Sit-down Saturday

Suddenly this little photo booth just got a lot more interesting.

 

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Vintage-style analog photo booths - fotoautomats/photomatons/fotomatons - have become very trendy in Paris. They produce classic black-and-white (sometimes color) photo strips, and the most iconic are operated or restored by Fotoautomat, which revives old machines (usually €4–6 per strip) 

 

Worth a detour: 

 

Most popular/most crowded: 53 Rue des Trois Frères, Montmartre 75018 (metro Abbesses): Go early. A color booth around the corner on Rue Androuet. Inspired by film “Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain” (2001) 

 

Photo booth Palais de Tokyo 13 Avenue du Président Wilson 75116 (metros Iéna/Alma-Marceau): No need to buy an admission ticket to access; just inside entry

 

Bonton (Marais) 5 Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire 75003 (metro Saint-Sébastien-Froissart): Inside a kids'/lifestyle store

 

Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées: 60 Avenue des Champs-Élysées 75008 (metro Franklin D. Roosevelt): 1st floor, near stairs. Central and easy to combine with other sights
 
Printemps Haussmann 64 Boulevard Haussmann 75009 (metros Havre-Caumartin/Chaussée d'Antin-La Fayette/Saint-Lazare): In the Opéra area 

La Samaritaine: 9 Rue de la Monnaie 75001 (metros Pont-Neuf/Châtelet - Rue de Rivoli entrance): Luxury department store setting in central Paris near L'Hôtel de Ville

Le Centquatre (104) 5 Rue Curial 75019 (metros Riquet/Crimée): In a vibrant cultural center

Pavillon Puebla / Parc des Buttes-Chaumont 75019 (metros Butte Chaumont/Botzaris): Scenic setting inside the park
 
Philharmonie de Paris / Cité de la Musique 221 Avenue Jean Jaurès 75019 (metro Porte de Pantin): Music/culture fans 

Citadium 56 Rue de Caumartin 75009 (metros Havre-Caumartin/Haussmann Saint-Lazare): Multi-level urban/streetwear store. Distinctive Memphis-style booth on 1st floor

 

- Sometimes machines are out of order

- Squeezing in as many as possible is ok

 

See:

Fotomaton Friday    

  

Fotomaton Friday

 

 

A line outside an iconic vintage FotoAutomat on a Montmartre back street.

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Known for its whimsical feel and associated with the film “Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain” (2001), this wildly popular 1960s-style black-and-white strip photo booth (4 photos per strip) set into the storefront of the FotoAutomat shop in the heart of picturesque Montmartre, produces nostalgic, retro-style prints that make affordable souvenirs (€4–€6 range, payable by card or coin). The booth's vintage aesthetic - polished mirror, fun details like a small moving skeleton inside - fits perfectly with the neighborhood's bohemian/quirky reputation. TikTok, Instagram, and other social media platforms have exploded its visibility in recent years as friends and couples patiently line up, often for hours, just to be able to squeeze in for its retro black-and-white shots. It's marketed as a "must-do" hidden gem or a "one-of-a-kind Parisian moment," drawing tourists (especially younger crowds) who want an authentic, Instagrammable experience. Weekends and afternoons are best avoided as there are shoulder-to-shoulder crowds. Nice to see in a world of rapidly evolving technology and new trends. - BPJ

Montmartre FotoAutomat #07
53 rue des Trois Frères 75018 

 

Open  8:30 AM to 11 PM, 7 days a week