Huntsville’s only analog photobooth celebrates its 4th birthday at Lowe Mill

Huntsville is known for many hidden gems and a world of niches, but for me, my favorite hidden gem sits tucked away on the first floor of Lowe Mill. At first glance, you notice the photobooth’s sturdy wooden exterior, colorful curtains and a large mirror along the entrance.

However, this photobooth is not your typical mall photobooth—it’s the only analog photobooth in Huntsville. In just a short five minutes, your pictures are captured and fully developed to reflect the magic only film can bring to life.

Keep reading to learn more about the photobooth and the community behind it.

Meet the booth

Before permanently residing in Huntsville, Alabama, the photobooth was purchased by owner Breanna Conley-Saxon from a gentleman in New York. Bre is behind Autophoto, the woman-run business dedicated to preserving the art and craft of the photobooth since 2009.

This vintage beauty isn’t just another art installation—it’s a fully operating Model 17C analog photo booth believed to have been built in the 1980s. Though it was originally made for color film, it has been retrofitted and refurbished to be a black and white analog photo booth. A unique feature of this particular booth? It’s wood-wrapped, a rare and striking detail that makes it stand out (and incredibly heavy).

But here’s where it gets even cooler—this year, the art of the analog photo booth turns 100 years old, and while the booth at Lowe Mill isn’t quite that old, it will also be celebrating its fourth birthday of being at Lowe Mill this year.

Meet the operator

Bre approached long-time friend and photographer, Ashley Vaughn, to run the photobooth in Huntsville.

“Bre operates 50 booths across the United States. She hires techs in different cities where she puts the booths. So when she asked me if I would I be interested in operating a booth, I could not say yes fast enough.”

Ashley Vaughn, photobooth operator and owner of White Rabbit Studios and co-owner of Vertical House Records

Ashley Vaughn didn’t just stumble into operating a photo booth. Ashley has a deep love for photography and extremely impressive knowledge about photography and everything film. Ashley took her experience in traditional darkrooms and applied it to the booth’s unique, chemical-based process.

“It’s like taking everything I’ve learned and putting it into a tiny little booth.”

Ashley Vaughn, photobooth operator and owner of White Rabbit Studios and co-owner of Vertical House Records

I first met Ashley at Southerlands Photo when I worked there. She’s a frequent customer who typically drops off Ziploc bags full of film at one time. She’s an avid photographer whose passion shines through everything she does. So when I heard that Ashley was the operator for the only analog photobooth in Huntsville, I wasn’t surprised at all.

Her love for photography runs deep—her father was a photographer who taught her the ropes, and that passion only grew as she explored darkroom photography in high school. Today, Ashley is an amazing photographer also known by her creative studio, White Rabbit Studios. Ashley and her husband also own Vertical House Records, which is located at Lowe Mill with White Rabbit Studios.

Analog vs digital: how it works

This isn’t your modern, digital selfie kiosk. The booth at Lowe Mill is fully analog, meaning each photo strip is chemically developed inside the booth itself—no screen previews, no retakes.

“I love the way it captures light, because that is the most important thing with photography. The way each film stock has its own way of capturing the light, color and tone is different when you compare it. Or,, when you put it with a different camera body or a lens, you have an unending amount of experimentation. Film can create some unique pieces and memories that are literally stored in emulsions and just not in thin air.

I think because I grew up in a time where digital wasn’t an option, the magic was there of having to wait and see what the memories are and watch the development process. It’s just such a hands-on process that it just connects you with the art a little bit more. I think digital is awesome and is easy and approachable for people to learn photography. However, there’s just nothing like the experience of film.”

Ashley Vaughn, photobooth operator and owner of White Rabbit Studios and co-owner of Vertical House Records

So, what exactly happens during that magical five-minute photobooth experience?

The photobooth process:

1. Insert $5 cash or $7 by card
2. Take your seat and align your eyes with the booth’s lens (pro tip: adjust the stool!).
3. Pose for four individual flashes—each one captures a unique image.
4. The exposed paper is cut and fed into a mechanical “spider” that swings it through:
   • Water bath
   • Developer
   • Water
   • Bleach
   • Water
   • Clearing powder
   • Water
   • Toner
   • More water
5. A built-in hairdryer dries the strip at the end.
6. Voilà: a one-of-a-kind photo strip, ready to cherish.

Ashley maintains the booth meticulously. She runs weekly test strips to ensure perfect chemistry. If the images start to seem sepia, it’s time for a two-hour chemistry change. She also swaps the photo paper roughly every 800 strips.

Celebrate the booth’s 4th birthday!

This summer marks four years since the analog booth arrived at Lowe Mill, and Ashley is celebrating with a few fun throwback tips for getting the perfect strip:

Ashley’s photobooth tips:

• Read the booth. Find the eye line and make sure you’re centered.
• Adjust the stool. Small height tweaks can make a big difference.
• Plan your poses. You get four shots—make them count!
• Bring friends. Share the experience with someone!
• Have fun. It’s not just a photo—it’s a moment in time.

For Ashley, the booth is more than a machine—it’s a vessel for memories.

She’s seen everything from proposals to baby announcements happen in that little space. And it’s true—some visitors even return monthly for updated portraits, turning a $5 strip into a treasured tradition.

Support the booth:

Support one of the smallest businesses with the biggest heart, and take home a piece of analog magic—no filter required. I like to joke that it’s a niche inside a niche. Film photography is a small community, but the film photobooth community is even smaller.

“When you support the photobooth, you are supporting one of the tiniest businesses that exists because it’s such a small footprint, not only as a booth, but as the community itself is a pretty unique and small community.”

Ashley Vaughn, photobooth operator and owner of White Rabbit Studios and co-owner of Vertical House Records

• Where: Lowe Mill 1st floor, across from Poftà Bunà International Cafe
• When: Wednesday-Saturday 11AM-7PM

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