Happy memories in different shades

The studio collects old items from the secondhand market to use as props, including a gramophone, old clocks and furniture. The studio provides old backdrops and costumes. Customers are drawn to its vintage-style black-and-white photos, which appear similar to those taken in the early 20th century, when photo studios were springing up in China.

The studio became well-known after shooting family photos of Chinese A-list actor Liu Ye in 2014.

White Nights Photo Gallery uses old-style cameras, which need a long exposure time, for portraits. As it's hard for children to keep still for long, they use digital cameras to take family photos.

"Photo studios used to be places for Chinese to learn about photography. As time passes, fewer people are going to the studios and the number of photo studios is falling," says Yang Wei, who co-founded the studio in 2013.

His original idea was to make a copy of a photo studio from the early 20th century.

As some Chinese people carry on the tradition of shooting family photos at a studio, especially during Spring Festival, they have more options than before.