Re: RE: [Leica] Zone blues

[Ruralmopics@aol.com]

I worked at camera stores for about four years in the early 80s (O.J. Photo 
Supply & St. Louis Photo Supply in St. Louis and Wagner Photo in Columbia -- 
two of which are now closed and one is a shadow of its former self). In those 
days camera stores were marvelous places with drawers full of quirky old 
hardware and sales people who really knew what they were talking about. Two 
of the stores I worked for stocked Leica, Hasselbad, Sinar, pro-line Polaroid 
stuff, studio lighting equipment, darkroom equipment, etc. Today (at least 
around here anyway), camera stores are now audio/video/computer centers with 
just a small camera counter (and NOTHING exotic), the store clerks I've 
encountered are just a step above Walmart-level expertise and all the drawers 
of funky old stuff is gone. It really is a shame. Photography is all but 
extinct as a hobby. Face it, "shutterbugs" are dinosaurs.

As for Eric's idea about stores that teach photography and rent darkrooms, I 
have in the back of my mind a retirement business that is part freelance 
photojournalist, part black and white lab and part rental darkrooms offering 
basic photography classes. It probably won't make any money but I'll have fun 
and by the time I retire I'll be really "quaint."


In a message dated 9/29/99 10:01:21 AM, ewelch@ponyexpress.net writes:

>It's the same here, with people walking into camera stores to handle the
>
>hardware, then they go home and order it from B+H and Camera World of 
>Oregon. And we wonder why there are so many amateurs who don't know squat
>
>about photography. It's likely because there are so few stores that can
>
>afford to keep real photographers (note: not pro. but real which includes
>
>knowledgeable amateurs) on their staffs. Service economy indeed.
>
>Maybe there should be a new chain of stores, teaching people how to make
>
>pictures and rent darkrooms to them?
>
>Eric Welch
>St. Joseph, MO
>