The Full Circle

Being in the retail store allowed me to see the full circle of the photo industry. I had novice customers, I had professional customers, and a whole slew of "tweeners". I was expected to become the expert in all the equipment and accessories on the market , and needed to know the good gear from the junk. I needed to help people take better photos while at the same time take photos for hire for other businesses as well as private individuals. I started teaching classes after I had so many customers strongly urge me on. Unlike many of the traditional camera stores that quickly closed when digital came out, I embraced the technology while still hanging onto the craft of the old world ways. 

That's why I still offer so many services. That's what real camera stores did. Learning about the changes in the industry as much as I could and protecting my customers from the scams and the less than quality products that were hitting the market trying to take advantage of the digital frenzy. I was so into the archivability of film and the chemically printed image that I maintained a professional lab even when many professionals moved over to printing on their own inkjet printers at home. Funny though, many came back. Eventually equipment stopped selling very well. 

The economy busted, internet deals looked too good to be true, and the store wasn't supporting a building and a staff. It was a tough choice but I realized I could do 80% of what I did in the store from my own home. So full circle. I once again print and shot at home in my newly constructed lab/studio. The difference is now I'm the professional lab. I still develop 35mm film, and 120 film, color or black and white. I can print digital files or make prints from negatives, I still teach photography and I added Photographic Workshops to my repertoire since I am no longer "married" to a retail business. I still have many commercial photography clients, so shooting product photography, industrial photography, corporate head shots and annual report images is still a big part of my portfolio. This is the short version about me. 

If you like coffee and kabitzing, call me up someday and we can get real deep into photography, or Marine Corp Air Combat, or… ? I just love meeting people and sharing so you pick the topic. It starts with a phone call. 847-401-2017