Chinese cities, public embrace age of selfie studios
Print Edition
In a room with a professional camera and lighting, people choose costumes, props and accessories, then snap quality shots of themselves with the help of a small remote control instead of a skilled photographer. The selfie studio has arrived as the new entertainment in China鈥檚 cities.
In such a studio in Shenyang, capital of northeast China鈥檚 Liaoning Province, Wang Sijia, wearing a cropped blue cheongsam top and black skirt, takes photos with her boyfriend. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a novel way to celebrate the fifth anniversary of our romantic relationship,鈥 says Wang.
She spends around 150 yuan (US$23) for one-hour service in the studio, which offers different backdrops, props and accessories. 鈥淚 won鈥檛 be manipulated by photographers. I鈥檓 my own photographer and model. The studio gives me the power and freedom to control my own pictures,鈥 says Wang.
She snaps more than 200 photos within an hour and downloads all the photos onto a USB flash drive.
Taking selfies is hugely popular in China, as smartphones and social media services make photos easy to snap and share. Selfie takers are no longer satisfied with merely making a 鈥淰鈥 sign in front of their smartphones. They need more variety in how they can take pictures of themselves, and the selfie studios offer them exactly that.
鈥淎fter I had tried taking selfies in a selfie studio, I opened one by myself,鈥 said Liu Na, who owns a studio in Shenyang. Liu frequently changes the theme of her rooms, costumes and props to make sure her studio stays competitive. 鈥淚 won鈥檛 disturb customers unless the camera or lighting needs to be adjusted. I think this is why they like such studios.鈥
Wang Jinshan, a culture scholar with Inner Mongolia University of Finance and Economics, agrees: 鈥淭he selfie studios give customers a chance to capture themselves when no one is around. They can express themselves in a natural and unrestrained way.鈥
Piao Guangxing, a sociologist with Minzu University of China, attributes the popularity of selfies to Chinese people鈥檚 consumption shift from material desires to leisure and entertainment.
鈥淪elfies, as a special personalized symbol, meet people鈥檚 psychological demands to show their individual appearance and personality,鈥 says Zhao Huiying of Liaoning Normal University. 鈥淔or selfie fans, a picture is worth a thousand words.鈥
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