Magic photo booth

What can be magical in taking a picture in a photo booth? Probably, most of people realized the fun of such booths after watching the famous film about adventures of a Parisian girl named Amélie Poulain, who was finding, taking, displaying or ripping into pieces such photos from the street photo booths.

Movie shots from Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain

Meanwhile, in the 1990`s a newly invented phenomenon - purikura - appeared in Japan. Literally, purikura means "printing club" and came out from shortening the japanese words "purinto kurabu". Nowadays, Japanese teenagers are crazy about taking pictures of themselves and their best friends in a bit different photo booths than those widely known all around the world.

What`s the difference between classic photo booth and purikura?

1) Classic photo booth`s capacity is officially 1 person, practically up to 4. In case of purikura booths it`s even up to 10 people!
2) Classic photo booth is much smaller, while purikura booths have 2 sections - one for taking pictures and the other one for editing them.
3) Pictures taken in purikura booth can be edited - starting from choosing the intensity of colors and the colors of the background ending with adding images, texts and other crazy stuff to them.
4) Purikura booths have an option of sending pictures to the customers` own mail accounts.
5) The aim of creating classic photo booths was rather serious - possibility of taking quick pictures for official documents, while the aim of doing purikura is simply fun.
6) One payment in classic photo booth includes 4-6 pictures, while in purikura it can be up to 60.
7) Prints from purikura have different shapes, sizes and sometimes they are even stickers. Classic ones don`t have any of those options.
8) The prices are similar.

How does purikura work?

Step 1
Find purikura booth - search for it in big shops or shopping centers.

Step 2
Make sure there are no people taking photos inside, then enter the booth.

Step 3
Put all the bags, jackets and the rest of unnecessary stuff on the left side of the booth.
Step 4
Make sure that you know where the camera is hehe
Step5
Insert coins - usually 400 yen (4$).

Step 6
As soon as you insert the coins, you will be asked to choose some kind of settings for your photos on the touchscreen. I suggest to make sure what will you be asked to choose before entering the booth, it should be printed on the outside walls.
In our case, Daniel and I had to choose between pastel or vivid and cute or beautiful. We`ve chosen vivid and cute. Later on it turned out that as the first one refers to colors, the second one refers to the so called "faces", that your supposed to make to the camera.

Step 7
Make a couple of "faces", as displayed on the screen.

Step 8
Edit your pictures on the separate screen.

Two people can edit different pictures in the same time! It is possible to add text, pictures, funny backgrounds or even eyelashes or ribbons.
And by the way, this part needs to be paid separately.