civilized ku # 861-65 ~ the good, the bad, & the ugly
Monday, February 21, 2011 at 04:16PM 
102 W 4th Street ~ Williamsport, PA • click to embiggen
Miele & Rymsza ~ Williamsport, PA • click to embiggen
Rialto Theater ~ "downtown" Canton, PA • click to embiggen
Hoyer's Photo Supply ~ Williamsport, PA • click to embiggen
Tree and shadow ~ Williamsport, PA • click to embiggenDuring my recent visit to Williamsport, PA, I took a walk down 4th Ave. - what appeared to be "Main Street" - for the primary purpose of stopping in at Hoyer's Photo Supply. The wife had pointed out the store as I was driving / negotiating some street construction on the way to our hotel and I thank her for that observation because it gave me some hope that there might be something to do in Williamsport. As it turned out, the walk to Hoyer's provided an opportunity for some picture making that speaks to the best and worst of architectural awareness in the good 'ole US of A.
the Good - as evidenced in the top 3 pictures in this entry, there are those who recognize (and work to restore / preserve it) a good thing when they see it. As is true of most cities, villages, and towns in the good 'ole US of A, there are many buildings and structures which are wonderful examples of a rich and varied American architectural heritage - buildings and structures which have been maintained and preserved by ... let's say ... "educated" owners.
the Bad (part I)- unfortunately, there are many more such buildings and structures that either no longer exist or are in such a state of disrepair that they are beyond salvation. Many of the buildings and structures that no longer exist were victims of that great American movement called "urban renewal" (sometimes referred to as "nigger removal") - a movement that simply wiped out many vibrant communities in physically deteriorating neighborhoods.
Add to that widespread stupidity the neglect and milk-it-till-the-milk-runs-dry mentality / MO of many in the American Real Estate Investor class who purchased what could have been restored / renovated architectural gems and just simply (and literally) ran them into the ground, what you are left with, after the "investors" (aka - blood suckers) get their cash, is, quite literally, nothing.
& the Ugly - then there is that other class of architectural idiocracy, the tasteless renovation morons. The Tree and shadow picture in this entry is a perfect example of how this confederacy of dunces thinks and acts - IMO, these people could fuck up a wet dream. Seriously, what special class of tastelessness does it take to literally coverup (aka - "renovate"), in the most ugly manner possible, a building's or structure's architectural detail and heritage?
All of that said and on a picture making note, I would like to add an addendum, which has nothing to do with architecture ...
the Bad (part II) - Hoyer's Photo Supply store is one of an ever-shrinking example of what used to be a thriving enterprise, the Mom & Pop / independently owned and operated camera/photo supply store. While it is true that many of the online purveyors of camera gear and photo supplies are independently owned and operated, what is also true is that they can hardly be classified as a community-based meeting place for picture makers. Nearly gone are the days when one could walk into a photo store and have a chat with a friendly and knowledgeable salesperson like the one I encountered at Hoyer's. IMO, this is not a good thing.
Certainly, there are many reasons why this state of affairs exists, from manufacturers and consumers who have abandoned the small independent camera store and fled to the big box stores, to the abandonment of the urban shopping district - where most small independent camera stores are located - and the embrace of suburban shopping centers (aka - malls) where the big-box stores predominate, and to the simple fact that most consumers are interested only in price, not service.
That said, one of the most prominent situations contributing to the decline of photo stores is a self-inflicted one, the simple fact that most of them are owned and operated by old fogies. Hoyer's is a fine example of that fact - the staff therein was firmly rooted in the over-45-crowd, if not the over-50-crowd. However, to be more precise, while the over-40/50-crowd may not, in the physical/age sense, fit the exact definition of "old fogie", what I have found is that in many photo stores the management and staff think and act like old fogies.
What I mean by that is so many of the remaining photo stores I have visited are still doing business like they always have. While they have stocked the shelves with update-to-date products, their business model, based loosely on we're-the-only-game-in-town model (or one-of-the-only), is way behind the times. Even though the small photo stores can match the big-box/online prices, what they have failed to enhance and promote is what really differentiates them from the big boys - knowledgeable sales and service, that extra something that many consumers are starting to appreciate in an impersonal and volume-driven big-box/online world.
IMO, photo stores need to add a few knowledgeable digital-age youngsters to their staffs (ever visit a Best Buy?). They need to offer regular self-generated mini-workshop product demonstrations and events (based on digital age how-tos). And, since many of these stores have consolidated their inventories, why not free up some wall space for rotating picture exhibits by local picture makers and even organize and sponsor a few contests / competitions in co-operation with local events and organizations.
In short, traditional photo stores need to create some buzz - Hoyer's has a blog that creates more of a snooze than a buzz, the last entry (nearly 4 months ago) was basically a rehash of some "generic" PDN Photoplus Expo "news" - and start selling what the big boxes don't (and, IMO, can't) offer - heaping helpings of the joy of picture making. It just might be the means to survive for many of the remaining photo supply stores.
gravitas et nugalis
Featured Comment: John Linn wrote: I think you are being a bit hard on Hoyer's. I am amazed and impressed that they have existed this long. They must be doing something right in this small town..."
my response: It wasn't my intent to be hard on Hoyer's although writing about it under the heading of "the Bad" (part II) might have created that impression, so ... to clarify - IMO, Hoyer's (and many other small independent photo stores) = Good. The decline and disappearance of such stores = Bad.
However, I still stand behind the point I was making about such stores - in many cases, their marketing / management style has an "old fogie" feel to it. They need to get fast and nimble on their feet and start enhancing, promoting, and "selling" what the big-box stores can't - personalized attention and the joy of picture making.
BTW, Williamsport and the surrounding area has a population base of around 100,000. That number is not so "small". As far as I know, Hoyer's is the only stand-alone, full-time, "specialty" photo store in that market. And that fact alone may be why they have managed to survive up to this point. However, considering that I was told that they are "hanging on by the skin of their teeth", it would seem that they need to get beyond "survival" and start to increase traffic and revenue.
That, of course, is easier said than done. But, considering that there are more cameras in the hands of more people than ever before, it seems to me that being the last one standing in a reasonably sized market is more of an opportunity than it is a liability.
Then again, that's real easy for me to say since I'm not an owner / operator of a photo store.
Reader Comments (2)
Very good piece, Mark.
I guess the process for spreading the "joy of picture making" is now open to the bloggers.
In a similar vein, a couple of large retail booksellers have gone bust here in [South] Australia. If you only sell on price, the likes of Amazon make pretty tough competitors.
I think you are being a bit hard on Hoyer's. I am amazed and impressed that they have existed this long. They must be doing something right in this small town with it's limited audience of serious (or potentialy serious) photographers.
Back when I was in high school I worked afternoons and weekends in a similar camera store in a similar small city. That store and it's nearby competitor have been gone for 20 years or more. The suggestions you provide may be good ones but they may be beyond the limited resources of this small retail store. There is evidence that they are doing some of what you suggest, but the reality of keeping an establishment going often means more pressing challenges, like making payroll.
By the way, I do enjoy your page and visit every day. I know you do not like to talk technique on these pages but I do admire your craftsmanship and, in some forum, would like to know more about your process of picture making. The depth of tonal quality you achieve in your photos is impressive. I can learn from your approach to subject and composition but I would like to know more.
Thanks, John.