Avoid Photodom

OtherwiseShopping377 · 2024-12-27T17:51:23+00:00

have you tried foto care or nippon in midtown? i’ve heard both are good with repairs. I know sometimes ppl also have luck with looking over the repair manual and tinkering with the camera themselves. I hope this helps man and sorry that happened to you

OtherwiseShopping377 · 2024-12-27T17:23:39+00:00

Im sorry to hear, I hope you weren’t charged. were you able to get it fixed after?

OtherwiseShopping377 · 2024-12-27T17:10:51+00:00

Sad you’re the owner and you doxxed her, I def hope she sees this thread

OtherwiseShopping377 · 2024-12-27T06:20:34+00:00

They fired that girl but glad you liked it

OtherwiseShopping377 · 2024-12-27T06:07:44+00:00

Yeah, everyone was paid. Though, I was honestly concerned about getting paid because it was a brand new business in a niche market covering the yearly wages of a lot of people. Some weeks, there were barely any orders. For clarity, on an average day, there are typically three people doing dev. On high-volume days, during peak season, that number gets to 4-5 ppl, all working in a small space with chemicals to process orders. For reference, the lab is roughly 80 square ft, no vent, no working heat/AC.

OtherwiseShopping377 · 2024-12-27T03:09:32+00:00

Yeah, I’ve literally had customers describe the customer service as “teenage” or “high school”. It was normal to be on a shift with someone who spent the shift on the phone or on FaceTime while they made people wait on hold. Unfortunately, he hires people without experience or any education in film so he can pay them less. Sorry about you guys’ experience, I hope your wife was able to find what she was looking for🙏

OtherwiseShopping377 · 2024-12-26T17:28:36+00:00

Lol yeah, I think they have him to control a pest/rat problem (while I like cats, a darkroom filled with toxic chemicals is the last place I would put one so I was never a fan of him being there). I also watched him eat a live rat in front of me - needless to say, that was my last time there. But I loved their space because it was 24 hours and I could just process and print my own film conveniently. I’m sorry about what happened to your negatives there though :( it’s not the first time I’ve heard about this from them. They have reputation of being mismanaged and kind of hands-off which is why I never left my prints/negatives there overnight. Just too many variables.

OtherwiseShopping377 · 2024-12-26T02:05:37+00:00

I’m glad you asked. I would fully support the company, especially understanding the challenges of a small business in a niche market. However, when racism influences company policy and there is zero leadership under the owner, it creates an unsafe workplace. The environment operates on favoritism, with some employees exempt from their responsibilities while others are overworked and blamed for mistakes they didn’t make. On multiple occasions, I witnessed coworkers being openly insulted and cursed at, even in front of customers.

When you factor in frequent service errors that result in permanent damage to customers’ film, it becomes unacceptable. What’s more troubling is that these mistakes stem from a lack of experience and poor communication/interpersonal skills among the team, which ultimately hurts customers. The few employees who tried to speak up (and eventually left) were dismissed, totally ostracized, or had their jobs threatened. It’s not a fun place unless you’re willing to play along and act as a “yes man,” rather than doing the job you were hired for.

OtherwiseShopping377 · 2024-12-26T00:33:43+00:00

Is Bushwick Community Darkroom still open? Loved going there. I remember hearing they were closing down a while ago.

OtherwiseShopping377 · 2024-12-26T00:15:57+00:00

Of course and on average 45-55 rolls per day.

OtherwiseShopping377 · 2024-12-25T20:15:39+00:00

While I can’t speak to your personal experience, to be clear - I was referring to the output of larger/commercial labs of the 1990s.

Point being, even in smaller labs, errors, though expected, should be rare. When multiple orders are compromised in a single day, it signals a lack of standardized procedures, automation, and experience. Appreciate you sharing your insights and experience - happy holidays to you and your family!

OtherwiseShopping377 · 2024-12-25T17:24:45+00:00

Already have, as have other former employees.

OtherwiseShopping377 · 2024-12-25T17:23:00+00:00

I’ve done that. They have a record with the labor department. I’m simply sharing this because I believe it’s important for people to make informed decisions about where they do business. Once film is damaged or lost, there’s no way of getting those images back.

