Imagine stepping into a sunlight loft, where the glow of morning light streams through tall Crittall windows, warming the London yellow brick walls. A private space in a vibrant hub of architects, design studios and creatives, with the prettiest cobbled courtyard, the energy shifts when you enter the studio. The focus is on you.
This is Feel The Frame, a self-portrait studio nestled within the thriving Perseverance Works community. “Feel The Frame is a self-portrait studio, created to reimagine what a photo studio can be,” says Anna Arfen, the founder. “A private space with professional lighting.”
But here, there’s one big difference: there’s no photographer in the room.
At Feel the Frame, the camera hides behind a large mirror. Guests can see themselves in real time, capturing their photos with the click of a remote. “The concept is disarmingly simple, yet it transforms the whole experience: without anyone watching or directing, people finally exhale. They play, they experiment, they simply exist — and in that space, something true emerges,” Anna explains. The idea grew out of personal frustration. Approaching forty, Anna realised she hadn’t had a professional photo taken for almost a decade, but she struggled to find a studio experience that felt intimate and relaxed. Traditional shoots felt awkward and time-consuming. Discovering self-shoot studios – already popular in Korea – offered a solution. “I knew others must feel the same, so I took the leap and opened my own studio: a place that bridges the gap between the intimacy of a selfie and the polish of a studio portrait,” she says.
Anna drew on her time in production coordination, film, and event management to design the studio experience and lay the foundations of Feel the Frame. “Those years gave me a different set of skills: how to design an experience, manage every detail, and make people feel at ease,” she explains. Every part of the studio is intentional: from the multi-source lighting designed with photographer Connor Harris – a specialist in portraiture and celebrity shoots – to the bespoke colour-grading for colour and black-and-white images, the editorial aesthetic is the result of expertise.
The rise of self-shoot studios is part of a broader cultural shift: in a world overflowing with selfies and digital images, people still crave professional experiences that feel personal and relaxed. “How many of those images carry real weight, depth of permanence?” Anna asks. Feel the Frame is the answer, offering couples, families, and individuals a way to capture meaningful moments without the pressure of a traditional photoshoot. “People will always want to celebrate their story in a personal way — the desire to capture and preserve a moment in time will never change,” Anna adds.
Perseverance Works has proved the perfect home. “The exposed London yellow brick walls, high ceilings, natural light, and Crittall windows gave the space a true loft feel — I fell in love straight away,” says Anna. Beyond its look, Perseverance Works offers a vibrant and supportive community in an environment that fosters collaboration and inspiration. The courtyard coffee, security and accessibility are practical perks, but it’s the people that sets Perseverance Works apart: “It’s the wonderful creatives I’ve met here in such a short time that make being part of Perseverance Works creative hub truly special.”
To find out more about Feel the Frame, visit their website and check out their Instagram to see some of their portraits.