Ever wondered what secret sauce makes those old-school photo booth pictures so darn captivating? Photographer and YouTube extraordinaire Mathieu Stern, a self-confessed vintage lens fanatic (check out his amazing Angenieux lens find: https://petapixel.com/2025/12/08/this-photographer-found-a-beautiful-vintage-angenieux-lens-for-just-10/), embarked on a quest to uncover the hidden lenses within those beloved analog machines. His mission? To recreate that iconic look from the comfort of his own home. Sounds simple, right? Think again! It turned out to be a far more complex and fascinating journey than anyone could have imagined.
"This project forced me to look for answers in the most unusual places," Stern confessed, highlighting the sheer difficulty in cracking this photographic puzzle.
Picture this: Stern and his wife, visiting a museum in the charming French city of Nantes. Before leaving, they popped into the museum cafe for a quick refreshment. And there it was, lurking in the corner – an authentic analog photo booth. Of course, Stern couldn't resist its allure.
"As I sat there, one question kept circling my mind. What kind of lens is actually inside that thing?" he pondered.
Trying to peek inside the booth itself proved futile. The lens only reveals itself during the fleeting moment of capture, making identification impossible. The internet, usually a treasure trove of information, offered little solace. Stern spent months diving into the depths of online research, sifting through countless photo booth models, only to hit dead end after dead end.
What he ultimately discovered was, in his own words, "even weirder" than he expected. And this is coming from a guy who practically breathes the quirky and unconventional aspects of photography, especially lenses. So, you know it's got to be good! But here's where it gets controversial...
Let's rewind to 1925, when Anatol Josepho revolutionized the world with the Photomaton, one of the first fully automated photo booths. For just 25 cents, people could get a strip of eight printed photos. The very first booth was strategically placed near Times Square in New York City. The entire process – capturing, developing, and printing – took only about 10 minutes. Considering the technology of the time, that's an incredibly impressive feat! Back then, obtaining portraits was often a costly and challenging endeavor for the average person. The photo booth democratized photography, making it accessible to the masses.
In the ensuing decades, photo booths became ubiquitous, popping up in train stations, amusement parks, shopping malls, and countless other locations. They were everywhere, a symbol of accessible fun and instant memories.
However, the rise of instant film cameras and the subsequent digital revolution led to the slow but steady decline of analog photo booths. Stern estimates that there are now fewer than 200 working chemical analog photo booths remaining worldwide. A stark reminder of how quickly technology can transform our world. And this is the part most people miss...
Despite their rarity, people still adore them. Stern noted that every analog photo booth he visited while filming his video had a long queue of eager customers. There's something undeniably special about holding a physical, one-of-a-kind photograph in your hands. It's a tangible piece of nostalgia in an increasingly digital world.
So, what lens did Stern finally uncover? After much digging, he stumbled upon a 1940s patent describing an f/2, 3-inch Wollensak portrait lens. The patent explained that the "deep focus compensates the depth of field," meaning the lens didn't require any manual focusing to produce sharp images. A clever design for a fully automated machine!
Wollensak later developed a lens specifically for photo booths: a 75mm f/4.5 "Photomat" prime lens.
"I thought the mystery was solved," Stern admitted. But then, he unearthed another source with conflicting information. Dun dun duuuun!
A video showcasing the restoration of an old analog photo booth in London briefly revealed the lens... and it was a Dallmayer 75mm f/4.5 enlarging lens! Talk about a plot twist!
Driven by his insatiable curiosity, Stern conducted even more research, even going as far as sneaking a Sony Alpha camera inside photo booths to capture video footage. His findings? Two different photo booths in France housed a Nikkor 35mm f/2.8 lens.
Armed with this new information and a plethora of test shots taken in actual photo booths, Stern was ready to attempt recreating the classic look at home. He even shared tips and tricks for other photographers to achieve the same effect, even with modern digital cameras. Turns out, replicating the visual aesthetic is entirely possible. But the feeling? That's a different story altogether.
"When I first stepped inside that photo booth in the museum cafe, I thought this vintage machines must have some sort of incredible secret optical technology that makes you look cool no matter what. A lens that would be impossible for me to find," Stern confessed.
However, he ultimately concluded that the true magic of these photo booths lies in the nostalgic experience they offer and the connection to a largely forgotten artistic approach to photography. Photo booth visitors receive a unique experience and a one-of-a-kind photo, and that's what truly sets analog photo booths apart. It's not just about the glass; it's about the feeling, the anticipation, the camaraderie, and the tangible memory created. The image credits belong to Mathieu Stern (https://www.youtube.com/@MathieuStern).
But here's a question for you: Do you think the specific lens truly matters, or is it the overall experience that makes analog photo booth pictures so special? Is the imperfection and slight randomness part of the charm that digital filters can't replicate? Or is there a secret sauce to those older lenses that we haven't fully understood? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
