AI photo booth at Salzburg Zoo Hellbrunn: selfies with gibbons and snow leopards at the Salzburger Sparkasse stand

In short: On 3 October 2026 our AI photo booth stood at the activity day in Salzburg Zoo Hellbrunn – at the stand of Salzburger Sparkasse. Visitors picked one of four AI motifs featuring animals from the zoo, and moments later they were sitting among white-handed gibbons in the branches or standing next to a snow leopard in the Himalayas. Every picture was printed in the blue #glaubandich frame, to take home.

The occasion: an activity day at Salzburg Zoo Hellbrunn

A Saturday in early October, blue sky, the rock face of the Hellbrunner Berg against the light: families with prams and balance bikes were out on the zoo's paths. The activity day was open to all zoo visitors, and Salzburger Sparkasse took part as a partner with its own stand.

For a photo station that is a grateful audience. Nobody is in a hurry, everyone has a phone in hand anyway, and the children pull their parents towards the device on their own. The station ran from 10 am to 4 pm.

The stand: blue tent, #glaubandich and a slim column

The bank had put up a blue pop-up tent, with bar tables carrying small giveaways and a cornhole game under the old trees. The back wall of the tent was printed edge to edge with the campaign hashtag #glaubandich – and right in front of it stood our AI photo booth.

The setup has two parts: a column with camera and touchscreen, 35 centimetres wide and 163 centimetres tall, and a printer stand beside it. Together they need about 1.5 by 1.5 metres. Under a tent that also has to hold a bar table and guests, that is why the AI photo booth travels to jobs like this one rather than a large mirror photo booth.

Four AI motifs, all tied to the zoo

Four prepared AI motifs were available on the touchscreen. None of them was off the shelf; all four played with animals that live in the zoo:

In the branches with the white-handed gibbons. The guest sits on a thick branch in the jungle while pale gibbons swing along the lianas around them, one of them perched right alongside. The real gibbons were climbing through their trees a short walk away that same day.

Himalaya expedition with a snow leopard. Down jacket, rope, crampons and snow-covered peaks – and on the rock next to the guest a snow leopard that could not care less.

The overgrown Residenzplatz. Salzburg's Residenzplatz, taken over by meadow, a stream running across the square, with the cathedral and the fortress in the background. The guest sits on the edge of the fountain while warty pigs graze all around. The local motif where every Salzburg resident knows at once where they are.

Meerkats as a security team. Savannah, umbrella acacias, zebras, giraffes and elephants in the background. In front, the guest sits on a rock, flanked by upright meerkats in black vests – one of them wearing sunglasses.

Anyone who did not want a transformation could take a perfectly normal photo too – in the same frame, without AI.

Why the pictures do not look like a filter

The motifs are created with AI Modify. The person is not cut out and placed in front of a backdrop; the entire image is recomputed. Light, clothing, shadows and surroundings fit together, and the face stays recognisable.

For that to work on the day, the real work happens beforehand. We developed the four motifs in advance and sent sample images for sign-off. In a second round two things were sharpened: the scenes had to look more realistic, and people had to be fully in the picture rather than cropped to a portrait. That loop decides whether an AI picture ends up on the fridge or in the bin.

The print: 10x15 in the blue frame

Every picture came out of the printer as a 10x15 print. The bank's claim sits at the top of the blue frame, the Salzburg Zoo logo at the bottom, and a QR code in the image leads to the digital version. One print therefore carries both senders: the bank and the place.

Two sample prints were stuck to the back of the column – the side people walk past. It is a small detail with a big effect. Anyone passing the tent sees straight away what comes out here and does not have to ask.

Outdoors: what the station needs

An open-air job raises different questions than a ballroom. The low October sun moves around the tent over the course of the day. That is why the column works with its own shooting light and a reflector above the camera, so a picture taken at ten in the morning looks like one taken at half past three.

One point is not negotiable with AI devices: they need internet. No connection, no transformation – so we bring our own mobile network. On site, a standard power socket, level ground and a covered position are enough.

We travelled from Vienna on the day of the event, set up in the morning and were ready when the station opened at 10 am. Our attendant stayed at the device all day, explained the motifs and helped guests use it.

What we take away from Salzburg

Three things carried this job. First, the motifs: they had something to do with the place. A snow leopard in a zoo frame is more than a funny picture, it is a souvenir of exactly this day. Second, the shared frame, which gives bank and zoo equal space. And third, the sample prints on the device, which explain the offer without a single word.

Technically it was a quiet day – and with a family audience, that is the goal.

An AI photo booth for your activation

Planning a sponsorship appearance, a family day or a corporate event, and want motifs that fit your location or your brand? Tell us the date, the space and what it should be about – we develop the AI motifs in advance and show you sample images before the device travels to the event. The AI photo booth is the compact option for small stand areas. If there is room for something bigger, the AI Magic Mirror is the alternative, and for classic instant prints without AI there is the Fotobox Classic photo booth. All AI devices are in our AI Line. We work all over Austria.

FAQ: AI photo booths at outdoor events

Does an AI photo booth work outdoors?

Yes. The column has its own shooting light, and we bring the internet connection for the image processing. What it needs is level ground, power and a covered position such as a tent.

How long does one AI picture take?

About 20 to 30 seconds after the shot, the transformed picture appears on the display and comes out of the printer. The digital version is available via QR code as well.

Can the motifs match the location or the brand?

Yes, that is the point. At Salzburg Zoo it was gibbons, a snow leopard, warty pigs and meerkats, plus a local Salzburg motif. We develop the motifs in advance and agree them with sample images.

Can two brands appear on one print?

Yes. The print frame is designed freely. Here the Salzburger Sparkasse claim and the Salzburg Zoo logo shared every picture, together with a QR code.

How much space does the AI photo booth need?

About 1.5 by 1.5 metres for the column and printer stand, including room for guests to move. That fits under a pop-up tent that also holds a bar table.