Autofoto is an operation that has grown out of longstanding friendships and a shared obsession for analogue photobooths.
The story begins in 2009 when Barcelona-born, London-based Rafael Hortala Vallve bought his first booth for the wedding of his friend and fellow photography enthusiast, Txema, in Barcelona. After missing the boat, the 1960s machine ended up being shipped to London to a kind friend who offered to store it for him. However, as time went by the photobooth was in need of a permanent home.
Eager to put the machine back into public use, Rafael found a long-term spot for it at Shoreditch restaurant Pizza East where diners could use it to create happy memories of their nights out. A second booth was purchased for spare parts and soon more followed as other venue owners asked to host the booths in their bars and restaurants.
To help service the machines, Rafael enlisted the help of his photographer friend David Boulogne, and later trained up a team of technicians including artist and fellow photobooth obsessive Marco Ferrari. Meanwhile in Barcelona, Rafael began restoring machines in partnership with friend Francesc Romani, a mechanical engineer with a love of photography, and a group of friends-turned-experts including Alvaro Balana. Together with designer and creative director Corinne Quin, Autofoto invite collaborations and projects using the booth as a tool for artistic practice, connecting across different audiences and communities – from creative professionals to analogue amateurs.
Today, Autofoto’s team are constantly striving to improve the quality of the photographs that each machine produces. Through patience, ever expanding electrical and mechanical knowledge, and ongoing creative experimentation, they hope to ensure that the booths continue to capture these spontaneous and beautiful portraits for years to come.
