Two former fraternity brothers turned business co-owners want to show the Dayton region a much-needed good time through the art of selfies.
After 25 years of friendship, Matthew Gwin, 41, and James Kavanaugh Jr., 44, decided to open Selfie Scene, a selfie museum in Washington Township.
The attraction features 20 unique sets for selfie photo-ops, including tripods with attached ring lights to increase photo quality. A Bluetooth controller enables the user to connect with their phone and take multiple photos without the use of a phone timer. Check out the gallery to see some of Selfie Scene's current photo stations.
The focus of Selfie Scene for its owners is fun.
“Dayton's had a bad time before Covid … a really bad time," Kavanaugh said. "The world's had a bad time. Would we have done this if the core concept wasn’t fun? Probably, but really the icing on the cake is you just want to have a fun time.”
The idea came from Kavanaugh’s interest in an online Instagram post, showcasing a selfie museum in another state. After sharing the business idea with Gwin, the two decided the Dayton region was a good fit for the attraction.
Gwin, a local commercial space landlord and member of the Air Force, said the Dayton region offers a great number of things to do within suburbs, often encouraging people to stay in town on the weekends. Selfie Scene is intended to add to the existing number of attractions while bringing in crowds from out of town.
Combining Kavanaugh’s photography and freelance design experience and Gwin’s craftsmanship and commercial ownership experience, the two constructed each photo-op spot by hand. Gwin’s 9-year-old daughter provided additional insight and design ideas.
The two struggled to find an affordable and available space, but eventually found their home in a strip mall between a few bars and a beauty salon. Within 30 days from obtaining the keys to their storefront, Selfie Scene opened on December 4, 2021.
Kavanaugh said their photo-op spaces are easily swapped out with only a few sections intended to be mainstays for the attraction. A few of the shop’s photo spaces rely on holidays or times of the year while others will rotate based on popularity.
Although Selfie Scene has barely passed its one-month mark, the owners are excited to push forward with the attraction. Gwin revealed Selfie Scene will open its second location some time this summer with a third location soon after.
Due to the pandemic and shop size, Selfie Scene asks participants to schedule their visit online at https://www.myselfiescene.com. The attraction is available to rent for parties, companies, groups and photographers.
