What up everybody? Baruch Medusa here. Guess what? Top Shelf hijinks has attained their second guest of the year.
None other than Jeff Garcia, owner of Zero Habit Studio. What's Zero Habit Studio?
Well, it's his traveling photo booth that is here for all your motherfucking party needs.
Let's do this. Zero Habit, Jeff Garcia, what is going on?
Hello, hello. Hello. Welcome to your first podcast, I guess, episode.
Yes, definitely.
All right, so let's get into it. You are Jeff Garcia. You have a photo booth side gig that I'm very interested in because you've been doing that since I guess I've known you for, I don't know, maybe two years now.
I've been doing it for four going on five years now.
Nice. So what made you get into this? Let's start there.
Okay. Well, I had started my own printing business and I was successful, slowly but surely, you know, it took some time, but I kind of made a name for myself and I had my brand Zero Habit.
It started with just making shirts with my logo, but I found out there wasn't a lot of money in that. So I started printing for other people, their logos, whether it was for work or maybe they just wanted something printed and I started getting into trying to do like signs,
business cards, a little bit of everything, but I slowly realized that like the money was with apparel, so I just stuck with that.
And I was getting a lot of shirt orders. I was working aerospace at the time, and I was focusing on Zero Habit. And then I decided to leave aerospace to continue just focus on Zero Habit making apparel for myself and for others.
I kind of had a lot of money. I didn't know what to do with it. And so I wanted to invest and I came up with a list of things that I wanted to do and have fun and how I could continue to make money, but like kind of change it up, you know, because printing was my passion,
but I narrowed it down to buying a photo booth.
Okay, well that's very interesting. So I guess, what's the startup cost on that or I guess there's got to be different levels or whatever but you're on the go like you'll give the listeners your social media handles at the end and of course it's in the episode notes, you guys so you can click on the links there but
you're very active and you've got busy weekends. It's a trip to see all your stories and your Instagram posts with all the parties you attend it's like, he's having fun and he's working so it's cool.
Yeah.
Well, the startup cost, I want to say, just to get like the booth itself was around six grand for everything. But I invested probably another two to three grand more on buying like sequence backdrops, getting those.
So they could you know match and sparkle buying props, and that's a constant cost because you know they get stolen all the time.
Right.
Buying a paper and film for the printer because I do print the photos as well.
I was wondering. Okay, so I do print it all. It's not all digital. I actually give the customer digital copies one or two business days later.
At the event, I will either print out two copies of the, the two by six. I mean, the two by three or the four by six depending on what they chose.
Oh, that is so cool. So how big is the booth?
It's the standard size.
It's kind of tall when it's built about seven feet tall because of the light, the lighting on top and the umbrella. But like the booth itself is like it's in a rectangular shape. It's quite thin. It's just kind of tall because of the frame.
But it's not heavy. Obviously when it's all built, it's a little heavy but in during the process of building it, you know, I can do it by myself in like 10 minutes.
I was wondering how that. Okay, so like it all folds up then I guess.
Yeah, it's in pieces.
Pretty strong steel and aluminum. And the insides is like the computer I got a tablet inside there I got a Canon camera.
I have
the power outlet strip. I have the USB ports to hook up everything.
The wires are in there so I could connect the lights, the printer, the tablet, the camera, it's all synchronized. So I'm literally just flipping on the on switch, making sure the camera's on the lights on the tablets on and I'm good to go.
Okay, that was my next question was the camera so I was wondering how that all works so that is so fucking cool I didn't realize all the differences.
But it's all working together. Yes.
And then I make the template as well. So I'll like go on one of my computers or even my phone, and I can make the template and make it say, you know, Emma's birthday or celebrating this or 2024 or car show like I could make it say, or change the colors.
I could add the pictures whether it's like three pictures one picture for pictures like the custom template is like all me. I just kind of get ideas from the customer and then I make it to their liking.
Okay, so like you have different I guess tears or I guess they if they have special requests and you can customize the package for them.
