This New Photo Studio Has Retro-Themed Workshops Where You Can Snap & Develop Your Own Film
Self-photo studios are currently ruling the photography scene and for good reason! It's fun to plan your own shots and control a professional camera, all without having to buy equipment or spend time setting up. If you're up for a unique self-photo experience, head down to Manual Focus, a new retro-themed photo studio which combines convenience with the old-world charm of shooting and developing your own film images!
Here you can live out your vintage photographer dreams: from posing against gorgeous retro backdrops to snapping images with a film camera, and even developing the film to see the results of your photoshoot.
Wondering if this could be the one for your next date night or friend group outing? We attended their Analog Photography Colour Film Workshop to experience the process — read on to check out our review!
Manual Focus photo studio
Photo from GirlStyle Singapore
Conveniently located a 5-minute walk away from Tai Seng MRT station, Manual Focus is nestled on the 17th storey of the Trivex industrial building. While it may take you a little while to find the studio, the location itself is well-lit and has a rather homely atmosphere. If you arrive ahead of your reservation, there's even a cosy seating area where you can chill out and play some board games.
Photo from GirlStyle Singapore
Photoshoot
Photo from GirlStyle Singapore
The workshop takes roughly 2 hours, with one hour spent on clicking photos and another hour on development and scanning. Victor, the friendly studio manager, started out by introducing us to the film cameras and other equipment. He also gave us step-by-step instructions that were easy to follow, even for beginners. Once we familiarised ourselves with the setup and equipment, it's time to start taking photos!
Photo from GirlStyle Singapore
The hand-painted backdrops are definitely the highlight of the photo studio — they have major nostalgic vibes and really look like something you'd find in a photo album from the 50's.
Photo from GirlStyle Singapore
You are totally free to decide how each shot should look: whether you're standing or seated, leaving the camera mounted on the tripod or held free-hand, solo shots or group photos. There's plenty of room for creativity and improvisation, especially if you're attending the workshop as a couple or in a group! If you usually have a hard time thinking up poses for photos, it's best to come prepared with some reference shots to help you out.
Developing photos
Photo from GirlStyle Singapore
Once you've exposed all of the film, you'll be shown how to manually develop and scan those images. This takes us to the darkroom — which, unlike the darkrooms of the olden days, is well-equipped with modern tools and equipment to get those pictures developed quicker.
Photo from GirlStyle Singapore
The development process is just as hands-on as the photography stage, with plenty to keep your hands occupied and even some fun teamwork involved when it comes to tasks like rotating the film in chemicals and loading the film into the scanner. Overall, the workshops are definitely an engaging way to explore film photography in an accessible way and create memories with your loved ones at the same time.
Photo from GirlStyle Singapore
Plus, you'll get to bring home a whole bunch of photos (along with your negatives) at the end of it for the 'gram. Sounds like a win to us! Manual Focus has slots available for their workshops every half an hour, and you can view and book yours directly on their website.
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