Happy memories in different shades

Many regular customers of China Photo Studio like taking photos there, because they don't appear unrealistic.

"They only retouch the photos a bit, so you still look your age. Over the years, these photos have recorded your life and show how you have aged. When you are in your 50s, it is meaningless to try and beautify your images to make them look like you're in your 40s or 30s," Zhang says.

"The wrinkles look just fine in the photos."

Bao Chen, the office director of China Photo Studio, says the studio pursues natural beauty in its portrait photography.

"As a time-honored brand, we stick to our old traditions in photography and also keep up with modern times."

The studio follows an old style of photography, which makes it easy for customers to accumulate such family photos over decades, he says. The studio's most popular products are family photos and children's photos that record a family's history and show the growing up years of children.

"People like to take photos to mark important family moments, such as elders' birthdays and children's college graduations."

The peak seasons for the studio are festivals and holidays. During Spring Festival, the studio welcomes about 300 families a day, according to Bao. On regular weekends, customers wait for two or three hours before getting their pictures taken, he adds.

Many customers of the studio today were born in the 1970s and '80s. Usually couples visit with their children and parents. A family photo often has six or eight people in it.

"With the development of photography in recent years, taking family portraits is now different," says photographer Wang Xin, who has worked at the studio for about 30 years.