Local photographer, John McInerney, is celebrating a year of cruising Orlando in his vintage van-turned-photo-bus, known on the streets as the Van Cam (Facebook | Instagram).
The mobile photo studio is a 1978 VW van that has been charming the Orlando scene since its launch. An entrepreneur since college, Mcinerney launched his third successful business when he saw an opportunity to bring the popular mobile photo idea to Central Florida.
“It’s not a new concept. They’re big in Cali, Texas, Nashville, Kansas City. It’s slower to come to Florida and when it does it’s going to take a while to catch on.”
– John Mcirnerny
The van is actually McInerney’s third set of wheels following one from Colorado and the other from nearby Tampa.
McInerney told Bungalower, “When I saw this van, I knew I had to get rid of the other one and get this. It screamed BOHO van. It had a lot of the original stuff already, but with the right touches I knew what it could look like.”
The vintage van comes fully equipped with everything you’d expect in a house but in miniature. The retro decor, furnishings, and props were all added by Mcinerney as he discovered them in various dollar stores and garage sales.
Inside the van, photo enthusiasts can enjoy the familiarity of a photo booth with a personalized, take-home photo strip. Around the city, VanCam makes frequent appearances at local events, pop-ups and is a regular at Tasty Tuesdays.
Privately, McInerney offers bookings at $189 per hour which includes unlimited strips, a photo booth tenant, music, and props.
“I’m from Orlando, I love the community and love doing local events. I want to get this to a point where I’m doing an event a week but it’s primarily a wedding or corporate event.”
– John Mcirnerny
While still balancing a landscaping business, McInerney spends most of his time running the van. Setting his sights on one event per week in 2019, he aims to pursue commercial projects like fashion shows, weddings, and any other fun opportunities that cater to his background and knack for photography.