UNLV Career Services: Iris Booth vs Popcam Headshots

Background

As one of the most recognized institutions in the country, UNLV is home to a nationally respected Career Services & Workforce Development team. Known for its innovation and commitment to career readiness, the department plays a key role in shaping how students present themselves professionally, both on and off campus.

As demand for professional headshots grew across campus, UNLV Career Services needed a solution that could serve students, faculty, and staff without relying on staff time, training, or manual photography setups.

Their first step? A month-long pilot of Popcam. “We piloted Popcam in February… [we] needed something and wanted to try it out.”

The unit was shared across multiple career centers, delivering headshots for just over a month at career fairs and department events.

Stressed photographer on phone in professional studio with cameras and equipment

The Challenge

Upon launch, Popcam identified a real demand for headshots. Students clearly wanted them, and were excited by the prospect of getting them. But while Popcam met initial needs, the day-to-day experience at UNLV exposed challenges:

• At UNLV, setup and operation required trained staff on-site
• For UNLV’s pilot, staff had to manually recalibrate the unit with each move
• Session times were slower, requiring UNLV students to log in on their phones

“I was getting constant calls when I was in the middle of other meetings, and that just didn’t feel sustainable.”

What started as a helpful pilot quickly became a logistical strain. UNLV transitioned to an in-house photography setup over the summer, using a camera, backdrop, and student photographer — but that added its own challenges and overhead.

The team needed a permanent solution that didn’t depend on staff or create bottlenecks.

The Solution

After their Popcam pilot and a summer of manual photography, UNLV’s Career Services team — known for building student-centered infrastructure — knew exactly what they needed: a solution that didn’t depend on staff availability, didn’t require training or setup, and could deliver consistently professional results. When Moore visited the Iris Booth at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine, they found exactly that. “I went and checked it out. I really liked it. Super easy.”

Moore spoke with another well-respected institution’s Career Services team who had been using an Iris Booth for over a year. What stuck with Moore was what they said: “We wouldn’t go back. This is a great solution.” That gave Moore the confidence to move forward. “Getting all that validated information from the other career centers and trusted colleagues was really what made the decision.”

UNLV strategically installed its Iris Booth in the Lied Library — a high-traffic, student-first location chosen to maximize visibility and accessibility. Based on adoption over the first 3 months, Iris Booth is on track to deliver 2,000 headshots for UNLV students in 2026 — something that just didn’t seem possible before its installation.

Business professional posing for her photos on Iris Booth screen

Iris Booth Provides A Photo Quality Upgrade

Beyond ease of use and permanence, photo quality played a meaningful role in UNLV’s decision to move forward with Iris Booth.

During the Popcam pilot, they were generally happy with results, though Moore noticed some lighting challenges from the concentrated circular light source during UNLV’s career fair pilot. “The biggest concern with Popcam was the glare.”

Iris Booth uses a diffused lighting design that produces even, flattering illumination across different skin tones and face shapes, resulting in clean and consistent headshots. “I’m looking at the example photos right now from what we’ve taken so far versus the ones we took on Popcam… the quality is better [with Iris].”

The UNLV team didn’t just trust gut feeling. They reviewed side-by-side results from both systems, and leaned into the data to make the best long-term choice. This wasn’t just about headshots — it was about helping students and staff present themselves professionally and confidently.

The Impact

Since switching to Iris Booth, UNLV has seen measurable gains in throughput, visibility, and satisfaction — not just among students, but across the entire campus community.

Faster, Smoother Events: Compared to their Popcam pilot, Moore shared that Iris Booth felt like it handled more sessions during UNLV’s fall career fair and described their pilot this way: “With Popcam, students rely on their device to scan, log in, get in… and so that added several minutes to the session versus with Iris.”

At UNLV’s fall career fair, session logs showed most Iris Booth sessions finished in under 3 minutes, keeping the flow moving efficiently. People loved it, and that drew a crowd, but career staff who experienced both systems also immediately noticed the improvement. “There was just a general, ‘oh, this was so much smoother.’”

Cross-Campus Adoption: While the original use case was student headshots, the booth — thanks to thoughtful implementation by the career team — quickly gained traction with faculty and staff, even influencing campus culture. “We’re having faculty and staff use it a lot… It’s reinvigorating this idea that we need to maintain a consistent, professional brand.”

