Self-Photo Studio

Hajon Lee

One of the hottest things to do in Korea right now is visit a self-photo studio.

What exactly is this studio? It’s a place where you take your own pictures of yourself with a remote. You are usually given 15 to 20 minutes to take the photos and then 15 to 20 minutes to choose the photos. You could get edited photos or just take the originals.

There are various places of these self-photo studios in Seoul, mostly near Hongdae and Gangnam. You should make a reservation before you visit and there have been many visitors recently. The important thing is that you should think about the poses beforehand. The 15 or 20 minutes will fly past you when you get to the studio.

Most of these studios’ pictures are taken in black and white giving a retro feel. The reason this got such a trend was because people don’t have to care about what other people think or get taken pictures from someone they don’t know. You take the pictures anyhow you want and pick whatever picture you want. Usually there will be a makeup stand and a mirror for you to get ready. In some studios there are different props like headbands or hats. Usually there is a box seat or just a normal chair to sit on.

My tips on using the self-photo studio is to do your hair and make-up beforehand a little bit and then do minor fixes before going in. Also, I suggest you go with a friend or a loved one as the photo looks more full with two people. The box seat is a very good prop to take pictures in so utilize that well. Match the clothing or at least the color of the pants and also take the pictures close if you are not really photogenic. The camera and lighting is all set to take the best pictures so just click a lot and also take the original pictures. Hope you get some life pictures in this studio.