Analog photo booths are having a moment in Vancouver, and one company is behind most of it. Phototronic, Western Canada's only analog photo booth operator, refurbishes vintage machines and installs them in cafes, bars, galleries and even a SkyTrain station — 14 booths across B.C. at last count, with more popping up all the time.

The standout address is Slice of Life Gallery on Venables Street, reportedly the only venue in Canada with multiple analog booths under one roof — five in total, including a newly added colour model. It's less a gallery than a hangout: local art, thrifted goods, vintage pinball, craft workshops and co-working tables, with the booths running 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. If you want to nerd out over authentic photo-booth strips, this is the spot.

The rest of the list reads like a tour of the city's best hangouts. On Main Street alone there are two options: Hero's Welcome, a neighbourhood bar with pizza, live music and weekend baked goods from Banister Provisions, where the booth sits alongside pinball, skeeball, pool and darts; and The American, a relaxed exposed-brick pub with cheap-ish burgers and its own Phototronic machine. Downtown, FUNK Coffee Bar on Dunsmuir pairs specialty light roasts and craft beer with retro cafe styling, while the Vancouver Art Gallery added a booth to its lobby this past June — a fun detour between exhibitions.

For a night out, Greta Bar is the late option. Vancouver's arcade bar keeps its Phototronic booth handy and stays open until 2 a.m. on weeknights and 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Music lovers should note The Lido on East Broadway, a video music bar hosting everything from darkwave to Britpop nights, with a booth for documenting the evening.

A few curveballs round things out. Gore Street Vintage lets you thrift a vintage coat and test it in an analog booth before you leave. Westbeach — the skate, surf and snow brand revived by lululemon founder Chip Wilson — has a modern Phototronic machine in its West 4th store. TransLink even put a digital booth behind the fare gates at Granville Station, complete with stickers and frames, which is a decent excuse to take transit. In North Vancouver, the Polygon Gallery has one, handy to pair with the Shipyards Christmas Market during its annual holiday market. Further out, Amble Coffee in Chilliwack holds the newest Phototronic booth in B.C., open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

If customization beats nostalgia for you, Brewhall in Olympic Village offers a digital booth with effects like sparkles and dog ears, and Robson Public Market has two digital options side by side: a Photoism machine and a life4cut Korean-style photo studio.

Why care? It's a cheap, quirky way to anchor an afternoon or a pub crawl — and the strips make better souvenirs than fridge magnets. Perfect for a rainy-day itinerary, a solo date or a group of friends who want proof they were all in the same room for once.

Story via Curiocity.