SNAP Foto Club inspires creativity from Calgarians
By Gloria Beltran, March 20 2020—
A new photography studio opened in Calgary offering space for photographers, models, art enthusiasts and the average Instagram user. SNAP Foto Club, located in downtown Calgary on Stephen Ave. is a family-friendly studio with over 4000 square feet of space. While SNAP Foto is currently closed to walk in appointments due to the COVID-19 pandemic, private bookings will still be available with 24 hours notice.
“We are a walk-in, self-serve photography studio designed to be used for professional photographers and the general public,” says University of Calgary Alumni and SNAP Foto Club owner Rebecca Ollenburger. “We feel as though Calgary is missing a communal space for a one-stop-shop studio that accommodates a variety of interests so my business partner and I wanted to create that space and service for Calgary.”
Ollenberger showcases the uniqueness of SNAP Foto Club.
“What’s different about us in comparison to other studios is that we have the backdrops set up and ready to use and offer other services, while other studios simply rent the space to you,” Ollenberger says.
While pop-up photo studios offer an opportunity to capture some photos, they are temporary, SNAP Foto Club is permanent and will frequently change their backdrops.
“My favourite part about our business is experiencing how people interact with the space and seeing them use it in fun and creative ways we never thought it would be used for,” Ollenberger says.
SNAP Foto Club offers change rooms upon request and rentals for tripods, lighting equipment, DSLR and Instax instant print cameras. SNAP has in-house professional photographers, or what they call “Instagram husbands”. SNAP also allows purchases of photos in packages starting at only $5 at the end of each visit. SNAP also includes a refreshment bar which carries an array of espresso and alcoholic beverages as well as light snacks for an additional cost.
During general admission, visitors will have a maximum of five minutes with each backdrop in order to give everyone in the shop a chance to use each background during their visit. Backdrops include a bathtub of rose petals, bright neon angel wings, a wall of sunflowers, seasonal backgrounds amongst others. For professional photographers, content creators or videographers who wish to monopolize on a backdrop, bring props or use the space more privately, they recommend attending during professional and amateur admiss ion –between Tuesday and Thursday.
SNAP Foto Club is located at 200-118 8 Ave S.W. Tickets start at $25 for students and $35 for general entry. Tickets can be purchased online and be future-dated for up to two weeks and are also available at the door. The SNAP Foto Club offers monthly memberships for exclusive rates for more frequent visitors. For more information about the SNAP Foto Club and changes made to the studio during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, visit their website.