Trends are cyclical: often, what’s old is new again. But Life4Cut brings back the photo booth trend with a fun and modern twist.
Posing for selfies at Life4Cut is a throwback to the days of photo booths when people could hold on to printouts of their photos. And if you’re the kind who loves Polaroids, you’ll want to add this photo booth experience to your list of things to do in Vancouver.
The concept, which is hugely popular in parts of Asia, has finally landed in the West Coast. We caught up with Shaun Om, the managing director of Vancouver’s Life4Cut photo booths, to discuss trends and what it’s like being in the business of nostalgia.
The beginning
The idea behind Life4Cut is simple: the unmanned selfie photo booth lets you take control and be your own photographer. The room is equipped with a small automatic camera and gives you a chance to take several shots.
Once done, you can select your top choices, choose a layout and frame, then print them out for the ultimate keepsake. And sharing photos on your social media is easier too since you can send yourself a digital copy of the photos.
What started as a small business in Korea in 2017 grew to become a favourite among Korean students. And although there are several similar photo booths, Life4Cut is the original concept.
Five years later, the company now has 400 locations in Korea and 1,000 locations worldwide, including Vietnam, USA, Canada, and more.
Coming to Canada
Growing up in Coquitlam, BC, Shaun recalls how he was always in search of something fun to do.
“I couldn’t find many things to do here as a student,” he said. “But I remember going to Metrotown to take photos at this sticker photo booth with the $20 allowance I got from my parents. I want to give back something fun to kids of this generation.”
Although digital cameras and camera phones have almost made traditional photo booths obsolete, Shaun said that he holds onto old photographs, adding that physical copies allow him to look back on some cherished memories.
“To this day, I still remember my parents always carrying film cameras. We took so many photos but we still keep all of them,” he said. “I still have some of them in my room. I’m also a curious person. As an avid traveler, I’m always curious about what locals do in their free time. I watch what’s trending in that particular country and try to bring those trends to Vancouver.”
Having seen the popularity of Life4Cut among young Koreans, Shaun was determined to bring the concept to Vancouver. The process required months of consultations and calls with the company’s headquarters. Eventually, he finally opened Vancouver’s first photo booth machine at Juillet Cafe, located at 4341 North Road in Burnaby.
In addition to the original location, Life4Cut now has two more locations in BC: the second can be found in Surrey at Coffee Monster at 101 Avenue, and the third is inside Vancouver’s Public Market at 1610 Robson Street.
And according to Shaun, a fourth location is currently in the works and is set to open in Coquitlam Centre.
Star attraction
“We all love taking photos but with this generation, analog photography is no longer available – it’s all digital photos saved to our mobile devices,” said Shaun. “I wanted to create a way to introduce analog to the young generations and allow them to keep those physical copies. Having physical copies of photos is the most fun part.”
So what’s behind Life4Cut’s popularity?
It turns out that it’s the combination of our love for taking photos and the need to share them on SNS.
And since Life4Cut offers four cuts – both hard and digital copies – people can have physical photos as special mementos, while having the option to share their favourite cuts on SNS.
But Shaun said that the photo booth has also gained attention due to a more recent phenomenon.
“I also owe the popularity of Life4Cut to K-pop and K-dramas,” he said. “I actually just saw four cut photos being featured in a Korean drama the other day.”
Eagle-eyed K-drama and K-pop fans will likely have come across their favourite celebrities posing for their own four-cut photos.
One recent example is the 2022 K-drama Love in Contract, which sees actors Park Minyoung and Ko Kyungpyo posing for couple photos. Singer IU also posed for her four-cut photos, a move that sparked people’s curiosity.
Thanks to K-dramas and K-pop, Shaun said he’s seen a marked increase in non-Koreans wanting to try out the photo booth.
A concept for all
“I can confidently say that once people take their photos at Life4Cut, they will want to come back – it’s addicting,” said Shaun.
Unlike other photo booths set up for professional passport photos, Life4Cut is a fun playground where people of all ages can feel free to just be themselves.
“Exaggeration is key to enjoying Life4Cut more,” said Shaun, who suggests trying various poses with friends.
And taking photos at the Life4Cut photo booths is a breeze.
There’s an easy-to-follow video with instructions on how to use the photo booth on the Life4Cut Vancouver’s Instagram account (which can be found on @life4cut_vancouver).
After paying, select a photo frame you like then take photos within the allotted time. You can review photos, edit them with various filters, and print your pictures.
Shaun said that the filters and frames are a bonus and with new filters launched at the beginning of every month, visitors have plenty of options. And he’s hoping for a more customized filter for West Coast fans.
“I’m hoping to bring a filter that’s more Vancouver-like in the future,” he said. “Plus, the Life4Cut photo booths shipped directly from Korea are also created by developers who have configured cameras, lighting, and colours that bring the best result for taking photos.”
Shaun said he owes the success of the photo booths to his Vancouver customers and added that seeing them post their Life4Cut photos online warms his heart.
Are you ready for your close-up?
You can visit the Life4Cut locations at Juillet Cafe, 4341 North Road, Unit 206; Coffee Monster, C1b-15285 101 Avenue, Surrey; and Public Market, 1610 Robson Street, Vancouver. A fourth location is set to open soon in Coquitlam Centre.
By KDC (K Daily Canada) Staff
