Located in a pre-World War II shophouse in Klang, this unique space blends the old-school charm of a traditional photo studio with modern technology, encouraging people to capture themselves at their most natural.
“Sometimes when you’re with a photographer, there can be awkward moments. They tell you to ‘do this’ or ‘turn there’, and you’re not quite sure what to do. But in this selfie studio, you can just be yourself,” co-founder Jason Tan Hong Yan told FMT Lifestyle.
Unlike a traditional photo studio, where a photographer directs poses and captures the images, Ruaang puts customers in control of the entire experience.
Guests step into a private studio room equipped with professional lighting, a high-resolution camera, a monitor or preview screen, and a remote-controlled shutter button. From there, they can take as many photos as they want, selfie-style, within a fixed session time. Think of an event photo booth, but with more sophisticated features.
According to Tan, Ruaang draws inspiration from the self-photo studio trend, which gained widespread popularity in South Korea from the late 2010s through brands such as Life4Cut, Photoism and Haru Film.
The studio also pays tribute to old-school photography, with one room showcasing the history of the art form through displays of vintage cameras and historical photographs.
He and co-founder Wong Jiunn Yi were once colleagues at a production house. There, they noticed a recurring trend among customers: many wanted family portraits, but found it too expensive or too formal.
“The highest cost involved was hiring a photographer. So we thought to ourselves: what if there was a way to let customers do this without one?” Tan said.
Wong also shared his regret at never having taken a proper family portrait with his father before he passed away. With that in mind, the duo set out to create Ruaang, which opened for business at the end of 2022.
The response since then has been encouraging. By Tan’s estimate, the studio has welcomed more than 5,000 groups for portrait sessions. He recalled one group travelling all the way from Perak to Klang just to use their services.
Ruaang’s appeal, Tan said, lies not only in the novelty of the experience, but also in the quality.
Unlike phone cameras or at-home setups, Ruaang’s studio is designed to produce polished, high-resolution images with flattering lighting, professional composition, and enough distance from the camera to create a more comfortable, natural frame.
Pricing is based on the number of people per session, with various packages available for different groups.
For Tan, the value of a portrait only grows with time.
“Some people like to take one every year. You can see the journey, how your family grows, how people change. One day, your grandchildren can look back and see what their grandparents looked like,” he said.
In 2024, they introduced a small café below the studio selling nasi lemak, mee siam, pan mee and curry mee, alongside café staples like toast, roti bakar, croissants and bagels.
In keeping with its historical setting, the space is filled with vintage touches, from record players and movie posters to retro furniture thoughtfully arranged throughout.
Ruaang’s long-term vision includes opening a second branch, ideally in another heritage venue. Profits aside, Tan said, the goal is to create more spaces and communities where memory, culture and everyday life can intersect.
In a fast-moving world where moments are often captured and forgotten just as quickly, Tan hopes the studio can make the case for something slower and more enduring.
“Ruaang comes from the Malay word for ‘space’. We ultimately hope to create a space where people can create memories for themselves,” Tan said.
Ruaang Selfie Studio and Café
44, Jalan Raya Timur
Kawasan 1
41000 Klang
Selangor
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