Photos by Evie Carpenter
Picture Phoenix, fit inside a photo booth.
A new approach to portrait photography, The Social Station, had its official launch party Thursday night at Levine Machine, one of Phoenix’s eclectic showrooms in the warehouse district.
Largo Photography owner Tammie Billey and Kym Ventola of Kym Ventola Photography joined their photography skills to blend their mixture of avant-garde techniques and flair for portrait work into a project that benefits the downtown business scene and creates entertainment for local events.
“We thought this would be such a great venture together and it’s been great,” Ventola said of her new partnership with Billey.
The photo “booth” is really an open-air set with interchangeable backdrops, convenient for transporting to different locations. It gives local and statewide clients a fresh take on entertainment, allowing for group photos in an open setting and instant printouts of photo collages, the photography duo said. The Social Station has done weddings, corporate events and social gatherings during its soft launch phase.
Ventola and Billey said this innovative photo booth worked for them as an investment because they could pursue it while simultaneously focusing on other private jobs at weddings and birthday celebrations.
“I used to work for a really large company that used to do company picnics and things like that — (The Social Station) just seems like a great idea,” said Linda Krause, a launch party attendee and hopeful client.
The event featured a silent auction supporting about 30 local businesses including Bunky Boutique, ktjean designs, Smeeks, Pedal Craft and Bobee Design to benefit St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance.
Greg Esser, an active board member on Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation and pioneer for urban art, feels The Social Station has an abundance of passion to offer the community.
“This is a really incredible community. People work together, people support one another. They’re more … engaged than any other city or state,” Esser said of the tight-knit community of downtown’s arts district. “People are passionate about quality of life.”
Esser said events such as The Social Station Soiree and Silent Auction utilize urban spaces in the warehouse district, creating social awareness for an emerging society.
Levine Machine has been a very active contributor to such events and programs, Esser said. Warehouse district real estate such as Levine Machine offers an urban twist and allows for a more personal touch to an event.
Amy Hanen, manager of The Social Station and assistant photographer for Kym Ventola Photography, feels this photo booth offers more than simply picture for its clients.
“So far, we’ve dealt with a couple of charity events, the MLB All-Star Auction, … weddings, birthday parties, corporate events,” Hanen said. “I would love to see it become the go-to photo booth for Phoenix.”
Hanen said one of the best features the photo booth offers guests is effortlessness and the business’s mission for simplicity and quality.
Rowan Burkham, machine operator for The Social Station, shares Hanen’s thoughts, and feels the booth is unique because of its mobile quality and lack of prop maintenance.
“People like to have activities … it’s a good icebreaker,” Burkham said, “It’s very minimal. It sort of fits in any kind of environment.”
Contact the reporter at Leslie.Philp@asu.edu.
