A few pieces of lumber, some cardboard, a dozen tubes of glue, a couple rolls of tape and a pile of screws wouldn't typically attract much attention, but when cobbled together into a giant camera, people tend to notice.
J.P. Westenskow of Tucson's Photographic Works and ArtsEye Gallery built the working pinhole camera for an exhibit 18 months ago and it's still making the rounds at special events, including one coming up Sept. 6 at La Encantada.
"The idea was just to build a prop, but I wanted it to last," Westenskow said. "About halfway through I figured out it wouldn't take that much work to make it a working camera."
It is now the centerpiece of the gallery's annual Curious Camera show.
"At the Curious Camera event people shoot with pinhole cameras and plastic cameras and vintage cameras. Pretty much every camera besides the modern digital camera," said Mary Findysz, owner of Photographic Works.
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The midtown business at 3550 E. Grant Road also hosted a "Phone-ography" exhibit of pictures taken will cellphones.
"People shoot some of the most amazing things with their cellphones, but they never print them," Findysz said.
Entries were submitted from all over the world. That show was a chance, too, for the shop to showcase its custom printing services.
It's that embracing technology while honoring old-school photography that keeps Photographic Works relevant in an ever-advancing industry.
"I read everything I can on every different kind of photographic process - old ones, new ones, up-and-coming ones - to see what's coming ahead and also are there some alternative processes from the past we haven't explored. We are constantly testing and trying new things," said Findysz, who opened her business 25 years ago. The gallery has been open for five years.
A willingness to try new things and keep abreast of technology is the key.
"Independent retailers are constantly reinventing themselves and changing with technology to stay relevant," said Erin von Holdt, spokeswoman for Independent Photo Imagers, a trade organization based in Henderson, Nev.
"It's a mix of things that keep small independent photo stores like Photographic Works succeeding: unique product offerings, customer service excellence, consumer education and plenty of technology.
"Many independents focus on selling creative photo products and services that consumers can't get elsewhere. For example, many Independent Photo Imagers members are selling things like photos printed on metal or iPhone cases with images. Consumers want unique designer-style products rather than only 4-by-6 prints. In addition, photo services such as image archiving and video reproduction are also popular, especially among the baby-boomer generation," von Holdt said.
To that end, Photographic Works has gone through several transitions during the 20 years production manager Steve Kaiser has worked for the company.
What used to be Findysz's photo studio space has been converted to the digital production center, he pointed out during a tour. Though digital photos are outpacing analog - or film - processing, the company still sells film and offers processing, color printing and darkroom printing of black and white photos. Beyond photography, the company works with artists to reproduce original works through a printing method called giclee. The pigmented inks can be used on canvas, watercolor paper, premium paper and other surfaces.
Photographic Works also provides scanning services, laser printing, restoration of vintage photos and framing, while still selling cameras, film and darkroom supplies.
"In every industry a lot of small businesses are closing because they have a hard time competing in the market place. Camera shops had a hard time anyway because their margins are so low. It's a tough, tough business," Findysz said.
"Photographic Works, I've always tried to keep it a little different than any other place. I created my own sort of niche and we kind of cater to everybody, but we try to do some very unique things as well. I don't think business has been easy for anybody for the last five, six years. It's been tough and it's just been to the point of rolling up your sleeves and thinking, 'What can I do to be different, but still enjoy being in business.'
"I've been doing this a long time and I never lose the enthusiasm for it," she said.
ABOUT THE HOLGA
The camera - 20 times the size of the original plastic model - stands 6 1/2 feet tall, 9 1/2 feet wide and 5 1/2 feet thick, and weighs in at around 200 pounds. It's so large, it has to be hauled in a horse trailer.
"As far as I know, it's the biggest Holga in the world," said creator J.P. Westenskow.
The camera has a working shutter lever and a film-advance dial, but that's just for show. Because of the large format, Westenskow bypasses the film and loads his Holga with sheets of 30-by-30-inch photographic paper. Each exposure takes a minute or two.
Westenskow's camera is proportional to the original and so authentic, even the light seeping into it is true to the Holga experience.
The Holga was designed in China more than 30 years ago by T. M. Lee, to provide an inexpensive camera for working-class Chinese. It used black-and-white 120 roll film. Within a few years, the Holga became popular in foreign markets as well, not because it was a superior camera, but because of its quirks. It lacked precision and light leaked into the housing, which added surrealistic and impressionistic qualities to the photos.
"We love the Holga. It's a quirky little camera. It has a big following. It's this little plastic piece of magic," Westenskow said.
The camera can be rented by the day for special events.
For more information about the camera, contact Photographic Works at 327-7291 and www.photographicworks.com.
Contact ArtsEye Gallery at 325-0260 and www.artseye.com
If you go
The giant Holga pinhole camera from Photographic Works will be on display and taking photos at La Encantada during the upcoming Fashion's Night Out.
The free outdoor fashion show runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 6 at the shopping center, 2905 E. Skyline Drive.
For more information, go to www.laencantadashoppingcenter.com or call 615-2561.
Contact reporter Kimberly Matas at kmatas@azstarnet.com or at 573-4191.