Ryan Ropero's search for the perfect Volkswagen bus started three years ago. After countless inquiries, rusty Volkswagens and disappointments, he found her. His dream 1972 VW bus, coincidentally located in Los Alamos, New Mexico, a little over an hour away from his hometown, Taos. It was fate. And with that fate, came his dream business, Vanagram.
Vanagram is a mobile photo booth within Ropero's bus. The DSLR camera, installed by Ropero himself, comes with a 20-inch screen and customizable backdrop for every occasion.
“I mainly do weddings,” Ropero said, although he’s open to all events. “Normally, the bride will want to customize it (the VW) with her floral arrangements.”
The Vanagram also attended the Vans Duct Tape festival.
Ropero also customizes the photo strips for each event, decorating the bottom of the strip with the details of the event.
Last December, Vanogram attended St. Augustine’s Night Market for a Christmas-themed booth. The VW was equipped with a mailbox for Santa letters, Christmas decor and even Santa Claus, himself, taking photos and bringing holiday cheer. Oh, and in place of photo strips, Christmas cards printed instead.
Ropero explained that his passion for the VW bus was what fueled the idea for his business.
“They’re super cool,” he said. “Something about them is just iconic. It became an obsession. The freedom really appealed to me, having your home on your back and travelling for a few months, seeing the world.”
Ropero redid the interior, seats and flooring, with little work done on the engine. “Everything else is original,” he said, with excitement, as if Santa brought him the van, himself.
Ropero hopes to add more buses and different automobiles in the future. To add variety, Ropero is rebranding and next month, Vanagram will be known as the Photo Mobile Company.
“My goal is to have a few VW buses,” he explained. “I want to do a 1950s-60s trailer and other projects too. Changing to Photo Mobile Co. opens that up. My dream is also to open a branch in Gainesville, maybe Orlando. That’s 15 years down the road or so, but you gotta start somewhere.”
For more information or to book Vanagram for an event, visit www.Vanagram.Co or Vanagram’s Instagram at @VanagramCo.
