic in the ride photography systems sector, Wiardi of Image+ said it is important to strike a balance between new technologies and the need to remain profitable.

“Linking terminals directly to social networking sites can take a lot of time," he told InterPark. “With things like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, guests can be stood at a terminal for up to six minutes. This is too long. You need to sell photos.

"In our experience, it is better for guests to download the photo to their phone or similar device and then put it on a social network in their own time. So, using the Image+ system, each visitor receives a small receipt with a QR code. Using their phone it takes five or six seconds and from that location it can be sent to a site of their choosing."