You know, I really don't do like I'm going to customize packages like kind of just have like one set price and okay it's a 350 for like two hours, but it'll be 300 if that gets local if I have to drive then I will add like that $50 travel fee.
I've traveled a lot I've traveled, you know, all of Southern California LA County OC, ie Riverside I've traveled San Diego, you know, if the money is there I'm going to go.
Right. That's, that's good that they're demanding you are asking for you everywhere though.
Yeah, so I've traveled a little bit of everywhere and the average, the minimum is two hours and I'll do that for like 300 bucks, maybe 350 and then if they want me to stay longer if they want to be like for four or five hours which sometimes they do it's just an hour, it's just $100 extra for every hour.
Okay, well that sounds reasonable. Yeah, so I'm doing probably averaging like $500 550 a gig because they're usually about like three to four hours.
Okay. And so, when the, when the party's done I guess the digital photos that are taken do you do like editing and all that or they're just the raw images and that they are the raw images I do know.
I was wondering the lighting is so well I mean everything you see on my social, I have not edited them at all.
Oh, I was wondering the raw photo that's what what you see is what you get I'm not touching up anything.
Well you have really great lighting then.
In a really good camera.
So how many. So like if it's digital they can have like a certain amount of quantity pictures or is just however many pictures that are taken in the two hour timeframe.
Yeah, so it's basically unlimited photos in that timeframe.
It's usually about three photos per like guess that's coming. Sometimes they go again or if I have a long line you know we just kind of keep going. I probably, if it's like, like if I'm at a club, and we're going like fast pace, you know because people kind of take their time and they're getting
like drops or maybe they're checking themselves out like the average customer takes maybe like three minutes. So I'm probably getting like maybe like 30, like photos in an hour, depending on like how fast the lines don't because people like to take their time depending
on what they're eating or socializing or maybe they're in front of the booth and I got it like hey guys you got to move this not a hangout spot because they always want to like hang out and so I'm like no we got to I got to line like and we got to keep
Bro festival seasons coming up you need to find a way to like be outside of the festival arena and just like have your booth they're fucking ready to go.
It's intense. When I started like it was all like fake it till you make it like I had no idea what I was doing. It was like early you know 2020 pre pandemic and like, it was just like oh you have a photo booth yeah.
Oh yeah, I'm so good at it you know you got to hire me and they would and I had no idea what else.
It's a learning process and clearly you're well on your way now so yeah now I know what I'm doing so now I had to like I know how to like work with lighting and the aperture and the camera.
Obviously my props have gotten a lot better. Knowing how to read the customers like whether they're maybe too tipsy or maybe to shy, you know, like you got to like hey, you know you want to take a photo it's fun you know, I have to be in that moment with them.
The moments are always different it could be a wedding a birthday, you know just a celebration and the moment is always going to be different. And so I just try to like reassure them like hey like this is a safe space we're all just here to have a good time take some photos.
I'm here in the moment with them and make sure they're comfortable. I'm like hey you could take a picture by yourself or with friends or family you could grab a prop you don't have to if you don't want to so I'm just trying to like entertain as well as like hey guys 123 picture.
Look right here, you know, smile don't smile. Do you want me in it I'm just kidding, you know, yeah, be like hey you know like, we would look good in your next photo and they're like what like me.
No, I'm just kidding.
That's, um, I find it kind of odd that some people don't want to take pictures because everybody has cell phones these days and everybody's all about social media and posting selfies so it's got to be rare when somebody doesn't want to be in the photo booth.
But you have those shy people that we would just kind of like linger and they'll ask you questions are like oh so you're the photo booth and like, yes, I am like there's definitely those shy people. And then you see them an hour later and they probably had a few drinks and they're like oh hey I missed you.
Oh wow.
You're like I'm packing up.
I'm like I need the crown back that you're wearing that's mine though.
Okay, so question then since you mentioned being tipsy and all that you're the photo booth itself I guess it's pretty sturdy in case somebody were to like I don't know tipsy over.
