The shrinking footprint of traditional photo studios amid the rise of apps and unmanned photo booths.
"I never dreamed that AI would bring our studios to this point."

On the morning of the 6th, at a photo studio in Seongsan-gu, Changwon, the atmosphere was quiet. Opened in 1995, this studio was once so bustling that customers had to line up to take pictures. Weekends and post-holiday periods were chaotic, requiring not just the photographer, but even family members to pitch in and work non-stop. However, on this day, by nearly noon, only a single customer had visited the studio.

Lee Hyung-jae, a 68-year-old photographer who has run the studio for 31 years, sighed, "In the past, we used to have around 300 customers a month, but now that number has dropped to about a third. Compared to September of last year, this September saw an additional drop of about 50 customers."

Traditional photo studios already suffered a major blow from digitization and the widespread adoption of smartphones. Furthermore, falling birth rates have caused a drop in demand for baby photography, forcing Lee to stop offering baby photo shoots. Demand for hiring independent event photographers for weddings, milestone birthdays, and other family gatherings has also fallen short of past years.

Recently, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has shrunk the core workload unique to photo studios.

"Nowadays, customers come in with ID photos made using AI apps, just asking us to print them out," Lee said with a sigh. "It's becoming common for people to create their own photos not only for qualification exams, but also for family portraits and memorial photos, meaning they rarely come to studios for actual shooting anymore."

Photo restoration—once a hallmark technical domain for professional photographers—is also feeling the impact of AI. In the past, people frequently entrusted studios with restoring damaged vintage photos or modifying backgrounds, but a growing number of individuals now handle these tasks directly using AI programs. Compounding this, the popularity of new photo services centered around the MZ generation—such as unmanned photo booths and concept studios—is further narrowing the footing of traditional neighborhood photo studios.

Lee Man-sik, Vice Chairman of the Korea Professional Photographers Association (responsible for the Busan, Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang region), stated that voices expressing hardship are growing louder across the entire studio industry. "Nowadays, more than a third of all photo studios likely bring in a net monthly income of less than 1 million won ($730)," Lee explained. "Compared to before AI technology advanced, daily customer volume has dropped by over 40%. Photographers' concerns are mounting as they struggle to make a living, facing closures or desperately trying to survive by taking on graduation album photography contracts."

According to the National Tax Service, 72 photo studios closed down in South Gyeongnam Province last year alone, with 2,159 shutting their doors nationwide.

"The photography association is discussing response measures regarding AI-generated photos, but it is not an easy situation," Vice Chairman Lee warned. "Without institutional protective measures, most neighborhood photo studios will find it difficult to stay in business moving forward."

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]