MEMPHIS, Tenn. — If you’re looking for that perfect Instagram moment, you may be able to find it in Whitehaven. Pose 901 is a selfie studio located in the Southbrook Shopping Mall with exhibits that ooze Memphis.
Pose 901 opened up this summer and owners Antoine Lever and Michalyn Easter-Thomas hope to inspire a photo experience that emphasizes the pride of the Mid-South. Each set in the space has a theme that is uniquely Memphis influenced.
“Pose 901 we’re lit, we try to make sure our sets are different from anywhere else,” said Lever. “We try to make sure all of our sets are Memphis inspired based off of what we do and what we like here in Memphis.”
There’s a set made to look a music studio space full of Memphian artists, another inspired by Memphis’ club scene and one built like a classic backyard BBQ. Lever said Pose 901 is the first black-owned selfie studio.
Arriell Gipson recently hosted a private event for Leaders of Color in the space. She said while she’s been to selfie museums before, none are quite like Pose 901.
“I love it, I’ve been to a couple selfie museums from LA, New York, and I’ve never seen one with this many exhibits in this amount of square footage it has,” Gipson said.
A native Memphian herself, she loved the different Mid-south themed booths.
“It feels like you’re at home. We have a place to be proud of. It feels like we have a place to call home,” Gipson said. “They’re really diverse. They are amazing, you can do different things with them and I was impressed when I walked in."
Lever is a professional photographer himself. While he’s used to being behind the camera himself, he said something about taking your own photo is appealing in the age of social media.
“When you take a picture of somebody else, it’s hard to get that perfect angle that you like,” Lever said. “If you take your own picture, your own selfie you know what angle looks good. You know what looks good, you know what side has a dimple and the whole nine.”
Pose 901 is open Thursday to Sunday. You can walk-in for a few snaps or reserve the space for private events.