Ed From NYC

Greetings!

My wife and I retired from our photography/custom lab/color and b/w darkroom rental business in 2008 after 25+ years at our location and sold our 5000 sq ft space to residential buyers when the area was earlier rezoned. The so-called "Photo District" along 5th Avenue from 14th Street to the Flatiron building on 23rd Street housed over 200 photography-related businesses: Set Shop (studio supplies and backdrops, still in area), retouchers, portfolio and framing shops as well as many other custom labs doing E-6, C-41, dups, Kodachrome, large enlargements and general printing as well as digital services. Photo District News magazine was also established in 1980 and its founder, Carl Pugh was later to establish Photo Expo 3 years later. Sony introduced the Mavica in August 1981 and the digital revolution was on and new ways to use photography had begun.

Life and photography was getting too complicated, so nearing retirement, we sold our space right before the market imploded in 2008!

Currently, the President of Park West Camera Club (est 1937), see: parkwestcameraclub.org and Meetup Organizer, see: meetup.com/NYPhotoSafari

I enjoy talking about all aspects of photography and welcome your comments. Be well! Ed

Welcome aboard, Ed!

Welcome

I had to wait 8 years after 2008, then sold a little early, but at least I got out of Dodge
Not NYC

Times change, thank goodness

Hello Ed. Welcome to the forum. You expertise will be appreciated here.


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Welcome!
My wife and I lived in Manhattan, 215th St. just off Inwood Park, and worked downtown at 8th and 29th, later Columbus Circle, between 1976 and 1985. I recall the Photo district well from many trips to Olden, Duggan, Photocare, and other relevant establishments.

It will be interesting to see how the rebound of film photography eventually settles out, after some of the fad factor fades. I never had any money to switch to digital when the tidal wave hit, and when I returned to photography a few years ago after a long absence, it was all film, all darkroom. Good to be back.

I agree that your expertise will be valuable here.