Raspberry Pi Photo Booth

A lightweight C++ photobooth for Raspberry Pi that:

• captures a still image via rpicam-still
• composes a 1x1 framed print with Arm branding using OpenCV
• emails the framed image using a small Python helper

Requirements

• Raspberry Pi 4B / 5
• Raspberry Pi Camera Module (libcamera/rpicam compatible) enabled
• OpenCV (C++): libopencv-dev
• Python 3
• python-dotenv (for .env credential loading)

Install

Connect the camera module by:

1. Locate the Camera Module port
2. Gently pull up on the edges of the port’s plastic clip
3. Insert the Camera Module ribbon cable; make sure the connectors at the bottom of the ribbon cable are facing the contacts in the port.
4. Push the plastic clip back into place
5. Reboot your Raspberry Pi

System packages:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y \
  libopencv-dev \
  python3 python3-venv python3-pip \
  pkg-config

Dependencies:

cd scripts
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install python-dotenv

Run the Software

Create a .env file in the scripts folder:

SENDER_EMAIL=[email protected]
SENDER_PASSWORD=your_app_password   # e.g., Gmail App Password if 2FA

Build the project:

make clean
make build

Run:

make run

Flow:

1. Enter your name.
2. Confirm capture (y) and wait for a 3-second countdown.
3. Outputs (default):
   • Raw photo: ./out/_.jpg
   • Framed PNG: ./out/framed/__framed.png
4. Enter an email address to send the framed image (if .env is set)