Ramon Hidalgo Street, more commonly known as Hidalgo, is the hub for all things camera. Located near the Church of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo district, this avenue is regarded as a special place by many photographers. However, what is impressive about this avenue is not so much the number of camera establishments there but the small group of shops that date back as early as the Marcos era.
Bert’s, for example, has been around since the 1970’s. Although pretty small in size with just enough room for two technicians to work in and a small glass display case of old cameras, this camera repair shop has valiantly stood against the test of time. Their customers are usually professional photographers with studios of their own. Occasionally, they also get customers from the province and the usual walk-ins.
However, business is not what it used to be. With the growing number of mall-based camera establishments, there is certainly room for concern.
Mang Oscar, one of the technicians, said he started working with cameras immediately after he graduated. During that time, analog cameras or film-based cameras were the only kinds in existence. The concept of digital cameras was still unheard of. By the time digital cameras became popular, Mang Oscar knew he needed to adapt to the trend. The only way to survive was to learn all that he could about digital cameras.
Analog vs digital
The advent of digital imaging has certainly had an effect in the world of still photography. When digital cameras were first launched, professional photographers and camera enthusiasts denounced digital film as a poor copy of its analog predecessor. Until now, some analog stalwarts still debate the merits of analog versus digital. Which one was better? Which produced clearer pictures?
As technology progressed and digital imagery got better, many photographers switched sides and proclaimed that going digital does have its advantages. Pictures can be previewed at once. There are no qualms about wasting film. Bad shots are easily dealt with using the very friendly delete button. In some digital cameras, there are even options to add special effects to your pictures. The market was slowly changing and soon, many camera shops were giving more shelf space to digital cameras and putting the old, analog models to pasture.
Not all camera shops were able to make the transition. In the mid-1990’s, Kodak’s number of employees dropped from an admirable 145,300 to less than 50,000. The reason behind the global lay-off was the downward spiral of film sales and the closure of many film-based operations.
Watson’s, one of the many camera and supplies stores in Hidalgo, is a product of evolution. The store has been around for 20 years already and has successfully adopted to the digital age. Although there is still the threat of mall-based suppliers, Watson’s fights back by pricing their products competitively.
Digital divide
Kameraworld Digital, one of the largest photography chains in the country, also had to deal with the shift from film to digital. Established in 1974, this brand has existed since the analog years of the camera. Back then, there was still no “digital” attached to its name.
PJ Castro, President of Kameraworld Digital, explained that their transition from analog to digital had been gradual. Inevitably, there was a need to replace old equipment since film and digital require different things.
What Kameraworld did not replace though were their employees. Instead, they were re-trained and taught how to handle digital cameras and how to print digital pictures. These days, most of their employees are graduates of computer courses. Still, Castro proudly shared that some of the “old-timers” are still working for the company.
The Internet also plays a huge part in the shift from analog to digital cameras. Back in the day, people would purchase photo albums where they could keep their developed pictures in. Nowadays, people who use digital cameras have other options. Instead of spending money on printing images, they now have Multiply, Flickr, Photobucket etc. to display their pictures. These user-generated content sites are usually free and accessible to anyone who has a computer and an internet connection. With just a few clicks, pictures are easily uploaded and available for viewing.
For now, people seem to have adjusted themselves to this digital age. However, it might not be long before another new trend comes in and renders all that is familiar obsolete. In this country where the digital divide is still largely felt, who knows how much longer the people can keep up? (abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak)
Written by Jennifer Chan
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