First selfie studio in state now open in Idaho Falls
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IDAHO FALLS – Sharing selfies over social media have become a vital part of everyday life. Now, an Idaho Falls couple has opened a new selfie studio, providing a venue full of different environments for selfie-takers to express themselves.
Deanna McKellip and Nick Rebmann recently opened Pix, the first brick-and-mortar selfie studio in Idaho. Pix is at 689 East Anderson and provides visitors with multiple booths to serve as backdrops for selfies, as well as ring lights to provide lighting and serve as tripods to hold phones.
The idea for Pix was sparked by a conversation McKellip had with a friend.
“I have a friend in Kentucky and she was going to a selfie museum,” McKellip told EastIdahoNews.com. “She was super excited about it and drove across the state, went there and posted the pictures. I was like ‘That looks super fun.’”
McKellip and Rebmann figured visiting a selfie museum would be a fun activity for their four kids, but when they searched the internet, they were unable to find one within reasonable driving distance.
“We thought ‘Maybe they’ll have one in Salt Lake and we can take the kids,” she said. “There’s not one in Utah that we could find. So we looked in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and couldn’t find one anywhere local. So, I came to Nick and was like ‘Hey, babe. I’ve got this idea. We should open a selfie studio.’”
“And I thought she was crazy,” Rebmann added. “I said, ‘I don’t know babe. Let me do the research.’ Then I started seeing all the different (selfie studios) all over the country and I was like ‘This is an actual thing and it would be awesome to bring that here for people to enjoy and for kids to come and have another thing to do.”
McKillip said that Pix helps to address an issue about eastern Idaho that she’s seen many times from many different people, namely that there aren’t really a lot of things for kids to do, despite the fact it’s a rapidly growing, family-focused area.
Pix helps solve that issue by providing booths that serve as interesting environments in which kids of all ages can selfie. From a child’s nursery to an Old West scene, to a school hall, the booths give selfie-takers a backdrop to interact with. There are also booth-specific props that can be included, like large playing cards or different forms of headwear.
After paying admission, visitors are issued a ring light, which is powered by wall-mounted USB hubs at each booth. Visitors have an hour total to get as many shots as they want and can take all the time they need at each booth to get the perfect shot.
Pix also has a special themed room that will change to reflect different seasons or holidays. Right now, the seasonal room is a Christmas room and will be hosting Santa Claus every Saturday through Christmas.
McKellip said that Pix gives people a way to express themselves and capture family memories without spending tons of money.
“Not everybody has a ton of money for photographs, especially kids,” she said. “So (Pix) gives kids and adults alike a way to artistically express themselves but not spend a boatload. And everybody who’s had a kid knows that you don’t have any money. So this is a very affordable way (to get family photos). Kids five and under are free, so you just pay for yourself and then you spend an entire hour trying to get that one picture of your kids.”
Walk-ins are welcome but reservations are recommended right now due to COVID-19 restrictions. To make reservations or get tickets, click here. Visit the Pix website or Facebook page for more information. Click here to follow Pix on Instagram.
