Dayton natives open the Selfie Scene

Last month, Dayton natives and friends of 25 years, Matthew Gwin and James Kavanaugh, Jr., opened Selfie Scene, located at 580 Miamisburg Centerville Rd. The business partners were fraternity brothers at Bowling Green State University and are alums of Archbishop Alter High School in Dayton.

Gwin is preparing to retire from the U.S. Air Force in May and Kavanaugh has a creative background in visual arts and photography. During a trip to visit family in Greensboro, North Carolina, the pair stopped at a selfie studio after hearing about the concept growing in popularity.

“We walked in, and we were like, ‘Oh my God, I get it,’” Gwin said.

Above all else, the partners said Selfie Scene is about fun. The center features about 20 interactive vignettes at a time and will periodically change to fit the theme of the season.

“It’s been a blast, I mean, it’s a party,” Kavanaugh said. “It’s like a visual menu of sorts that people like to (come in) and see what all there is, and then they’ll hop in and start taking pictures.”

People are able to utilize the Selfie Scene for more than taking silly, stylish photos with friends or family. Since opening, Kavanaugh said customers have used the space to shoot promotional photos for products or influential social media pages, take professional headshots or a family holiday card and more.

Customers only need to bring their cell phone for taking photos. Selfie Scene provides all props, backdrops, “light rings” and hand-held photo remotes that connect via Bluetooth.

“We kind of see it like the modern day arcade,” Gwin said.

The Selfie Scene accepts walk-ins, however, it’s advised to book admission tickets in advance. Tickets are $20 per one hour of Selfie Scene usage and can be purchased at myselfiescene.com.