A recent Saturday afternoon in the Arts district, a group of seven friends – plus a tiny dog - contemplated and twisted the body to hold in a light brown box 8 feet high which had a mirror door registered with the words “memory archive”.
Once they were all mainly inside, they lifted a cannon digital reflex camera which was kicking a small hole. They posed – smiling brilliantly, forming their fingers in signs of peace and forms of heart, and holding the dog in the air like the baby Simba – while the shutter clicks eight times. They then left the stand, selected their favorite photos in a kiosk and waited about 60 seconds for the photos to develop.
The photos take about 60 seconds to develop.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
The energetic group of new friends, most of whom had only met a few hours earlier in a rave, had come across the photomaton while they were taking food from food Idyllic Cafe and decided to commemorate the moment. They sprang from the results.
“It was very cute,” said Eugenia Bulah, 41.
Throughout the rest of the after Photo gene, A “high angle” stand that takes images from a high perspective.
The founders of Génic MJ and Ryan Kim, two recent UCLA graduates who are not linked, said that since they had installed the stand at Idyllic Cafe at the end of February, he had captured nearly 1,000 photos. The duo has two other high angle stands in Los Angeles, one in a cafe called About time in Koreatown and another in the catering area at Westfield City Cityas well as a regular selfie style stand at My coffee in Koreatown.
Ryan Kim, on the left, and MJ Kim are photographed in their Genic Photo Booth pop-up at Idyllic Cafe.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Invented by Anatol Josepho, the First Photoaton Has his debut in New York in 1925. A century later, there is no shortage of photoators in Los Angeles, they can be found in bars, hotel halls, cafes, shopping centers and other companies. But in recent years, these original selfie machines – just like vinyl files and the use of disposable cameras – have experienced a resurgence, especially among the young generations. Rather than just having a lot of images on your phone, photo lovers appreciate having the physical memory that they can place on their refrigerator, in an album or in frames around their house.
The technology is skyrocketing from grainy and low -resolution images on a photography strip. People can now take photos from a high angle (which some find more flattering), use eccentric accessories, choose from the backgrounds and limited edited frames next to their favorite K-Pop artist. Other popular photo societies, with locations in los an Potobox,, LIFE 4 Cuts And Photography.
“It has always been one thing, but lately, it has gone absolutely crazy because all the young people have entered and they put videos on Instagram and Tiktok,” explains Mike Rybak, 58, who has been an analog technician and operator for over 20 years. His business, Photo illusioninstalled 40 stands in Los Angeles, including its most popular at the 4,100 bar, which on average 2,000 photos per month.
Rybak also provided a famous photographer and creator of Bryanta Eslava Vintage Viral Machine known as the name Bryant standwhich was honored by celebrities Like the Kardashians, Jaden Smith, Lil Wayne, Martha Stewart, the cast of “succession” and more. (There is a Bryant Machine Stand in Los Angeles on the Harriet roof in West Hollywood and two others in Costa Mesa.)
“I think the upward trend has occurred just after Covid,” added Rybak. “People were locked up and no one could go to bars, and as soon as everything reopened, people have gone mad.”
Madison Aubry, on the left, and Traron Edwards select their photos in the photo gene.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Ryan Kim shows how to use the photomaton that he and MJ Kim created.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
This renewed excitement surrounding the photographs is part of the reason why General Zers and the friends of the MJ Kim and Ryan Kim college launched their business, Genic (abbreviation of “PhotoGenic”), in April 2024.
“I love taking pictures. This is literally that it started, ”explains MJ, 23, who specializes in data and statistics. She is there unofficial face For the brand and many of its photos are recorded on the side of the Génic stand for inspiration. “I felt something different (every time) that I took photos with my friends in photoators,” adds MJ. “There were so many laughs and we still had so creative with the poses.” She and Ryan thought that having a photomaton on or near the UCLA campus could raise their experience. (They work to get there.)
At first, MJ and Ryan had trouble finding a manufacturer that would allow them to buy a single stand rather than several, which they could afford at the time. But after months of hunting, they found one based in South Korea – where the two come from – who believed in their vision and sold them only one stand for about $ 20,000. They used their savings to pay it, then started testing the stand in the three -bedroom apartment in Ryan, which he shared with roommates.
Ryan Kim, right, and MJ Kim.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Inspired by the popularity of photoators in South Korea – where stands can be found almost all corners of Most frequented district of the city, Hongdae – MJ and Ryan wanted to create a stand that took photos from above, to inspire people to “always dream high and look for the eyes”.
“The photographs are so large in South Korea,” explains Ryan, who specializes in design at the UCLA. “It's really a culture. It's a lifestyle for people. But we did not just want to bring this industry to the United States because the brand is a little different and we really wanted to resonate with the entire American market rather than Asian Americans in the United States, so we tried a different brand. Something that is a little cooler. ” With Genic, they wanted to establish a recognizable creative lifestyle brand, adds Ryan.
Once the duo has nailed the mechanics and the design of their first photomaton – which had a regular angle rather than a high – they started asking for companies near their university if they could install it for free. Eventually, Melo MeloA coconut dessert shop in Sawtelle, gave them the green light and offered them a three-month pop-up residence from last April.
Catherine Thomas, a quarter of work advances in Melo Melo, said they agreed to work with Genic because they wanted to collaborate with the students and they thought that the stand would appeal to their collegial crowd.
“It was really a success,” said Thomas, adding that the nights on weekends were the busiest. “It has certainly helped with our sales, bringing new people.”
Shortly after the end of the Melo Melo residence, the duo moved the stand to Café MCO in Koreatown for a two-week pop-up. They used their sales money to buy three high angle photoatons. MJ and Ryan, who direct Genic full-time, say they hope to buy more stands and develop in more places in and beyond. They also hope to collaborate with brands and events, and finally open a flagship store.
MJ and Ryan have designed their stand to look like an experience and as if you were running for the cover of a magazine. First of all, you select the type of frame you want on the kiosk machine, the original, which looks like a traditional church band and costs $ 10 for two prints; Or their most popular framework, the signature frame, which imitates a fashion editorial with a large image or three photos and costs $ 12 for two impressions. The photos also have a QR code at the bottom, so you can download high quality digital versions of your photos as well as a live video of you experiencing the stand.
The friends Stacy Salazar, on the left, and Cassandra Leviste show their photos.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Back at Idyllic, MJ and Ryan, who visit their photose daily to make sure they work properly, watched people jump and get out of the machine. Among the crowd, the friends Cassandra Leviste, 22, and Stacy Salazar, 20, visited the coffee specifically to consult the Genic Booth, which, according to them, had arisen on their page “for you” on Tiktok for weeks.
“It is not really a common angle for a photomaton, so before we (came), we looked at photos of Inspo on Pinterest,” explains Leviste who lives in the valley. “We were serious.” They agreed their poses in advance and coordinated their outfits.
Leviste says that she loves photoatons because they are a practical way to capture physical memories with her loved ones without having to ask someone else to take a photo of them.
“I went to so many photoators that I lack space on my babbler,” she said, laughing.
