Have you ever wanted to swim in a bowl of colorful cereal, get the perfect photo under a rainbow or have a unique place for your family photos? The Photo Op Shop, a new business and attraction in Gulf Shores can help with all three.
The Photo Op Shop is an interactive photo experience that will bring you into a world of magical rainbows and enchanted gardens. The shop features over 37 photo ops that have been designed with the perfect lighting and a color palette specially chosen to compliment any skin tones and most clothing options. Every Photo Op can be easily edited with any Instagram filter, iPhone editing filters or no filter at all.
The creative minds behind this new venture are no strangers to Gulf Shores. The husband and wife team behind The Yard Milkshake Bar, Logan and Chelsea Green opened The Photo Op Shop on July 31.
The Greens had idea for The Photo Op Shop and a signed a lease on the space at Pelican Place before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down. While businesses were closed, they shifted their focus to creating and crafting. The Greens created, built and installed all the backdrops in the space.
“There are a lot of things to do outside in Gulf Shores but not so many inside and more targeted toward families and girls. This is just something different that we do not have around here, Mobile or Pensacola. We are trying to target locals, tourists and photographers. It is a good space to take photos if it is raining and you know it rains here about half the year. You can come in here and take pictures and you don’t have to worry about the rain getting you,” said Chelsea Green.
If you were trying to get photos for your Instagram, you could get 21 days of photos and not have the same picture just in the Floral Escape Hall. Two changing rooms are also available for wardrobe changes between photos.
“We are going to change things out as well. We are already thinking about fall, Halloween and Christmas. There is a section with three walls that will feature seasonal backdrops. No matter what side you buy admission to you will be able to use the holiday and seasonal backdrops,” said Green.
Green is also excited to offer a unique place to hold celebrations. There is an Alice in Wonderland themed room that would make a great space for birthdays or events. Party goers can spend an hour taking photos with friends and enjoy cake and treats in a private space. The Rainbow Hall also has a space where tables can be set up among the backdrops for a fun and colorful party. The location also has a large open space that can be rented for wedding receptions, engagement parties or fundraisers.
During this time of social distancing, if you book a session, you get the whole hall for the first 20 minutes of the 30-minute session. This gives groups plenty of time to get photos with the first section of the hall before the next group begins. Hard surfaces and areas that might be touched are sanitized between sessions.
The Photo Op Shop is in Pelican Place at Craft Farms shopping area located at 3800 Gulf Shores Parkway, Gulf Shores. Tickets include either 30 minutes or one hour inside one of the self-serve photo studios where you will find yourself immersed in a world of color. Mini session rates range from $8 to $15 and hour sessions range from $10 to $20. Well behaved pets on a leash are also welcome. For more information or to book a session visit www.thephotoopshop.com.
