It seems like everywhere you turn these days you find more bad news. When I first started in photography I went to Photo Barn in Lilburn to purchase my first professional camera in 1978, the year they opened. Since then we have purchased many cameras, lots of film, paper and chemicals, lights and backgrounds. Over the years we grew to be almost like family with them, always knowing that they had our backs and would help us in any way they could. Last week I got the notice that they were closing their doors and it really hit me hard to see them close. Bill, Kenneth, Debra and everyone else at Photo Barn will be missed.
Makes you wonder when you read "Professionals serving professionals" just how many real professionals there are left.
Yesterday I got two more notices of other long time and wonderful suppliers to professional photographers that are closing. Garrett and Lane color lab in Columbus closed yesterday and probably the finest wedding album manufacturer in the world for many years, Art Leather, closed as well.
These are sad times for my profession and I hate to see these industry leaders and supporters of professional photographers go.
It seems we are in a world where it is OK to compete with your own customers for contracts. And if you get those contracts enforce them so that nobody in the local community can do anything even if you aren't offering the same services. Years ago I used one of those labs in the Atlanta area. It seems like the only things that will be left when the dust settles will be Wal-Mart and the other big corporate giants leaving all the rest of us scratching our heads wondering just what happened.