a.e.Hotchkiss Photography |

When I first moved (back) to Portland, I was stepping outside of my comfort zone for a number of reasons. After all, in Boston I was considered the most valuable of retail and food service terms, a “regular,” at many important places. I was remembered at restaurants, cafes, bookstores and, most importantly, my photo processors and suppliers.

The challenge of becoming a regular is not having the staff remember your regular order or your name, but to find a place that is worthy of your valuable time and dollars.

In Boston, my regular haunts included Hunt’s Photo and Video in Harvard Square…their manager being a semi-regular lemon tart buyer at the bakery I worked at, as well as a cohort on the same bus line the year I rode the 69 Metro along Cambridge St. to get to work. They had the best selection of 120mm and 220mm film a girl could want and, on occasion, color and black and white printing papers for the darkroom at school.

For film processing, I had the luxury of being less than five miles from Color Services, Inc. in Needham, a film processing business that used to pick up from the photo department at school, who after my graduation got very familiar with my perennial order: “220mm, C-41 processing, develop only, do not cut.”

So when I relocated and I began shooting shortly after I was truly at a loss for where to go for all my photographic needs. Enter Ritz Camera, Monument Square.

I’m totally aware of the fact that they, like Hunt’s Photo and Video in Boston, are part of a quasi-chain which I usually am wary of, if only for the fact that chains and franchises are often known for hiring under experienced employees who are, consequently, easy to under pay. Not so at Ritz in Monument Square, on my very first interaction with them I found them to be overly accommodating and equally interested in the arts as they were in selling flashy digital cameras (not my forte).

Over the course of the thirteen months (to the date) my periodical visits to the store extended way beyond the familiar transaction: “Develop only, do not cut.”

The staff were obviously so enthusiastic about photography, even the dying breed of film photography that I prefer. More importantly they were enthusiastic about human relationships and engaging in conversations that went far past the protocol for customer/sales associate relations. I’ve learned about their work experience, their hobbies (including wrestling!!), their cats, their children and many other things.

I became a regular!!

About a week ago when I went in to drop off a roll of film from the “Logan on Munjoy Commons” shoot (see “wet noses and whiskers” entry) I was informed, devastatingly, that it was going to be my last.

For reasons it would be inappropriate to go in to here (not knowing the full story, and out of respect for the people who’ve made my career so smooth and easy for the last year) they were to shut down the Monument Square location, leaving the last remnant of Ritz Camera in Maine secluded to the Maine Mall in South Portland, a ghastly 10 minute CAR ride out of town!

Up until now this business of a down turning economy and recession was merely a distraction that I, struggling anyways to start a business and already earning near minimum wage at my “day” job, was insulated from. But the sudden and very real threat of something I’ve come to know and love ending has been eating away at me for the last few days.

More than mere convenience, I am sorry for the life change that this forces for people who are obviously very proficient at their work and excellent at customer service or…taking customer service one step further: people service. Because I can honestly say that I never felt like a “customer” going there, I felt like I was part of the group.

The store is in liquidation process, and depending on how successful they are at emptying inventory, the store will be open for the next 7-8 weeks (or more, if they do better than other locations). Items are on sale between 10% and 30%, and they’re offering coupons for a discount on processing at the location at the mall (right outside of Best Buy, take your first left, if my memory serves me correctly). The more business they feed to the mall, the more chance of more jobs being needed there. I’m happy to make the extra trip to the mall (instead of walking downtown in the summer sun) in order to support their business. You should, too!

I implore you, if you’ve been thinking about buying a snazzy digital camera or some photo albums or picture frames…or display cases or ANYTHING, please, please visit the Monument Square Ritz and tell them Audrey sent you.

That’s all for now,

-a.e.