A Kid Builder to an Adult Software Engineer

Every child has their own unique and special talents. For Young Benjamin Biddle, he had a knack for deconstructing things to figure out how to put them back together. Biddle’s skills became necessary early on in his life. When the lights were turned off in his childhood home, he used potatoes and lemons to turn them back on.

Those years spent exploring how things worked around him turned into receiving a software engineering degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Along with having a career in the software field, Biddle has a photography background. It was 16 years ago when Biddle decided to mix his two interests into one to create what is now called The Booth MKE.

It was the early 2000s when Biddle and his firstborn son, Aden, went to a business party. That event had a photobooth, so Biddle and his son decided to take photos. It was then that Biddle discovered that the photobooth contained the same camera he owned, so he decided he would make his own photobooth.

Over the years, Biddle has created his own in-house software and systems to make his photobooth stand out from traditional ones. The Booth MKE is a high-tech and high-touch photobooth with customizable and interactive features. Guests can pick from over 48 green screens, 3D Overlays, including interactive games, all built by Biddle himself.

“We’re in a unique time in this world with A.I….where you can just do things, so don’t limit yourself to what you can’t do,” said Biddle. “Take those limits off.”

Some of his first feedback was that his Canon camera wasn’t taking the best photos of Black, Brown, and people of color. He reworked the code so his photos could reflect the people in the best and most accurate way possible.

Biddle said The Booth MKE has three core elements that make it stand out: the quality of the photos, guests receive printed photos, and the technology behind the photobooth.

The photobooth was originally called Y.H.T.S. (Your Here To Smile) Photography and was looked at as a side job. It wasn’t until after the pandemic that Biddle and his partner Molly Howard, and his kids decided to take the business to another level, and applied for Milwaukee startup pitch competition Rev Up MKE. To their surprise, they took home first place, winning the $5,000 cash prize, along with a three-to six-month lease for their business.

“I was able to use the booth during the presentation,” Biddle said.

A Real Family Business

Biddle’s eldest son, Aden, was around three to four years old when Biddle created the first photobooth. Now his son his 21 years old and has recently graduated with a software engineering degree, like his father. Aden has been with the business since the beginning, and now he’s mentoring his younger two siblings, who are following in his footsteps.

Each family member plays a role in running the business, from social media management to marketing. After each event, the family goes over what worked, what didn’t, how to improve, and future plans.

“It makes my heart smile to have our kids growing up in it,” said Howard.

Biddle is developing new technology for The Booth MKE that allows full customization, from choosing your background and surroundings to designing your photo print.

He wants people to “think outside of the booth” when they think of The Booth MKE.