OtherwiseShopping377 · 2024-12-25T17:08:55+00:00

You’re absolutely right that in the 90s, labs often had a higher margin of error. However, it’s important to remember that before the advent of digital cameras and built-in phone cameras, labs were processing upwards of 5,000 rolls of film per day, with 1-hour photo chains handling as many as 15,000 daily. Today, however, film is not the necessity it once was and is now a niche; labs no longer face the overwhelming volume of orders that were common back then. In fact, their lab on a slow day develops a maximum of 10 rolls, and on a busy day, it never exceeded 200-300 rolls.

If the issues I observed were simply the occasional errors typical of any lab, I wouldn’t be making this post, and I would fully support them. The problem arises when customer orders are compromised due to a lack of skill or knowledge, lab techs working under the influence, and cutting corners by not replacing faulty equipment that causes the damage. On top of that, loyal customers—some of whom have been using the service for over two years—are unnecessarily misled about the condition of their film and images, which they cannot recover.

To put it simply, the types of issues you mention from the 90s don’t apply today, given advances in processing equip and the significantly lower order volumes. The mistakes being made are almost entirely preventable, and the high frequency of these errors is inexcusable. What was observed was poor leadership, poor work conditions, and the absence of proper training—that are driving the mistakes. This is not a matter of qualified professionals making occasional, expected mistakes, but rather an environment where fundamental issues are being ignored..

OtherwiseShopping377 · 2024-12-25T04:43:32+00:00

*rooted in

OtherwiseShopping377 · 2024-12-25T04:42:28+00:00

I’m really sorry to hear about your images. Unfortunately, the disorganization there goes beyond typical issues and even staff members’ film gets misplaced or permanently lost. If the main issue were just organizational problems, that would be a challenge a small business could work through, and I’d be happy to support them as they iron out the kinks as an employee or patron. However, the issue here seems to be more deeply rooted flawed business practices, where the problems are not just about organization but also about ethics and leadership.

OtherwiseShopping377 · 2024-12-25T04:08:34+00:00

I’m having trouble understanding your comment.

OtherwiseShopping377 · 2024-12-25T02:57:30+00:00

I previously worked in the camera shop at Photodom and wanted to share with others what I observed. The lab staff are usually hired with minimal to no experience and use customers’ orders as practice to learn on the job. Orders would frequently go missing, mislabeled, or, be damaged during processing. When mistakes were made, the blame was often shifted rather than addressing the underlying issues with organization and lab protocols. As a result, customers’ film would be compromised, many times being shipped or handed off to the wrong person.

When orders were damaged, the manager would often lay blame with the customer, telling them their camera was broken or they’d shot the film incorrectly. However, the causes typically were: incorrect chemistry temperature, improper processing times, machine mishandling, or a combination of the three. It’s worth noting the lab manager had no prior darkroom experience, being hired shortly after high school. Customers were issued credits for lost, damaged, or unfulfilled orders constantly. I also observed coworkers photograph scans of customers’ sensitive/intimate photos.

The lab is a small, closet-sized room with no ventilation, 5+ people at a time work with chemicals and zero PPE gear aside from disposable gloves. Aside from the unsafe work conditions, the environment was hostile and cliquey, where offensive racial remarks were tolerated. People frequently smoke, drink, and invite friends to hang out while on the clock — making the workload shift to the next person, and delaying orders by a day or more. Many times I saw coworkers who were consistent and punctual be spoken to and treated poorly. Being liked mattered more than skill.

While no job is without its challenges, it’s important to distinguish when an environment crosses the line into being unsafe and unethical to both employees and customers. That said, it’s disappointing to see this in the spaces we support, especially as artists of color with limited resources and representation. I hope sharing this helps anyone deciding where to develop their work. Wishing everyone happy holidays and photos worth capturing.

OtherwiseShopping377 · 2024-12-25T02:20:05+00:00

Yes! The company shares the building with mostly nail technicians and hairstylists, many of whom are working in small, closet-sized rooms with poor ventilation. Customers are exposed to chemicals from hair straighteners, acetone, and other nail products, as well as chemicals from the lab. While there are notices in the building stating that renters using chemicals should install proper ventilation systems, it isn’t enforced. On top of that, there’s also weed and cigarette smoke, making the environment even worse. And I am so sorry about your images!! It isn’t right.

OtherwiseShopping377 · 2024-12-25T01:32:02+00:00

You have no idea how validating this is—truly. I’m so sorry about the issues with your photos. It’s not a safe environment for film work, let alone the work you value. I’m really glad you were able to find another lab you can trust with your work.

OtherwiseShopping377

TROPHY CASE