Photo booths have become very popular at parties, weddings and social gatherings and now some of their props have started to spill out into wider photography. Posing Frames, for instance, can add a fun element to a family portrait shoot or the guest photos at a wedding.
Milton Keynes-based joke and party shop, Silly Jokes Ltd, supplies professional photo booth owners and they were asked to supply an unbreakable posing frame. After a lot of research they came up with a range of Foam Posing Frames.
The frames are lightweight with the larger of the two frames I tested (Leonardo size large) measuring 98 x 80cm but only weighing around 560g. However, the foam is 3cm thick, which makes the frames fairly robust, easy to hold and use – even by young children. They’re also pretty durable so they can stand-up to use by ‘enthusiastic’ party-goers.
Importantly, the foam is soft enough not to hurt if you’re bashed by it, but it doesn’t sag or bend excessive when held at one end. It also pops back into shape if its bent – though I wouldn’t fold one.
Silly Jokes supplies the Foam Posing Frames in a range of sizes, from the 30 x 20cm selfie-size up to the large examples I tried. There are four traditional looking styles, including the Leonardo and more ornate Raphael that I used, as well as quirky option shaped like a TV.
In each case the front of the high density closed cell foam has a bonded, printed fabric coating. This coating has a matt finish which keeps reflections down, making them easier to photograph. They are also waterproof so they’re safe to use in a pool or ocean (though not as a floatation aid) and they can be wiped clean of mud or cake. Or booze.
I took a couple of large frames into a local woodland to play around taking a few selfies on the Olympus OM-D E-M1 II, with the flip-out screen enabling me to frame the shot and the built-in Wi-Fi connectivity allowing me to set the AF point and trip the shutter using my iPhone.
It was fun experience and despite their size, the frames were easy to carry. Naturally you need to watch out for the frame casting a shadow on your subject, but otherwise using them is simple. They’d certainly be great fun to use when photographing kids.
The photorealistic finish on the frames is surprisingly effective, giving their flat fronts a 3D appearance.
Silly Jokes Foam Posing Frames Verdict
Silly Jokes Foam Posing Frames are a great way of adding an extra element of fun to a portrait shoot. They’re also lightweight, easy to use and pretty durable. They’re definitely worth checking out if you’re planning on creating a photo booth or want to have a bit of fun with people photos.