Moving Pictures with Click & Shutter

For as long as Laurie Durrell can remember, she’s been the one everyone counts on to take photos. No matter the occasion, she has always delighted in capturing special memories and sharing them with family and friends.

So it’s no surprise that what began as something Durrell loves to do has morphed into a mini enterprise thanks to Blossom, a vintage Volkswagen bus she had transformed into a mobile photo booth complete with a selection of backdrops and props.

“I’ve always loved VW buses, and I’d been looking for one for years,” says Durrell. “Then one day my husband, Chad, found an ad for one on Facebook that sounded too good to be true. I called the number, and the owner, who was Brazilian, so there was a bit of a language barrier, said, ‘Come to Orlando to my shed; I have 10 VW buses.’ I was afraid it was a scam.”

It wasn’t. Instead, the “shed” turned out to be a mega car collection on International Drive. Durrell didn’t find the 1965 model with 23 windows she had her heart set on, but the collector assured her he’d look for one. He was a man of his word, and it wasn’t long before he called to say he’d found it.

“Chad and I went back up to take a look. The bus, which was tan, had potential but needed a lot of work,” Durrell wrinkles her nose, recalling what Blossom looked like before undergoing a major makeover.

Today the gleaming white-and-blue bus boasts a brand-new interior with custom seats, curtains, VW’s signature flower holder, and a front decorative license plate with the words “Click N Shutter.”

Blossom has made appearances at weddings, graduations, and other special events, including the annual Vero Beach Christmas Parade. You can’t help but smile when Blossom is around; she’s a one-of-a-kind “happy mobile” that’s also equipped with the latest technology.

“I wanted good-quality equipment, so I went to the Photo Booth Expo held in Las Vegas, and when I walked in I was overwhelmed,” says Durrell, comparing the experience to a chocoholic landing in a chocolate factory. “There were over 500 vendors with all kinds of photo booths and options to choose from.”

As a result of what she has seen and learned since, Durrell has added the portable Selfie Booth and the handheld selfie Roamer Booth to the list of Click & Shutter options, along with package offerings that include unlimited photo sessions, customized photo strips, and photo sharing via text, email, or QR code.

“The photo booth not only prints out photos, it can instantly send them to your phone. The computer program is a lot to learn, but Chad helps with the tech side so I can breathe easy, knowing everything works. He’s not only my high school sweetheart and best friend, he goes along with all my crazy ideas.”

So do her children, Kylee and Cade, who are used to having some of Blossom’s accessories tucked behind the living room sofa and “Lensy,” an interactive photo booth robot, nestled next to a chair. With a perky personality, the latest addition to the photo booth gang has been an instant hit.

For now, Durrell is working on maintaining a balance between family time and Click & Shutter events while keeping an eye on the latest photo booth news; after all, Blossom could use a few more backdrops, and Lensy just might want a friend.