Feeling nostalgic, I was recently reminded of a late-night diner in Tucson that my friends and I used to frequent after long nights of partying, which happened to have an old-school photo booth. My friends and I always had loads of fun with that booth; like a clown car, we used to try and pack as many people as possible into the machine or just take silly photos by ourselves (we would even bring props to add to the shenanigans).

And I’m not talking about the Asian-inspired, sticker-photo machines you can find at the mall. I’m referring to the genuine, old-school type photo booths that produce strips of four photos.

To try and recapture some of that fun, I decided to find out where the photo booths are in San Diego. So, after some Googling and difficult investigation work (a.k.a. bar hopping), I’ve discovered several places to snap a quality photo-booth picture. Here they are, in no particular order:

The first stop of my journey brought me to The Museum of Photographic Arts, a.k.a MoPA, located in scenic Balboa Park. Upon arrival, I found the museum store contained two photo booths that take black-and-white photos and only cost $2 a strip. The booths are antiques, and after conversing with the museum staff, I found out they use refurbished, but original photo booth cameras (the exact type eludes my memory). Since the booth and cameras are a bit old, the photos take several minutes to develop, so take that time and do a little shopping in the store.

While at MoPA, also be sure to peruse its three current exhibitions – “Nature and Spirit: The Photographs of Ansel Adams” (one of my favorite photographers of all time), “Arthur Lavine: Peripatetic Pleasures & Meditations,” which runs through Sept. 2, and “Harry Callahan: The Photographer at Work,” which runs through Sept. 9. For more information about the photographers and their exhibitions, visit http://www.mopa.org/pages/exhipages/currenex.asp.

Admission to the museum is $6 for adults and $4 for students, seniors and military. MoPA is located at 1649 El Prado, and open on Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., but Thursdays until 9 p.m.

Urban Addict Tip: Every Tuesday, a rotating set of museums in Balboa Park has free admission (“Free Tuesdays”), and MoPA is free on the second Tuesday of each month.

Looks can be deceiving, and, from the exterior, the San Diego Sports Club (SDSC) looks like a complete hole in the wall, tucked away behind the Med Grill restaurant and a vacant retail building on University Avenue. However, as soon as you step through the large metal door, you will find SDSC doesn’t resemble your typical sports bar at all, but is more like a friendly neighborhood stop for locals and newbies alike.

I used to live around the corner from the SDSC, so I would drop in from time to time (which is how I knew they had a photo booth). The booth is nestled to the right of the bar, just by the seating area. The photos come out as digital strips and cost $5 each.

As mentioned before, SDSC may be a sports bar, but it hosts live bands, DJs and special theme nights like “Fashion Whore.” Be sure to take advantage of its extensive happy hour, Monday to Friday from noon to 6 p.m., and its late-night happy hour, Sunday to Thursday from midnight to closing.

SDSC is located at 1271 University Ave. and is open Monday through Friday from noon to 2 a.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.

An informant (a friend) alerted me to the presence of a photo booth at Corvette Diner, so I made it my third stop. If you haven’t been here before, be prepared for the presence of large parties, balloon art and servers who freely throw straws at you – basically good times to be had by all.

On my most recent visit, the booth was out of order, but when it’s up and running, it can be found just to the left of the entrance by the shake counter. The extra-wide digital photos come in black and white or color and cost $3 a strip. One great thing about this booth is if you’re out of cash, don’t freak out; it also takes American Express, Mastercard and Visa.

After taking your picture, grab a seat at the counter and order a sloppy joe with a peanut butter milkshake (my informant’s recommendation). She said you won’t regret it – besides, where else can you order a sloppy joe?

Corvette Diner is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The restaurant is located at 3946 Fifth Ave.

Continuing on my journey, I found out my fourth stop has the city’s oldest liquor license, and there isn’t a day that goes by when I pass the Waterfront Bar & Grill and see the place bustling with life. You will find people of all sorts frequent the Waterfront, from people who live in the condos around the bar and Little Italy to people who work in the bar industry who just want a chill place to grab a drink.

Their photo booth is tucked away in the back, right next to their pool table. Strips cost $2 each and also come out as extra-wide digital printouts.

Also, the Waterfront has some of the best bar food I’ve ever tasted in San Diego – bar none. Order the delectable Mini Bacon Cheeseburger for $7.90 (which comes with fries and a bevy of condiments) or Breaded Fish Tacos for $6.25 (I love that white sauce). Although I haven’t tried it myself, I’ve been told the breakfast burgers are absolutely divine.

The Waterfront is located at 2044 Kettner Blvd. and is open daily from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. (Yes, they open at 6 a.m.)

I’ll talk about this bar briefly, since I’ve mentioned it several times in my column (I’m not trying to play favorites), but you can find another photo booth at Beauty Bar.

The booth has recently switched to a digital camera print style, but the strips still cost $3 each.

Be sure to check out Bingo on Monday nights, live bands throughout the week, and DJ nights with Gabe Vega and Saul Q.

Beauty Bar is open Monday through Saturday and is located at 4746 El Cajon Blvd.

Since this column has been about photos, I leave you with a quote from American expressionist photographer Aaron Siskind:

“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever…. It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.”