CEH-Photo.de Photobooth

http://www.ceh-photo.de

This is a modular photobooth software written in Python using pygame, which is suppose to run on a Linux computer (I have used a Raspberry Pi 3) and controls a camera with GPhoto2 interface. I have tested and used it with two Nikon DSLRs (D5100, D7100). Adapting the software to other cameras like Canon cameras should not be a big problem due to the modular code structure. It was developed for my own wedding party and was a great fun and resulted in unforgettable photos. However, due to its great success the machine has been further developed and tweaked and also was further used on two more weddings and two birthday parties.

Demonstration video:

Features

• Display Live Preview (automatically enabling, disabling autofocus)
• Photo countdown
• External push buttons, the interaction concept it based on the availability of 4 colorful push buttons.
• Applying fancy filters inspired by Instagram (implemented using Imagemagick), selectable by the user
• Configurable and modular (e.g. you can disable printing, filtering, set countdown, and timeouts ...)
• Automated printing (current version uses an additional Windows embedded computer for printing. This Windows PC is interfaced through a provided python printing service. This was necessary because my printer did not work well in Linux. Replacing this interface with something based on lp is a minor adjustment). The Linux Photobooth software sends images selected for printing through SAMBA/smb.
• Multi-Language support: Currently available are German and English
• 2 Slideshow modes
  • Simple: Just randomly showing former taken photos
  • Advanced: Randomly showing former taken photos + allowing to go backward, forward and select photos again for printing
• Support for different Gphoto2 interfaces (gphoto2-cffi, piggyphoto, command-line-based)
• Modes for testing and development that can be used without any camera or buttons
• Administration menu
  • Show information about left disk space, IP address, printer status etc.
  • Switching from local photo directory to a flash drive (etc. USB pen drive) from the
  • Creating new photo directory (resets currently shown photos in the slideshow)
  • Enable/Disable full screen mode
  • Shutdown entire system (including remote printer windows, if this is used) or just the current machine (RASPI)

Requirements and Hints

• Gphoto2 interface is localized in some parts and this has influence on the name of some configuration options etc. This software expects an English interface, hence you should set your Photobooth Linux to the localization English.
• I had big trouble with several memory leak issues in the gphoto2 library and both corresponding Python interfaces (gphoto2-cffi and piggyphoto), for this reason I developed a gphoto2 command-line-based interface using popen that does not suffer this problem due to its process-like interface. My API is frequently using a new process, hence memory does not become a problem.
• If you want to use the piggyphoto interface, you have to run git submodule update --init after you have cloned my repo to download the git submodule of my customized piggyphoto version.

My Setup

• Raspberry PI 3 with 32GB SD card running Raspian
  • Runs the photobooth application (auto-started)
  • LCD is connected to RASPI (21" display without touch support)
  • 4 push buttons provide the interface for the user and are connected to the RASPI through the circuit available here: https://github.com/cehberlin/photobooth/tree/master/hardware
• Old Kontron pico-itx Intel Atom mini computer running Windows 10
  • Canon DS810 photo printer is controlled from Windows.
  • print_service_win.py enables a windows service that prints all images from a designated directory. (The RASPI copies the photos to this directory using SAMBA/smb)
• Nikon D5100 camera with Nikon ED VR IF 3,5-5,6 18-105mm and external Metz 54 Af-1 N

Camera configuration

• In my setup I use a Metz 54 Af-1 N external flash with a softbox connected to the camera with a Nikon SC-28 TTL cable. This allows to make use of the i-TTL matrix measurement of the camera/flash combination to get perfect exposures.
  • If you use a softbox, I recommend to slightly increase the flash exposure correction for about 0,5-1,0 to correct for the lost light.
  • I have configured the flash to release on the second curtain to always have sharp faces in case of fast motion within the picture. This can also give you nice light effects if you have some disco lights at your venue.
• I recommend to use the camera in A-(Aperture)-Mode with preconfigured ISO (if you use an external flash). A reasonable aperture is 5,6 to guarantee that all faces in a group shot are sharply pictured.
• It is beneficial to use a lens with IF characteristics (no rotation or length motion during autofocus) to avoid any unwanted contact between the lens and the photobooth case. A reasonable focal length seems to be something between 28mm KB to 35mm KB. I have always used the Nikon ED VR IF 3,5-5,6 18-105mm kit lens. It is cheap and provides a good imaging quality.
  • Do not forget to disable image stabilization for static application if your lens supports it.
• You need to power your camera from a external power source, running the camera in live preview mode (what we need to do get a preview in the photobooth application) drains your battery fast. You can get cheap replicas for the original Nikon power connectors.

Install

git clone --recursive https://github.com/cehberlin/photobooth.git

--recursive is required to clone git submodules.

Dependencies

sudo apt install python-pygame python-yaml pmount

gphoto2-cffi

gphoto2-cffi installation is optional, this is only required if you configure it as camera interface.

if available use

sudo apt install python-gphoto2cffi

but e.g. on raspian you have to build it yourself with following commands.

sudo apt-get install python2.7-dev libgphoto2-dev libffi6 libffi-dev python-cffi

git clone https://github.com/jbaiter/gphoto2-cffi.git
cd gphoto2-cffi
python setup.py build
sudo python setup.py install

Setup

Disable the GPhoto2 Volumen Monitor disable_gphoto2_gvfs.sh

Autostart

Add following line (or similar depending on your environment) to

@bash /home/pi/photobooth/photobooth.sh

to /home/pi/.config/lxsession/LXDE-pi/autostart

Update localization

1. Extract strings

pygettext -d photobooth photobooth.py 

2. Open old localization files with poedit (sudo apt install poedit)

locale/en/LC_MESSAGES/photobooth.po locale/de/LC_MESSAGES/photobooth.po

3. Select from menu Catalog -> Update from POT and select file in photobooth root.