Venerable VW bus doubles as studio
Hip Image van isn’t just a cool ride, it’s a creative photo booth on wheels
Everyone loves a VW bus. Driving one of these loaf-shaped vans makes bystanders reach for phones to photograph it. But how about a VW bus that takes pictures of you?
Meet Buttercup, a cheery blue 1972 Volkswagen Type-2 van with centre-mounted fog lights. If the giant red sign on the passenger side didn’t tip you off, this is the coolest rolling photo booth ever made.
Buttercup is the product of two creative minds — Monique de StCroix and Jo Williams — who took Hip Image from fun idea to reality.
After acquiring the bus, the first few drives revealed some alarming traits. For one, the seller had told them not to drive around with more than a half tank of gasoline. After a few drives they decided to fill it up and go for a drive, discovering that some previous owner had drilled holes into the fuel tank to mount the rear seat. Luckily, Buttercup didn’t go up in flames and a replacement tank was sourced.
The van is mechanically good, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a 1972 bus and isn’t exactly speedy. Williams and de StCroix recently opted to tow little Buttercup to an event three hours away rather than spend five hours wailing against the redline.
The photo booth setup is impressive; LED lights keep things well lit no matter the location, a live preview screen shows you exactly how goofy you look, and there’s a generous assortment of props to suit the event, theme or time of year.
After the shutter clicks, photos emerge from the van’s printer that people can also share digitally online from the event.
No matter the event, reactions to Buttercup are smiley. De St-Croix recalls one event where a mother with three unhappy children had her day completely change for the better after the kids tried on a bevy of goofy hats and shades.
You can learn more about Calgary-based Hip Image on Facebook or at hipimage.ca.