Richmond’s selfie photography studios can add a fun twist to holidays or personal or corporate outings. They provide professional lighting and an array of roughly 10-foot-high, hand-built photography sets where clients snap pictures with their own smartphones or cameras. The studios change sets at least seasonally, providing exquisite backdrops for Insta-worthy posts, holiday cards or events.
Photo courtesy Myselfies RVA
Myselfies RVA
12 W. Broad St., myselfies.photo
Located in Richmond’s Arts District, Sulaymaan Alkarriem and John Gillard launched Myselfies RVA in October 2021. The space boasts more than a dozen backdrops, ranging from a casino to the “green room,” where the walls, furniture and decor are decked out in eye-popping lime green paint. Myselfies RVA also hosts community events — it recently served as the site of a free camp for local kids. Tickets are $24.95 for adults, with discounts for children, teenagers, college students and seniors. Children under 3 get in for free.
Photo courtesy Selfie Glam
Selfie Glam
201 Towne Center West Blvd., Suite 713, selfie-glam.com
When Shelley Moran lost her job early in the COVID-19 pandemic, she returned to her entrepreneurial background. Moran was inspired to launch a selfie photography studio while vacationing in Virginia Beach. “We found a studio that was kind of like this, but it was one of the bigger franchise ones, and I was like, ‘this is so cool … I could do that,” Moran says. She opened Selfie Glam in Short Pump this past summer. The studio has hosted Nutzy, the Richmond Flying Squirrels mascot, and served as a setting for Buskey Cider promotional shots. Admission costs $25 per hour for people 13 years of age and older, or $20 per hour for those younger than 13. Military, teachers and first responders receive a 10% discount.
Photo courtesy Selfie Spot RVA
Selfie Spot RVA
1301 Admiral St., selfiespotrva.com
Situated in a former warehouse near Virginia Union University, Selfie Spot RVA offers 1,100 square feet of space with more than 15 backdrops. Customers adore the room plastered in Richmond Times-Dispatch newsprint, a golden toilet and television and using a toy money gun that dispenses fake money, says co-manager Omar Palma. He designs the sets with his cousin Eugene Evans, who co-owns the business with Jasmine, his wife. “We kind of just feed off of each other,” Palma says. Selfie Spot RVA charges adults $25 per hour. Students receive a $5 discount, and children 3 and younger can obtain free admission.
Photo courtesy WerkitRVA Selfie Museum
WerkitRVA Selfie Museum
4915 W. Broad St., wselfierva.com
Located next to The Shops at Willow Lawn, WerkitRVA Selfie Museum offers a canvas for content creators, says owner Tee Garry, as well as a place for people to take pictures in front of the shop’s more than half a dozen sets or space to sell clothes or create podcasts. She runs the business while serving full time in the Air Force. WerkitRVA Selfie Museum includes a backdrop with a giant wooden swing surrounded by a wall draped with purple flowers, green shrubs and a neon sign that says, “This is where the magic happens.” Tickets start at $150 for two hours for up to 10 individuals to use the space.
