Having your photo taken doesn’t have to be a cringe-worthy experience. Few of us truly love our self-portraits, partly because of what psychologist Robert Zajonc called the ‘mere-exposure’ effect: we react more positively to things we see more often. Since we usually view our image as it's reflected in the mirror, we balk at photographs of ourselves, which seem to accentuate our slight asymmetries.
Dolphins Photo understands that. They know you’re likely only stopping in because your grandma needs a new portrait for her fridge or because LinkedIn irksomely prompts you to “make sure you’re looking your very best!” every time you sign in.
Situated above Aroma Bistro on the third floor of Voka Street, Dolphins Photo was co-founded by Ring Zheng, an entrepreneurial 30-something who, when she went to replace her Chinese ID last year, realized how difficult it is to have a genuinely great photo taken (a Chinese ID doesn’t expire for 20 years, so you don’t want to be stuck with an awful pic).
Ring Zheng, co-founder of Dolphins Photo
That experience, coupled with the fact that she was once stopped in a Beijing airport because her ID looked “nothing like her,” emboldened her to open a studio that could take more attractive photos for licenses, visa applications or even wedding certificates.
In 2016, her dream came to fruition after she met some likeminded partners in the field, and together they opened Dolphins Photo. Founded upon the notion that an ID photo should “begin with beauty,” the studio offers makeup and costume services in an effort to suit today’s selfie-obsessed youth.
Of course, the studio isn’t only devoted to traditional ID shots. It also takes professional and casual portraits for individuals, couples, families or colleagues. In fact, we at That’s decided to give it a go.
On the day of our appointment, our editorial team arrived squeaky clean with pruned facial hair, high heels and an arsenal of well-rehearsed poses. Well, sort of. We had showered, at least.
Upon entering the refreshingly bright, upbeat studio, a pair of receptionists motioned for us to take a seat and jot down our name, email and phone number on a contract that would later be used to record which photos we liked best and wanted to order.
We were then whisked away to two changing rooms, where we took turns trying on the freshly pressed shirts and blouses we’d brought along for the shoot. Thankfully, the studio also had a wide selection of jackets, shirts and blouses in case of wardrobe malfunction (or if you happen to like any of their pieces better).
Next was makeup. There were four stations and artists to cover the six of us, so the process went incredibly quickly. Light foundation, subtle eyebrow shadow and hair gel summed things up for the men (yes, guys: you need a bit of powder to fight shine under bright lights), while the women enjoyed a full makeover plus fake eyelashes and hair styling as desired. If you prefer a more natural look, they’ll respect your style.
The studio is modest in size, with two main areas set up. For our individual shots, we took turns posing in front of a simple, blue-gray background.
The photographer chatted with us as we modeled, taking care that no flyaway hairs or crooked bow ties ruined the shot.
With each click of her camera, a resulting image appeared almost instantaneously on a computer screen nearby, giving our colleagues ample opportunity to offer advice where necessary, and believe us, it was necessary. Posing is tough.
Once she’d shot about 30 images, the photographer called us over to select our favorite of the bunch. If we weren’t completely satisfied or wanted to try a new pose, she gladly agreed to snap a few dozen more.
The process was the same for the group photo, save the timing (it’s hard to capture six people with eyes open, looking normal at once).
It took roughly 100 shots before we learned how to be reasonably photogenic, but the photographer was extremely patient (even as we posed suggestively with ballpoint pens and notebooks). After selecting our top three photos, a staff member helped us record the image numbers on our contract and we were good to go.
Prices vary depending on what kind of photo you need, how many copies and whether or not you want it edited. For a complete list of pricing, see the table below:
Around one week later, Dolphins Photo emailed us digital copies of our gorgeous shots, inviting us to give feedback. A few of our colleagues emailed back asking for a lighter Photoshop job (aka, they looked a little too good). Within two days, the Dolphins team sent back a less doctored up version, which left everyone more than satisfied.
Here’s our team’s favorite photo from the shoot. Not too shabby, right?
For us, the English-speaking staff members at Dolphins Photo were extremely patient and approachable. They took their time with each step while keeping one eye on the clock so the shoot didn't take all day. Plus, they can make anyone look awesome, which helps.
So mail your grandma that framed photo. Break the Internet with a baller new LinkedIn pic. You owe it to yourself.
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