Guilty Pleasures
(click to enlarge)There are many silly things I love, but Sticker Pictures are definitely in the top five. Sticker Pictures have come a very long way since I first starting indulging in them. One of the first sticker pictures I took was probably back when I was in grade 7, and I remember the photo being quite faded, and only being able to print out one photo (as opposed to having a series of shots). More sophisticated ones back in the day gave you a choice of a few backgrounds, but the quality was still quite low, and you could still usually only have a choice of one or two poses.
Then, I travelled to Japan, and discovered sticker picture booths everywhere I turned - more abundant than Starbucks and Lululemon in Vancouver. And not only were these sticker booths everywhere, they were super high-tech and interactive. The photos were brighter, much clearer, and had infinitely more things you can do with them. There were hundreds of themes you could incorporate into the background and a billion decorations you could add after the camera finished snapping away - all the while with high-pitched female voices enthusiastically cheering you on.
I must admit I became sticker picture obsessed while I was over there. It was highly addictive, cheap, and a great thing to do when drunk (which was way too often). Westerners, however, seemed more reluctant to try Purikura (Japanese name for sticker pictures), perhaps because they couldn't understand how posing for pictures in a bright machine that played pop music and yelled at you could be fun. I converted a few though ;)
This caliber of sticker photo booth isn't easily accessed here in Vancouver. To find these crazy machines, one normally has to travel to some place particularly Asian, like specific parts of Metrotown, or better - Richmond. So today, after a dinner of all-you-can-eat sushi with my Mom and cousin, we decided to head to a sticker picture shop (yes, these exist in Vancouver!) and made funny faces to the tune of $9. This is a ridiculous price, and perhaps one reason sticker pictures are not very popular here Vancouver. In Japan, the average sticker picture booth costs 400 Yen, which is roughly $4.20 Cdn. Split (usually) 3-5 ways, this kind of entertainment is affordable there. However, even though I blatantly get ripped off here, I never regret indulging in this madness since I always come away with a series of hilarious photos that I can add to 10 billion I have from Japan!
Then, I travelled to Japan, and discovered sticker picture booths everywhere I turned - more abundant than Starbucks and Lululemon in Vancouver. And not only were these sticker booths everywhere, they were super high-tech and interactive. The photos were brighter, much clearer, and had infinitely more things you can do with them. There were hundreds of themes you could incorporate into the background and a billion decorations you could add after the camera finished snapping away - all the while with high-pitched female voices enthusiastically cheering you on.
I must admit I became sticker picture obsessed while I was over there. It was highly addictive, cheap, and a great thing to do when drunk (which was way too often). Westerners, however, seemed more reluctant to try Purikura (Japanese name for sticker pictures), perhaps because they couldn't understand how posing for pictures in a bright machine that played pop music and yelled at you could be fun. I converted a few though ;)
This caliber of sticker photo booth isn't easily accessed here in Vancouver. To find these crazy machines, one normally has to travel to some place particularly Asian, like specific parts of Metrotown, or better - Richmond. So today, after a dinner of all-you-can-eat sushi with my Mom and cousin, we decided to head to a sticker picture shop (yes, these exist in Vancouver!) and made funny faces to the tune of $9. This is a ridiculous price, and perhaps one reason sticker pictures are not very popular here Vancouver. In Japan, the average sticker picture booth costs 400 Yen, which is roughly $4.20 Cdn. Split (usually) 3-5 ways, this kind of entertainment is affordable there. However, even though I blatantly get ripped off here, I never regret indulging in this madness since I always come away with a series of hilarious photos that I can add to 10 billion I have from Japan!
So if you're hanging out with me and we stroll by a photo booth of any sort, be prepared to jump in and make silly faces! You have been warned!
posted by Claudizzle at 10:03 p.m.
1 Comments:
the stalker has now become the stalkee...
i remember my first sticker-picture experience, like you, it was in Japan. Our home-stay hosts were pros at lining up their bodies to match the figures in the blue screen in front of us... me, not so much. PEACE FINGERS EVERYWHERE!
i agree with you tho, they are fun - but most people are just always hesitant when it comes to looking like an idiot... myself on the other hand, its a daily occurrence.
Post a Comment
<< Home