3… 2… 1… Pose!

Guest Post By: Erika Yoshino, a Junior studying Human Resources and Information Systems, and minoring in Informatics. During Spring Semester 2022, she participated in Foster Exchange through Yonsei University, and studied abroad in Seoul, South Korea.

When you think about photo booths, you usually think about the small kiosks done in arcades or malls, but South Korea takes it to a different level. In any of the bigger and busier cities, there are easily multiple photobooth studios within a five-minute walk. As someone who loves to take photos to commemorate memories and reflect on them, I took full advantage of this and so should you! Here is my guide to getting the most out of your photobooth experience!

Step one: Pick a studio

There are dozens of studios you can choose ones but frequent and popular ones (in my opinion) are Haru Film, Photoism, and 인생네것. These studios are usually 24 hours so you can do it at any point after a night out with friends or even just by yourself during the day. The camera quality and interior can differ from location to location, so my recommendation for this step is to look at the pictures people leave and post around the walls! This way, you are able to see the camera quality and what your photos might come out to. There are a variety of options to consider from border designs, the number of photos, and how big the space is but sometimes you want to just pick the closest one.

Step two: Getting ready and picking props

Once you’ve settled on a photo studio, you’ll notice that there is an area for you to freshen up and even sometimes provide hair curlers or straighteners for you. Here you can usually see others reapplying their cushions or lipstick. Once you’re satisfied, you can go straight into the studio or you can choose from the cute headbands, funny hats, and plushies to take photos with. Just be careful with how many people you’re taking photos with and if the props are bigger, they might block your friends so it may just be better to take them with no props! I would also decide on poses beforehand because once you’re taking photos, it will go fast and leave you no time to think. Think of more poses that will be printed out because even if only 4 will show up, you will have to take 8 photos and pick from them!

Step three: Take photos and print

Here’s the fun part! You can take your photos either by a self-timer or a self-button clicker. After you’re done taking the photos, it will have an assortment of options from having your pictures black and white or mirrored and also border color and design! Usually, it’s about 4000 won for 2 and goes up from there depending on how many people you have. If you decide to spend time in South Korea, I highly recommend doing one each time you go out with someone new and try a different place! Here are some of mine.