The way I see it, there are two types of people in the world: people who will absolutely love what I’m about to talk about, and people who will absolutely hate it. You can probably guess which camp this candid-loving, Instagram-obsessed gal falls into (#absolutelylove).
Photo Pop Philly (1315 Walnut Street) is Philly’s first pop-up photo/art exhibit. The closest concepts I can think of are Refinery 29’s 29Rooms or Dream Machine in Brooklyn – a fun, colorful, interactive walk-through exhibit with endless opportunities for photo ops.
What makes Photo Pop so cool is that every exhibit is designed by a Philly artist. We’re talking Amberella, Nero, These Pink Lips, Orchird Design & Decor, Get Up Art, Martha Rich, Michael Lambui, Catron Lee, Benjamin Howard, Alloyius Mcilwaine, AYE!CRTV, and Pop Up Polaroid. Each of them had a different space in the rooms at 1315 Walnut, and things they came up with are truly amazing. Check out this peek into Sean Aye’s design process to get more of a sense of what I mean.
Photo Pop Philly opens TODAY (Thursday, 5/24/18) and will remain open until 4th of July. You buy a timed ticket (they’re open Tuesday-Sunday from 3-11pm), good for an hour exploration of the space. Tickets are $25 each, and you must buy your tickets in advance so they can make sure there are not too many people in the exhibit at once – no tickets will be sold at the door.
Of course, the art is amazing and impressive on its own. But if you’re in it for some photos, too, I have a few tips.
First and foremost, go with a friend or a group of buddies who are just as jazzed about taking photos as you are. It always makes for an uncomfortable situation when you’re more into getting the dream Insta and your pal went casually. Make sure you’re well versed on Boomerangs, portrait mode, angles, etc. – there’s SO much you can play with here! Oh, and unlock your phone before you go so you don’t have to keep retyping your password for them. 😉
If you’re looking for the perfect outfit, let me suggest red, white, or blue! Tying in with the 4th of July theme, most exhibits have some red, white, and blue in them, and your photos will be stunnnners if you compliment the background. Here are some of my favorite examples of how to dress.
There are so many more exhibits than the ones I’m sharing here – so what are you waiting for? Let me know if you’ll be attending Photo Pop Philly this summer in the comments! I’d love to see what you come up with!