Wallingford Photo Snaps Shut

Denny tipped us off that Wallingford Photo Center, the little photo shop in the basement of the Wallingford Center, closed its doors for good as of New Year’s Eve. According to their web site, they’ve been there since 1986. They were also one of the sponsors for our first photo contest back in January 2009, for which we are very grateful. Sorry to see a good business go.

Back in December, we speculated that we might see more shop closing after the holidays were over, with merchants hoping to eke out a last little bit of profit (or reduce loss) and then close the gates before the January blues kicked in.

Maybe this is a case of the overall economy taking its toll, but more likely it’s just changing times. Just like Hollywood Video’s passing was brought on by NetFlix, iTunes and Video on Demand, Wallingford Photo Center was rendered irrelevant by technology. In 1986, amateurs had to drop film off at a shop or mail it away to see the results of their work, and even professionals relied on the high-end printers in photo centers. Now, of course, film cameras are largely a thing of the past, and the vast majority of photos are never printed at all, passing from camera to computer to the Internet, sometimes barely even bothering to pause on the screen of the shooter.

With the Internet rolling over so many old businesses, it’s nice to see shops like Wide World Books and Maps (4411 Wallingford Ave N) remaining strong and relevant in the shadow of the Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Shop local!