4-CUT PHOTOS: GEN Z’S MUST-HAVE ITEM

Lee Do-Eon (Dept. of Media & Communication, 21) enjoys taking "4-cut pictures." He takes a picture every moment he meets his friends and said, "I think I take a picture once or twice a week when I meet my friend. It is good to remember memories with my friends for a long time while looking at printed photos."

​In recent years, the "Self-Photo Studio" is so popular that it is called the playground of Generation Z. The signature of this picture is that young people can take many cuts of the picture with various backgrounds with no professional photographer. In 2017, the self-photo studio "Life-Four-Cuts" was launched and became famous. Starting with this, it has become a mainstream culture where various brands and their branches have been created.

There are also 9 self-photo studios near Pusan National University (PNU). Incredibly, there are seven self-photo studios within a short distance of about 200m from Exit 3 of Pusan National University Station on Busan Metro Line 1 to PNU. All these studios were launched during the last two years, and five self-photo studios were opened this year. The distance between the studios is not that far, so the self-photo studios face each other or stand side by side.

​The secret of this "sensation of popularity" is the low price and easy way to use it. We can get a picture that can remind us of our memories with just 2,000 won. There are also various eye-catching pretty props. There are dozens of kinds of props, like hats, hair bands, dolls, sunglasses, wigs, etc. and the wall colors are also varied, so there is a wide range of options for the photo background. Some studios also have combs and cotton swabs, so you can touch up your appearance before taking pictures. You can take memorable pictures with your concept using the props and space you want.

Photo frames with various patterns are also the leading cause of popularity. Some people prefer certain photo studios because each of them has a diverse atmosphere depending on the concept and design. The themes that are updated every time, including frames decorated with popular characters and characters such as Sanrio, Shin Nohara, Barbie, and so on. The limited frames for anniversaries such as Hangul Proclamation Day, Pepero Day, Christmas, add novelty.

The “4-cut picture” was also found at the school festival.. At PNU Daedong-je and Siwol-je, held this year, many fellow students visited the photo booth because they could take 4-cut pictures in a festival-limited frame. Lee said, "I like to take 4-cut pictures usually, and I remember that I took a picture with a Sanjinee frame at Daedong-je, which is held in March. I took a picture to celebrate the festival because it was the frame that could only be used at Daedong-je.

​Generation Z says that this kind of picture is a formality. Going to a self-photo studio became an essential stop when making an appointment. Just because they met each other after a long time, to celebrate their trip, or because they just became an adult or reached a certain age, they take "4-cut pictures" altogether. Lee Seung-Won (Dept. of Language and Information, 20) said, "Visiting a self-photo studio became one of the courses like meals-movie-café. I visit the self-photo studio if I want to make a memory with my friends or on a special day."

​Lee Sin-Hye (Prof. of Media & Communication, PNU) explains that this kind of self-photo studio's popularity is because of self-expression needs, analog sensibility, and the formation of play culture. The "certification" culture of Generation Z and the characteristic that photos can be received in natural form made this trend. Professor Lee said, "Taking a picture and posting on SNS satisfies the desire of the MZ generation in the digital era. An actual picture that can be seen and touched in a world where people easily take pictures on their mobile phones stimulates analog emotions. Taking 4-cut pictures has become a play culture. These "4-cut pictures" can be seen as a new trend connecting the launch culture of sticker photos, polaroids, and digital cameras in that they laugh, chat, and take pictures with their friends in an independent space."

Reporter Jung Hye-Eun

Translated by Choi Ye-Won