Yeah, I definitely try to like steer people away from walking towards it so I'm the only one that like presses the button on the screen so they can, you know, get ready so I guide them to in front of the backdrop.
And I stand right there on account you guys down it's going to be three photos you know have a good time so they're not touching the screen only I am.
Okay, I thought they were touching the screen that's all just like okay that's no it's not a service I mean it can be but I really just don't want to risk it.
So I'm there like entertaining interacting making sure the photo booth does not get messed with in any way.
So I'm there to guide them the whole way and it's also like you that's how you get to like talk to them meet them make them feel comfortable.
Okay, well that's cool and then so is it just you that sets it up or do you have a partner or it's just no I'm a one man crew.
I will I will like invite like friends or family to like come along with me just in case I need to go to the bathroom but they're there just to like have fun like enjoy the cake the food the free alcohol maybe dance maybe meet some new people like it's
really a one man situation but I've invited plenty like friends and family to come and just like have fun with me just so I had the company.
Okay, well that that sounds like fun though.
And they just love it because they get to they get a party and they get to eat for free.
Right.
Okay, and then so the print jobs you I guess you have a high quality printer, or do you send that.
Yes, a DNP printer, which is attached to the photo booth as well.
And it takes about it's like less than 30 seconds to print out your photos right after you've taken them. It's super quick.
Well clearly I haven't been in a photo booth lately because I just assumed you're gonna like actually get them printed at your house and then you're going to mail it to them I didn't realize it was like.
No, it's instant same minute.
I don't want to see you guys ever again here.
Here you go. Here you go. And I could print out as many as I want. I have it set on two copies. But if the customer wants more like maybe they wanted like a scrapbook. So I could put like another set of photos aside and then the customers also get their photos and if there's
like a big group because I've done like wine festivals car shows. And there's like six seven, you know, I think I could fit depending on the amount of people I want to say like, possibly like 12 people in the frame.
Really.
And if everyone wants a copy and there's time and they're cool like yeah I'll print each one, a copy.
Wow you're really good at this.
Yeah.
I thought I was doubting your expertise but I just didn't realize all the intricacies and that you could fit 12 people in the fucking booth.
At least mine depending on the space that I'm given like yeah I could like crowd a bunch of faces and I'm sure you've seen the pictures I've posted. Yes, people with the props or the hats and yeah I didn't realize that you were the one providing all the props and
everything I thought that was like they had a theme party and they had that and you're just like hey.
I didn't realize that the customer like what's the theme and I'll try to buy props or if I already have them I'll bring like the theme I'll like tag along with it.
So I've seen oh night or like kids birthdays or like weddings and I'll change out the props. I probably have like three tubs of props that I've gotten from like the night night
and I've seen like a $10 store Dollar Tree Party City maybe like Walmart or Target like on some like toys you know. Yeah.
Lightsabers like I have so many props and toys. I love for that stuff because it's a lot of fun. Yeah because it makes the pictures look so much more fun and engaging. Yeah, and everyone loves to you know, kind of just being that moment.
I'm very impressed, Jeff. Thank you.
Okay, so let's wrap this up so do you have any 2024 goals for zero habit.
Um, you know, off the top of your head maybe it's getting busier and like with my personal life and my job so maybe trying to like hire someone to help out so I'm not the one always doing the event so maybe looking into that yeah.
And mainly yours are on the weekends I would think right.
It's mostly on the weekends but I do a lot of week night stuff. Oh, okay. I've done corporate events, art shows, even like late like anniversaries or birthdays where like it might start like at six or seven p.m.
Just depending on how busy I am. I'll take it. Yeah, sure. I'll do it. Well good for you.
Okay, let's end on this. If you can give I know you have zero habit for Instagram but give everybody your social media handles really quick and then shoot them to me on a text message so I can put them in the episode notes.
Yeah, zero habit studio on Instagram and zero habits studio.com is my website.
Okay, well, on that note, we will wrap this up. Thank you, Jeff for being part of my podcast and congratulations. I am so very impressed with you.
Thank you for having me.
You're welcome.
Bye.