24-hour flipbook photo booth in Songdo, Busan: Songdo Times

Songdo Times, the moving photo book studio

Songdo Times: a flipbook photo studio across from the Songdo Cable Car

When you go out to play in Songdo, Busan, you usually end up visiting the famous spots like Songdo Beach or the Songdo Cable Car. This time, instead of just the usual take-a-few-photos-and-leave date, I looked for somewhere I could make a slightly more special memory. That's how I found the moving photo book flipbook studio Songdo Times, right across from the Songdo Cable Car.

Songdo Times lets you take photos in a way that's a bit different from a regular self-photo studio, so if you're looking for something unusual to do in Songdo, Busan, it's worth a visit at least once. It caught my eye especially because it seems like a fun space for couples on a date, but also for friends traveling together in Busan, or families out with kids.

Where is Songdo Times, and how it fits a Songdo day trip

Songdo Times is located at 106, 9 Deungdae-ro, Seo-gu, Busan. The location was really convenient — if your plan already includes Songdo Beach and the Songdo Cable Car, it's easy to slot in. Look at the sea, ride the cable car, and then leave with some special photos too — it felt like it could round out a full day-date course in Songdo.

Open 24 hours, unstaffed and walk-in only

Another strong point of Songdo Times is that it's a 24-hour unmanned self-photo studio. There's no staff on site — you handle everything yourself, from shooting to choosing photos to printing, so it's easy to use without feeling any pressure. Best of all, you can just walk in without a reservation.

It's a good place to drop by on a whim while traveling with friends in Busan, or to stop for a memorial photo while on a Songdo date with your partner. Since it's unmanned, you don't have to worry much about other people watching, so you can just focus on shooting with your own group, which I liked.

How the 8-second flipbook is filmed and printed

The most special thing at Songdo Times was definitely the moving photo book flipbook. Just from the name you might wonder how it works. Simply put, the short video you film gets turned into a series of photos, and you view the moving scene by flipping through the photos like a little book. You film a video for about 8 seconds, and moment-by-moment shots get printed as multiple photos. Flip through the finished photo book quickly by hand and the scene in the photos feels like it's actually moving, just like the real video. It's definitely a different kind of fun from an ordinary photo booth where you just take one photo and that's it.

Newspaper photos at Songdo Times: black-and-white or color front page

At Songdo Times you can also shoot your own newspaper photo, not just the flipbook. It's a way of taking a photo where you yourself become the star of a newspaper's front page — your photo is printed designed like an actual newspaper, so it has a completely different mood from a regular self-photo. If you like a retro vibe, the black-and-white newspaper photo would suit you well. If you want something a bit more vivid and fun, you can choose the color newspaper photo.

Even with the same photo, the mood changes completely depending on color or black-and-white, so it could be fun for a couple or friends to each try a different style. Most of all, the concept itself — becoming the star of a newspaper — is so fun that I found myself laughing from the moment we started shooting. If your usual self-photos have gotten a little boring, trying out this kind of unusual concept could be a good change. (We stuck it on the window for a bit to admire it, haha.)

Is Songdo Times worth it as the last stop in Songdo?

Busan's Songdo has a lot to enjoy centered around the sea, so it's a great area to plan a full day-date course. Look around and walk at Songdo Beach, ride the Songdo Cable Car, and then stop by Songdo Times for some special photos — that route would make for a great outing.

I really think what stays with you from a trip is, in the end, the photos. Rather than something that only exists inside your phone, I liked being able to print out the moments from that day and actually take them home. With the flipbook, you can flip it by hand and watch the movement again, and the newspaper photo preserves the look of the day like an actual newspaper page — something you can pull out and look at again even after the trip is over.