Ontario photographers revive retro portrait studios with a mobile booth

A Kitchener, Ontario couple is bringing back the look and feel of 1980s and 1990s mall portrait studios with a mobile photography business called M4ll Ph0t0. Leeanna and Aaron DiGruccio say the retro booth has drawn thousands of people at markets, fairs and events across the province. The pair launched the business less than a year ago after years of experience in photography and tech. Their setup uses posed shots, nostalgic backdrops and playful props such as pets and favorite items, echoing the style of old mall photo counters. The photographers say their approach is deliberately free of artificial intelligence, which they contrast with the growing trend of AIgenerated retro portraits online. They argue that real photos preserve the human connection and avoid the security and creative concerns they associate with uploading images to AI platforms. M4ll Ph0t0 has already appeared at events in London and has more bookings planned in cities including Barrie, Guelph, Toronto, Thunder Bay and St. Catharines.