I did a photoshoot in China

I went to Li Jiang, Yunnan in end August. I was so lucky that the day I arrived was one day after their summer break. The crowd was less I suppose, minusing the kids and teens who were enjoying their summer vacation.

I chanced upon this travel photography that is super popular in China right now. Managed to liase with the team through wechat one month prior. I did my research to make sure it was a legit shop before making half of the payment through Alipay. They did have an online store on Taobao, but I manage to get some perks like extra photos and edits by paying them directly.

The package I chose was 599rmb, so about $120. It includes clothing rental, makeup, hair styling, shoes and the photoshoot. I wanted a change of outfit but they did not have such a package. You would have to pay another full amount if you wish to have photos taken in a different costume.

By the way, the whole place has many shops to choose from and mine was one of the most expensive ones. I only found out when I went down and saw huge banners of other cheaper options. Thankfully, the shop I chose seemed to have a wider range of clothes and accessories and the makeup style also seems better. Otherwise, I guess its fine to choose a package in person. I was lucky it did not rain on the day that I prebooked. If the weather is uncertain, it might be better to only purchase the package on a non-rainy day when you are there physically.

It was a great experience. The shop will match a random photographer with you. But need not worry about any poses or feel awkward because they will teach you what to do. The photographer will bring you around to popular spots within the village. (My shop was located in Shunhe Ancient Town) You can choose to go to other locations but will need to top up for travel or ticket prices if necessary.

The whole process including makeup, photoshoot, and choosing which photos to edit took me 3hrs.

They provide all raw images to you but you can choose out some for them to edit. Due to different beauty standards in China, I found their photoshop too exaggerated so I sticked to using my raw images and editing some colours on my own. The shop showed me samples of photoshoot edits like changing body proportions, facial features, all which seemed normal to them. Even when my editted images came back to me after telling them I wanted strictly natural, they still didnt look natural to me😅 But personal preference yeah.

A downside was that some of the costumes from their wide variety is not authentic. So apparently as these photoshoots are gaining popularity in China, they have modernised most costumes and even sexified some of them to fit the tastes of modern times. I only found out after speaking to a local, that even mine looks like a mix of two tribes. Sobbbsss. I wish I did more research on their traditional costumes before I went.

But overall, it was still a good eye-opening experience and I definitely enjoyed myself! Oh and don't worry about walking around the streets in these costumes. Many people are doing the same!

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