Florian Baumann

Florian Baumann, who introduces himself simply as Flo, is a wedding photographer in the Winterthur region who also offers couple shoots and rents out a photo booth he built himself. His site covers both sides of the business, and the photo booth page in particular is unusually precise about prices, inclusions and what a venue needs to provide.

Who he is

The homepage opens with a Swiss German "Hoi zäme!" and a short introduction: Florian Baumann, or Flo for short, working as a wedding photographer in the Winterthur region. It lists three services: photo shoots, wedding photography and photo booth rental.

On shoots, he writes that there is hardly anything nicer than holding on to the deep bond between people in timeless pictures, images that show emotions and relationships and create lasting memories. On weddings, he describes the wedding day as one of the most meaningful days of a couple's life, and worth recording in pictures.

Weddings he has photographed

His portfolio posts give a clear sense of the kind of weddings he covers, most of them in the Winterthur, Zurich Oberland and Schaffhausen area:

• Katja Nina and Matthias, Berghof Wiesendangen: a first look, a couple shoot, a free ceremony, aperitif, dinner and evening program.
• Isa and Jery, Schloss Wildegg: a civil wedding in Winterthur, then a very emotional free ceremony with aperitif and dinner at Schloss Wildegg.
• Anina and Samuel, Am Charrewäg: a civil wedding in Uster and, a week later, a personal free ceremony with aperitif and dinner at the Charrewäg venue in Illnau-Effretikon.
• Rahel and Andreas, Schaffhausen: a civil wedding in the pavilion of the Schlosspark in Andelfingen, a church wedding a few days later in Merishausen, and dinner at the Ziegelhütte.

Several of these couples split the civil and the free or church ceremony across different days, and he covered both. That is a useful sign for couples planning the same: a registry-office wedding first and the celebration later.

Photo and video with Larissa

One testimonial, from Anina and Samuel, mentions that Flo and his partner Larissa were always keen to show them in the best light and recorded great moments of the celebration as photo and video, without disturbing. The site does not describe video as a separate service, so couples who want film should ask what Larissa's role would be and what it costs.

What couples say

On the homepage, Nadja writes that Flo photographed their wedding and, a few months before, a couple shoot. His openness and warmth, she says, made them, as rather camera-shy people, feel comfortable straight away, and they expect to enjoy the photos for many years. Rahel and Andreas describe very professional coverage and say they received the pictures quickly; they also rented the photo booth for their aperitif and evening party.

The photo booth

The photo booth is where the site gets specific. It runs fully automatically: guests tap the display, a countdown runs, the camera and flash fire, and the photo appears on screen shortly after. Props and accessories are provided. Flo notes that he is not present while the booth is running, and the couple receive all photos digitally after the event.

Price: CHF 449. Included:

• delivery, setup and dismantling at the venue
• a booth with a 26 MP system camera
• an unlimited number of photos
• an online gallery for viewing and downloading after the event
• a task game (Aufgabenspiel) and various props: 20 wooden signs with sayings, 20 pairs of sunglasses and small cardboard accessories
• phone support for technical problems between 08:00 and 23:00

Printer: CHF 100 extra. A professional-quality printer with 400 prints, in 10x15 cm or 5x15 cm format, printed on site within seconds.

Backgrounds: from CHF 50. Black fabric CHF 50, white fabric CHF 50, concrete-look fabric CHF 80, and a pink and blue sequin background CHF 50. He explains why they matter: many venue walls are unsuitable, and outdoors or facing into a large room the flash cannot reach what is behind the guests, so people look cut out. He sets the background up himself.

Travel is charged on top: 4 times the distance from Wiesendangen at 1.00 CHF per km, plus an hourly rate depending on travel time.

What the venue needs

The booth needs a power socket within 8 m, a spot protected from rain, and a floor area of about 3.00 m x 3.00 m. The page also sets a minimum ceiling height of 2.20 m, or 2.50 m with a background, and a minimum lens height of 1.35 m. Couples marrying in a low-ceilinged cellar or an attic room should send him the room dimensions before booking.

How a rental works

The process is set out step by step. The couple send a message through the contact form with the date. He replies and sends a questionnaire where they choose the print layout, the print format and how many pictures go on each print; he can also design a custom layout. On the day, he brings the booth and sets it up, collects it the same day or the next day, and sends the photos digitally so the couple can share them with their guests.

Where the booth has been

The page lists more than two dozen venues the booth has visited, among them Kartause Ittingen in Warth, Restaurant Attica in Frauenfeld, Kulturhaus Villa Sträuli in Winterthur, the See & Park Hotel Feldbach in Steckborn, the Schlossscheune at Schloss Wildegg, and Marina Lachen. He says it is regularly in use around Winterthur, Andelfingen, Schaffhausen, Frauenfeld and across Eastern Switzerland.

The story behind the booth

He first stood in front of a photo booth at a cousin's wedding more than ten years ago. After a homemade first attempt at his mother's birthday, he bought the components and built his own, noting that getting them all to work together was harder than expected. Carpentry is one of his passions, and the wooden case is made from boards salvaged from a demolished farmhouse in the neighboring village of Elsau.

What the site does not settle

The site publishes no prices for wedding photography or couple shoots, and it does not say how many hours or images a wedding booking includes. It gives no deposit or cancellation terms. The site is written in German, often in Swiss German, and does not say whether he works in English, which couples from abroad should ask.

Who he suits

Florian Baumann suits couples marrying around Winterthur, Schaffhausen or Frauenfeld who want a warm, unobtrusive photographer and, if they like, a photo booth from the same person. The booth's published price, inclusions and venue requirements make it easy to plan.

He suits less well couples who need a wedding photography price before making contact or who want an English-speaking photographer confirmed in advance.