Last updated: May 2026
Everything I use to run Hive Photo Booths and barrywong.me. I only list things I actually use. I’ll add affiliate links where available — if something is linked, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you.
Photo Booth Hardware
My go-to for digital and drop-off activations. The iPad-based form factor keeps the footprint small, and the wrap options make it easy to deliver a fully branded experience — which is exactly what corporate clients and brand activations call for.
Custom DSLR Photo Booth Shell + Canon DSLR
My primary setup for the majority of events. The shell came from Alibaba during the pandemic rebuild — I already had the Canon DSLR, iPad, and Alienbees strobes, so pairing them with a custom enclosure made sense. More flexible than an all-in-one unit, and the image quality from a dedicated camera is hard to match.
My current camera for the DSLR shell setup. The R100 is mirrorless, compact, and punches above its price point for photo booth work — sharp images, reliable autofocus, and light enough that it doesn’t fight the enclosure. A practical upgrade that didn’t require replacing everything else around it.
DNP DS40
A reliable dye-sub printer that handles whatever volume I throw at it. Print quality is consistent, clients are happy, and it’s never let me down on-site. Straightforward to run and easy to trust when you’re in the middle of a busy activation.
Photo Booth Software
Booth.Events
My go-to software for most events. It’s straightforward to set up, reliable on-site, and the price point makes it easy to justify across multiple activations. When a client doesn’t need anything fancy, this is what I run.
Snappic
What I switch to when an event calls for more — AI photo booth features, data collection, or post-event analytics. Corporate and brand clients often want lead capture or engagement reporting, and Snappic handles that well. It’s more capable and priced accordingly, so I use it where the event justifies it.
Mobibooth Aura AI Prompt
A prompt I built to generate branded photo booth mockup images for proposals and cold outreach. Feed it a photo of the Aura and a client’s logo, and it produces a visual showing exactly what a custom-wrapped booth would look like in their branding. Clients can see themselves in the activation before they’ve signed anything — which makes proposals land differently.
Business & Operations
VSCO Workspace (formerly Tave)
How I manage contracts, invoices, and client workflows for Hive. I’ve been in the photo booth business long enough to have used it back when it was Táve — it’s built specifically for creative service businesses and handles the complexity of event-based work better than generic CRM tools.
Calendly
How clients book a 15-minute call with me. Simple, no friction. I include the link in every outreach email so there’s always a clear next step.
Hostinger Email
Where my email service lives. Straightforward, reliable, and keeps business communication separate from personal.
Google Drive
Where I store and share files with clients — event assets, overlays, branded templates. Easy to organize by client and accessible from anywhere.
iCloud Drive
My personal backup and day-to-day file system on macOS. Works seamlessly across my Apple devices.
Website & Marketing
WordPress + Elementor
How barrywong.me is built. WordPress gives me full control and Elementor makes it possible to design without touching code. It’s not the simplest stack but it’s flexible enough to grow with the site.
Hostinger
Where the site is hosted. Fast, affordable, and I already use their email service for business — keeping it all in one place simplifies billing and support.
Rank Math
My SEO plugin of choice. Better interface than Yoast in my opinion, and the free version covers everything a small site needs — meta descriptions, schema, sitemap, and keyword tracking built in.
MailerLite
My email platform for barrywong.me. Clean interface, solid automation, and free up to 1,000 subscribers. It’s the right tool for where I am right now.
Gumroad
Where I sell my digital products — prompts, templates, and guides for photo booth owners. No monthly fee, instant delivery, and simple enough that I can launch something new without a big setup process.
Calendly
I use this for both Hive client calls and barrywong.me. One link, no back-and-forth on scheduling.
Content Creation
iPhone
What I use to shoot content for social and the web. Good enough for behind-the-scenes, event documentation, and product shots. The camera has gotten good enough that a dedicated camera rarely makes sense for this kind of work.
Adobe Lightroom
Where I do most of my photo editing. I use it for event photos and anything that needs consistent color treatment. The mobile app is underrated — I’ll often edit on my phone right after an event.
iOS Photos App
For quick edits that don’t need Lightroom. Fast, always available, and the built-in tools have gotten surprisingly capable. Good for social content that needs a light touch.
Canva
How I build product covers, social graphics, and templates — including the free start screen template I offer on Gumroad. The Pro version is worth it once you’re creating regularly. I use it across both Hive and barrywong.me.