If you read the linked article, aside from the very beginning, he uses Sleepwatcher [1] to trigger an Automator script that launches Photo Booth and does the 3...2...1 countdown.
Sorry, I should have been more clear. I was wondering if he remembered that the script would launch PhotoBooth before he opened the lid each time. I expect he'd have just grabbed his MacBook and opened the lid and then remembered that it would take a picture.
As it happens all of the time I really don't forget. And if it takes a really horrible photo I can always just click the little X and delete it so no harm.
The first day or two it just took the photo in the background without me knowing about it. But too many of the photos were really bad (deleted most of them). I was moving or my head was cut off or out of frame. I was willing to trade the 'security' of hidden photo gathering and instead just had it launch PhotoBooth and immediately take a picture. That gave me three seconds to compose myself and if I couldn't do it in time I could just click the capture button and take another one. Occasionally I would get annoyed at it, but it was over quick enough.
