May 1, 2017

Meet Elaine Somodio of South Bay Snaps in Carson

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elaine Somodio.

Elaine, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
It all started at co-founder Jeremiah’s daughter’s 1st birthday party. Being open minded and my desire to create and craft, I had this idea to DIY photo booth. Jeremiah being the talented, smart, tech savvy one, we decided to come up and try our very own photo booth for her party. With a basic laptop, camera, backdrop and some props- it was a Hit! The guests had so much fun and we captured so many memories. We revisited that great idea then decided to upgrade our equipment and launch South Bay Snaps Photo Booth Rental in 2013. We now have served over 120+ events doing this part time. We’ve combined our talents and hobbies and truly enjoy providing photo booth services to our Los Angeles community. We see the smiles, the laughs, the memories captured all in one.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It was definitely not a smooth road. There were many obstacles and errors along the way. When we first started, we did a lot of research and instead of purchasing a ready-made photo booth; we customized and built our photo booth to what we wanted from scratch with the help of a family member. We worked hard and had some sleepless nights to get the business to where we are today. With every obstacle, we have found an opportunity to learn and grow. We both work full time and both have families, so managing time was one of our struggles. Along the way, we managed to balance life and work it out while still enjoying what we do.

Please tell us about South Bay Snaps.
South Bay Snaps is family owned and operated photo booth Rental Company for any occasion. A modern digital touch screen kiosk that captures photos in seconds; entertainment and a party favor in one! We understand the community, vendors, venues and clients’ specific needs. We provide guests with the entertainment, excitement, and shear fun for any event. They will take home the best party favor, and rave about how great of an idea having a photo booth was! The best part of it is that all the photos captured are saved for the client to treasure. Perfect for all types of celebrations; Weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Sweet 16s, Quinceañera, Birthdays, Proms, Corporate Parties, Reunions, or any other special occasion!

What sets us apart from others is that we are social media friendly. Our booth is capable of delivering the photo instantly via text message, email, Facebook and Twitter. It is a great way to post and tag others on social media within seconds. Props and backdrops are included in package and some are custom made which makes us unique. Live feed photo projections, memory books, event photography coverage to add to the fun are also available for an additional fee.

We provide our clients with the best customer service, highest quality photos, and the largest, most fun, interactive photo booth rentals available all at the best possible value!

Who else deserves credit in this story?
Self-reflecting this journey, there were many accomplishments and failures. It has brought me life lessons. Humility and added wisdom. It increased my willingness to learn and grow in preparation to improve and reach new goals.

Along the way we needed the support, mentors, cheerleaders, advocates, teammates and client referrals to keep going. We are very lucky to have our families and friends help us with some of our events and believing in us. Without them we wouldn’t be where we are today. Kath (Jeremiah’s wife) also plays a huge role in our success. Her organization skills in keeping records and responding to client emails are much appreciated and needed to run the business. Her talents in creating personalized templates are amazing!

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