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In the bricks-and-mortar world of photographic retailing, photographers arguably have just two choices: Buy what they need at a discount and get no service, or get service and pay a premium for their supplies. Yet as the go-to photo store in Los Angeles, Samy's Camera seems to let photographers have it both ways. "It's the best of both worlds," says L.A.-based editorial and advertising photographer Michael Grecco. "With most discount photo suppliers you really need to know what you want, because as a photographer you aren't going to have a relationship with them. But at Samy's you really get to know the people you're buying from, and you still get the low prices."
That balancing act may be why Samy's is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. But the devotion to the trade of owner Samy Kamienowicz has also played a part in that longevity. "I've known Samy for 20 years," says Amy Kawadler, assistant manager of of Canon's pro products group in the western U.S. "I remember the small store he had before the riots, and when that was torched he went on to build a five-store empire in just 12 years. Yet all that time he always listened to every photographer who came by his office asking for favors. He always has time for them."
Indeed, Kamienowicz has fashioned his retail empire into a full-service operation. Working out of three storefronts in the L.A. area, one in Orange County, and one in Santa Barbara, Samy's has a huge rental inventory that L.A.'s top photographers have come to rely on, as well as extensive in-house digital and conventional processing and printing services. And the company has teamed up with Marina Del Ray-based Julia Dean Photo Workshops, providing loans of professional equipment and technical assistance to 100-plus workshops annually. "Samy is always evolving," says Amy Kawadler.
"He's a true paradigm of what a photo retailer should be."
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