Japanese Portrait Studio Creates Tiny 3D Sculptures Instead of 2D Photos

Omote 3D is a new “photo booth” that has popped up in the Harajuku district of Tokyo Japan. A project by creative studio PARTY, the booth differs from any other portrait studio you’ll find on Earth: instead of producing 2D portrait photos, it turns subjects’ images into small 3D figurines.

After walking in for your portrait session, you’ll be asked to stand still in front of a backdrop for 15 minutes while the “photographer” (or perhaps “sculptographer”) captures your appearance using a handheld 3D scanner.

Some post-processing work is then done on a computer (i.e. specifying hair color, texture, small details) before the 3D image is sent off to a 3D printer.

The resulting figurines are available in small, medium, and large sizes that measure 3.9 inches, 5.9 inches, and 7.9 inches, respectively.

Here are some more sample portraits created so far:

If you want your own 3D portrait session, you can visit the website to make an appointment. The photo booth will be open through January 14, 2013.

Be warned though: the shoots don’t come cheap. A individual small-sized portrait will cost you ~$264, while a group session with large figurines will set you back over a thousand bucks.

Omote 3D (via Laughing Squid)