‘Life 4 Cuts’ Korean photo booth trend hits Hong Kong – 4 popular ones to try

Gone are the days when photo booths were only for taking passport photos. In Asia, photo booths where users can customise their snaps with decorative stickers, filters and more have been popular since the 1990s, when purikura booths debuted in Japan. More recently, South Korea’s “Life 4 Cuts” (L4C) have become popular, especially among members of Gen Z. This type of photo booth prints out four snapshots on a vertical or horizontal strip embellished with colourful borders and filters. What is more, at some stores customers can pay to have their photos made into wearable accessories. You can experience the fun for yourself at one of the many L4C booths that have recently popped up across Hong Kong. Here are four offering different styles. 1. FotoDopa Have you ever wanted to take a photo with your celebrity crush to mark a special occasion? At this self-service photo booth in Mong Kok’s New Town Mall, you can do just that. Customers can pose with popular figures from otome – Japanese video games designed for women – or K-pop stars, with special fan-designed “birthday” frames for idols that are only available during their birthday month. FotoDopa’s latest update features Qinche, the hottest character from the otome game Love and Deepspace. To mark the first anniversary of his introduction to the game, FotoDopa has teamed up with several fan artists to release a handful of exclusive frame designs. These L4C prints come on either transparent, glossy or metallic-lustre photo paper and cost HK$60 (US$7.60) per set. At two adjacent photo booths, customers can take snaps with either a zebra crossing or metro station backdrop. There is also a “Bear House” photo booth, which features a wall adorned with cute bear soft toys. 3/F New Town Mall, Mong Kok 2. Etnia Box This semi-self-service booth opened in Sham Shui Po in April after the brand found success in mainland China. The unique selling point here is that customers get 20 minutes to take as many photos as they want to get the perfect snap. After dozens of flashes, the shoot produces a selection of photos from which customers choose four. These can then be sent to customers’ smartphones so they can retouch them using their own photo-editing apps, after which they can be sent back to the staff for printing. “People can take as many photos as they want, which is different from the classic photo booth machine’s fixed settings where you can only snap six to eight shots and then select four as the final prints,” says Pinky Wong, a part-time staff member. “We once even had a customer who took 400 photos in 20 minutes.” The shop’s 20-minute unlimited photo capture package costs HK$299 and includes the digital copy of all photos taken, plus two horizontal four-square grid prints and four individual prints. The two photo cubicles each have two high-definition displays for customers to review their images in real time. Labubu dolls and other props are on offer for customers to include in their snaps. 7 Wong Chuk Street, Sham Shui Po 3. Homies Photo Club Homies Photo Club opened its second Hong Kong location in Tsim Sha Tsui in July, six months after launching in the city’s Yuen Long neighbourhood. The Tsim Sha Tsui branch features a retro wooden booth with a photo machine inside, as well as a selection of backdrops that customers can change manually. Homies owner Helen Fong drew inspiration from a trip to South Korea. “I noticed that many Korean photo booths offer diverse backgrounds, so when I was setting up our room, I specifically added light wooden and floral backgrounds,” she says. She adds that the vintage headscarf is the most popular prop. “Folding it into a triangle and pairing it with round sunglasses can create a perfect nostalgic vibe while taking photos.” The store offers its L4C in different sizes. Mini-size (HK$60) includes three to four prints that are more suitable for sharing with friends, while mega-size (normal price HK$90 but currently on promotion for HK$80) includes high-resolution prints ideal for displaying at home. For an extra HK$40, customers can buy a cute mini-CD keychain for which one of their pictures is made into the “album cover”. The key ring can be connected via Bluetooth to smartphones to play music. “We’re the first store to transform [L4C] into wearable CD keychains. I came up with this idea because I hope people can keep photos stylish while carrying a personalised accessory wherever they go,” Fong says. Yuen Long branch: 2080, In-Citi Mall, 15-19 Kau Yuk Road Tsim Sha Tsui branch: B2/F Mind Zone, K11 Musea, 18 Salisbury Road 4. Photo Lab+ PhotoLab+ is a self-service photo booth brand from South Korea that first opened in Hong Kong in 2024 and now has locations in Causeway Bay and Central. The company launched the “Selfie-Synthesis” series in May, featuring summertime motifs such as plants and fruits for solo and group shoots. At the pastel-coloured booth in Causeway Bay, the standard set of L4C – which includes hard copy prints, a digital copy and motion video clips – costs HK$60. Beyond its “Selfie-Synthesis” series, the studio offers a diverse range of themed photos, from cute cartoons to “Happy Birthday” and “Hipster Teddy” themes. Nostalgic souls after 1980s-film-camera vibes will enjoy the brown self-service machine next to the pastel-coloured one in Causeway Bay. The Central branch features a high-angle booth in line with the viral trend popular among Gen Zers. Causeway Bay branch: Causeway Bay Plaza 1 G03B Central Branch: 14a Aberdeen Street

‘Life 4 Cuts’ Korean photo booth trend hits Hong Kong – 4 popular ones to try

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The photo craze popular with Gen Z is popping up everywhere. Here are four booths to try, featuring otome figures, vintage props and more

1. FotoDopa

The photo craze popular with Gen Z is popping up everywhere. Here are four booths to try, featuring otome figures, vintage props and more