New Sponsorship Opportunities
UNLV also saw strategic value in the booth’s sponsorship model. With support from Union Pacific, the career center integrated employer branding directly into the headshot experience. “Union Pacific is sponsoring part of the booth… and students get a link to their career page in the post-session email. It allows our partners to invest in us differently than traditional sponsorships.” This kind of strategic partnership is emblematic of how UNLV’s career team finds creative, high-impact ways to bring employers closer to students.

UNLV’s Experience with Popcam vs. Iris Booth

UNLV Experience	With Their Popcam Pilot	With Iris Booth Installation
Setup + Support	At UNLV, setup required trained staff on-site	Fully self-serve, minimal oversight needed
Session Speed + Access	Slower due to device login	Faster via direct on-screen interface
Lighting	Lighting setup varied between locations on the UNLV campus	Consistent lighting produced polished photos
Photo Output	UNLV’s pilot showed images with glare	Clear, professional-quality images
Staffing Burden	High — staff had to assist or troubleshoot during pilot	Low — staff rarely needed
Ideal Use Case for UNLV	Short-term	Permanent, campus-wide access
Employer Engagement	Not part of the experience	Post-session sponsor CTAs enabled

Lessons Learned & The Last Word

• When considering image quality vs. portability, trade offs are often made.
• Ease of use matters — for everyone.
• Headshots aren’t just for students. Faculty and staff wanted the same access.
• Sponsorship models can evolve. Iris enabled unique partnership engagement.
• Student-first infrastructure can also serve the whole campus.

As Moore summed up UNLV’s experience: “Iris is a much more polished experience. Which I think reinforces the importance of professionalism… For our campus, Popcam felt a little more fun, transactional, and slightly less professional… it felt more like an event photo kiosk rather than a permanent solution to our university’s professional headshot need.”

Today, UNLV has a professional headshot solution it can rely on — one that runs itself, reflects the university’s standards, and supports students, staff, and faculty alike.

Thinking About Making the Switch?

Iris Booth helped UNLV simplify operations, improve image quality, and expand access to professional headshots — all without increasing staff workload. We’re here to help:

• Understand cost-sharing across departments
• Evaluate usage data and reporting
• Explore sponsor integrations
• Compare Iris Booth vs. your current setup

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This case study describes UNLV’s experience during a limited Popcam pilot and subsequent Iris Booth installation.
It reflects UNLV’s implementation and observations, and may not represent other institutions’ experiences or results with Popcam or Iris Booth.
Popcam is a trademark of its respective owner.

A student headshot focuses on approachability and authenticity while still maintaining professional standards. It’s ideal for platforms like LinkedIn, Handshake, and graduate applications. Business headshots often emphasize corporate polish, but with Iris Booth, students can capture both styles depending on their career goals.

Iris Booth acts as a magnet for students. It brings them into the career center for headshots, then introduces them to services like resume reviews, mock interviews, and networking events—boosting overall engagement and utilization.

Absolutely. In under three minutes, students can take, review, and retouch a photo that aligns with LinkedIn and Handshake's professional photo standards—no outside equipment or photographers needed.

Yes. Many students use Iris Booth for academic headshots to include on departmental bios, research profiles, and conference submissions.

Iris Booth comes with full technical support for your staff and students. Our team ensures seamless onboarding, training, and customization for your campus brand.

Yes. You can lease, purchase, or rent Iris Booths to fit your institution’s budget and needs.

Students receive their headshots instantly via email.

Absolutely. You can customize the booth interface and navigation to match your school’s branding.

UNLV Career Services Chooses Iris Booth over Popcam to Deliver Scalable, Professional Headshots Across Campus

Background

The Challenge

The Solution

Iris Booth Provides A Photo Quality Upgrade

The Impact

UNLV’s Experience with Popcam vs. Iris Booth

Lessons Learned & The Last Word

Thinking About Making the Switch?

What’s the difference between a student headshot and a traditional business headshot?

How does Iris Booth help increase career center engagement?

Can Iris Booth help students create professional LinkedIn and Handshake photos?

Is Iris Booth suitable for academic headshots?

What kind of support is offered for setup and maintenance?

Is Iris Booth available for purchase or rental?

How fast are photos delivered?

Can we brand the booth for our institution?