'Self Studios' Gain Popularity

Like most people around the world, Koreans love to take photos with their smartphones and digital cameras.

When they need higher-quality images, they visit photo studios where they can hire professional photographers.

These days, however, there is another option for taking good pictures.

They are known as "self studios" in Korean, and basically, they are photography studios that can be rented out for a period of time.

People can go there and handle the entire process of taking pictures by themselves.

The studios include cameras, lights, and other professional photography equipment that customers can use on their own.

The studios also offer various backdrops, sets, props to take interesting pictures.

Some people visit these studios with their friends, families, and pets and leave with beautiful memories.

Others go there by themselves to take self-portraits.

After the photo sessions, the photos are touched up by professionals and the high-quality images can be printed out.

Visitors to the "self studios" say that they enjoy the freedom of taking their own pictures in a studio.

They can experiment with different angles and settings and come up with the images that they want.

They can also avoid the awkwardness they feel when they pose in front of a professional photographer.

These rental studio are catching on in Korea.

Their fees vary depending on the quality of the studio and the services available, but some of the studios can be quite pricey.

One location in Gangnam, for instance, charges 150,000 won per 15 minutes of studio time.

However, those who visit these "self studios" say they are worth the price.

The pictures that they take will be cherished for a lifetime.

 

• popularity  인기  the increasing popularity of cycling   option  |ɑːpʃn  선택(할 수 있는 것), (기기의) 옵션, 선택권  basically  근본적으로 (=essentially) , 기본적으로[무엇보다도]

• backdrops  |bækdrɑːp   (무대의) 배경(막)  props  (연극·영화 등의 소품) (stage) props    portrait  |pɔːrtrət  초상화, 인물 사진(특히 어깨 윗부분까지만 나온 것) (→self-portrait)

• touch sth up (더 좋게 하기 위해 약간) ~을 고치다[손보다]   experiment  ɪkˈsperɪmənt   (과학적인) 실험을 하다 , (과학적인) 실험  experimal  ɪkˌsperɪˈmentl   실험적인

• experience  ɪk|spɪriəns  (지식과 기능을 쌓게 되는) 경험[경력] (→work experience) /  겪다, 경험하다   come up with  ~을 생각해내다 , 다가가다(walk up to), 제안하다

• awkwardness  ɔ́:kwərdnis  어색함, 다루기 어려움, 거북함  awkward  |ɔːkwərd  (기분이) 어색한  catch on  유행하다[인기를 얻다]

• vary ˈveri (크기·모양 등에서) 서로[각기] 다르다 (=differ)   (상황에 따라) 달라지다[다르다]  pricey ˈpraɪsi  값비싼    cherish  ˈtʃerɪʃ  소중히 여기다, 아끼다 , (마음속에) 간직하다