FORT SMITH, Ark. — The University of Arkansas-Fort Smith (UAFS) prides itself on being trailblazers, providing students with access and opportunities geared toward career development.
On the second floor of the Smith-Pendergraft Student Center, the latest tool for that development has been installed and is open for all students, faculty and staff to use.
The 'Portraits on Demand (PoD) Iris Photobooth' is the first-of-its-kind self-service professional photo booth at any university campus in the state of Arkansas.
Associate Director for Strategic Communications Rachel Putman says the PoD not only gives students a leg up in the professional world, but it's also "a completely free service to our students."
Earlier in the week, sophomore and president of the Men of Excellence club, Jonathan Brewer, stopped by the campus center to use the PoD for the first time.
"It's a really simple process," said Brewer. "You just push a few buttons and it just tells you what to do, just sit there and smile."
The PoD uses artificial intelligence technology to help direct the user for positioning, ensuring eyes are wide open, and gives a countdown before photos are snapped.
Brewer's session lasted less than five minutes but provided him with multiple headshots he can use for his own professional development.
"You're always going to need a job, so, having a LinkedIn profile will help you get that and being able to have a headshot will present you as more professional," Brewer said.
In the coming weeks, Brewer plans to bring out the entire Men of Excellence club for each member to receive their very own professional headshot.
The PoD was placed in the campus center as a way to provide all students, faculty, and staff with a central location to use the system.
"This allows you to come in, take the photo in about five minutes when it's convenient for you and there are no barriers to that access," Putman said. "Students can do it for free, faculty and staff can do it for free and you can get a high-quality photo emailed straight to you, that you can use however you want."
They say a picture is worth a thousand words and Brewer was pleased with his own picture and plans on using the photo booth as much as possible.
"Personally, I believe that I'll need it all the time," said Brewer. "I took a few headshots, I liked some of them, I didn't like some of them. Tomorrow, I may not like them at all, so I may want to come up here and take another one."
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