Article written by Olivia Simonson. Photos by Olivia Simonson.

ST. CLOUD– On Feb. 9, the Huskies Events & Activities Team (HEAT) hosted an excursion to the Selfie Company in Albertville. The HEAT team had buses running every hour from Atwood Memorial Center to the Selfie Company in Albertville. 

The backdrops include a vintage vinyl hallway, an Alice in Wonderland-themed tea party, the Friends couch, a bathtub filled with rubber ducks of assorted sizes, and more. Along with these backdrops, they have a variety of props, such as themed sunglasses, umbrellas, spray cans, or headbands that can be added to any photo.  

“I really liked the heart-shaped umbrella as one of the props,” said SCSU student Lydia Nickerson, who attended the event with friends after seeing an advertisement posted around campus. “The prop was cute, and the different backdrops were cool, I just wish they had more backdrops to choose from.”  

Along with providing unique backdrops, the Selfie Company also has Bluetooth clickers that guests can pair with their phones and either snap pictures or videos, along with LED ring lights available at every backdrop that illuminate the setting for the perfect image. 

Elayna Christopher exploring lighting and angles.

While most people utilize the photo opportunities available to add some contrast to their social media and create lasting memories from their college experience, some people utilize backdrops to create works of art.  

“For someone who wants to explore photography, this is not a bad place to start,” said SCSU student Roscoe Berrios, who does photography in his spare time and is majoring in graphic design. “The main difference between photography made for social media and photography made for art is the thought behind it.”

Berrios took most of his social media shots with his phone while at the event, but he brought his own camera to use both as a prop and to take more vintage-style photos without using a filter to add to his portfolio, taking more artsy shots instead.   

For people who want to explore photography as an art form, they can explore this creative outlet through unique angles, interesting props, and different lighting, whether they choose to use the provided ring lights or not.  

“My favorite part of the event was using the ring lights and seeing how good the pictures turned out,” said Elayna Christopher, an SCSU student who attended the event and explored both lighting and angles of photos. “I’d love to do more things like this, like going to the selfie place in the Mall of America,” said Christopher.  

The Selfie Company has locations across the United States, with one being 5 minutes away from the outlets in Albertville. They boast a variety of backdrops that visitors can take pictures with, creating fun and artistic memories that can be posted online for all to view. The Selfie Company is open Wednesday and Thursday from 3 to 8 p.m. and Friday from noon to 9 p.m. for the public, with slots for private events available any day.  

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