This High-Angle Photo Booth is the Latest Gen Z Trend in Los Angeles

GENIC, a high-angle photo booth company, is drawing lines of Generation Z fans across its Los Angeles locations.

Ryan Kim and M.J. Kim are the co-founders behind GENIC, photo booths that take portraits from above rather than the traditional eye-level shot.

Since Ryan and M.J. launched GENIC in April 2024, the company’s three photo booth locations in Los Angeles have captured tens of thousands of individual prints.

While they were students at UCLA, Ryan and M.J. noticed a gap in the market in the U.S. where photo booths were “mostly unbranded rentals” that were “functional and forgettable.” The pair wanted to create a booth experience that made “every photo feel like a page from a magazine editorial.”

Ryan and M.J. had a dream of creating a high-angle photo booth in the U.S. where subjects had to quite literally look up — capturing a photographic moment while being reminded to aim higher.

“So we built GENIC around an overhead camera. That elevated angle isn’t just different — it’s flattering, aspirational, and instantly recognizable,” Ryan tells PetaPixel.

“It reframes the moment, quite literally, and invites an upward gaze that subtly signals elevation, both physically and emotionally. Unlike digital ephemera, GENIC delivers a tangible photo—something to hold, keep, and remember.”

The pair were inspired by the popularity of photo booths in South Korea, where booths are a common sight in the busiest parts of cities. However, the elevated perspective of many photo booths in South Korea had never been effectively replicated in the U.S.

“High‑angle booths have been in South Korea for years. The viewpoint endures because it flatters facial lines, breaks the monotony of eye‑level selfies, and adds a subtle sense of elevation — making a simple strip feel more polished and worth keeping,” Ryan says.

“In the U.S., the format never gained traction largely for practical reasons: mounting a camera overhead requires a taller, reinforced structure, rigorously balanced lighting, and tighter engineering. Most event‑rental operators stick with eye‑level systems that are cheaper to build, easier to transport, and already meet baseline demand.”

How They Created The Viral High-Angle Photo Booths

When they first launched GENIC, M.J. and Ryan faced a major challenge: they could only afford one booth, but most manufacturers required bulk orders.

After a long search, they finally connected with a manufacturer in South Korea—where they both grew up—who supported their concept and agreed to sell them a single booth for around $20,000. They pooled their savings to buy it and tested the setup in Ryan’s shared three-bedroom apartment which he shared with roommates.

After refining the mechanics and design for their standard photo booth, they launched a pop-up location in Los Angeles. With the profits, they were able to invest in three high-angle booths—bringing their original inspiration full circle.

“Securing a single unit was the first hurdle—most manufacturers required a bulk order we couldn’t afford. After months of outreach we found a manufacturer willing to back our vision and ship just one booth,” M.J. says.

“We paid for it out of pocket, rolled it into Ryan’s three‑bedroom apartment, and spent nights stress‑testing hardware, lighting, and camera angles.

“From there, the design brief was simple: make a booth that looks and feels refined. We audited photo‑booth formats worldwide, assembled a wall of references, and asked how we could both innovate and elevate. The answer became GENIC’s signature: a high‑angle, mirror‑finished enclosure — our Memory Archive — that turns a session into something closer to an editorial set.

“Every material choice, from reflective panels to studio lighting, serves that goal: stand apart in a crowded category and prove that a photo booth can feel like a piece of art, not just equipment.”

Customers can now try out GENIC at three Los Angeles locations: a brown booth inside IDYLLIC Café in the Arts District, a black booth at About Time Café in Koreatown, and a pink booth at Westfield Culver City. Guests choose between two print formats—our classic four‑frame Original Strip at $10 for two copies, or the editorial‑style Signature Frame at $12 for two copies. Every session also includes a digital file for easy sharing.

M.J. and Ryan, who run Genic full-time, say they hope to purchase more booths and expand to more locations throughout L.A. and beyond. The pair have noticed a growing desire among Generation Z customers for tangible, physical keepsakes in an era dominated by digital photography.

“We’re seeing the same “return to analog” that’s revived vinyl records and 35 mm film. Digital images are abundant but weightless; most disappear into camera‑roll overload or algorithmic feeds,” Ryan explains. “A printed strip, by contrast, is scarce, tactile, and hard to ignore — it goes on a fridge, a desk, or a wall and becomes part of someone’s space.”

More information about GENIC can be found on Instagram and Linktree.

Image credits: All photos by GENIC.