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'This is a place I wish I had growing up': Mother-daughter duo in Hampton opens Peninsula's first selfie studio

Say Cheezz selfie studio.png
Posted at 6:02 PM, Feb 21, 2022
and last updated 2022-02-21 19:44:47-05

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — 1,2, 3 - say, "cheese!" A mother-daughter duo launched the Peninsula's first selfie studio with the hope of spreading smiles and creativity throughout Hampton Roads.

News 3 caught up with the owners to see how they're bringing a new meaning to picture perfect.

Here at the "Say Cheezz" selfie studio in Newport News, taking selfies is celebrated.

Chelsea Haskins, Say Cheezz co-owner, said, "You come in, take your pictures, record your videos, TikTok videos - anything you like to do within your one-hour time slot."

With 32 different backdrops and props, the options are endless. Haskins and her mother, Tawana Randolph, opened Say Cheezz at the beginning of February to bring more entertainment for children and teens on the Peninsula.

"We saw that they had a selfie museum on the Southside, and we wanted to bring something like that to the Peninsula, and the reason we chose Newport News was because of the community," Randolph said.

Whether you're social media savvy or not, the goal is to celebrate the person in the front of the lens.

"As a single mom, for a very long time I realized the importance of having safe, affordable, fun things to do for young adults," said Randolph.

You get to choose from different backdrops, and once you found the one you want, you set your phone in a ring light, step back, start posing and take your photos.

Although they've only been open for two weeks, the duo said they've already had customers ranging from 2 to 85 years old.

However, the business is more than just a selfie studio. The owners have partnered with local organizations like the Violence Intervention Program (VIP) to curb violence in the community.

"We want to keep the youth on a positive path and motivate them and encourage them and show them that you can be a business owner yourself, [that] this is within the realm of the possible," said Randolph.

"We really just want to reach out our arms to the community and invite them into our family as well," said Haskins.

This weekend, Randolph and Haskins are giving customers 10% off with the promo code "News3." Say Cheezz is located at 14346 Warwick Blvd., Unit 111.

Related: Need help taking your next perfect, stunning selfies? Virginia Beach's Selfie WRLD can help