Don’t Forget Your Local Camera Shops

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday, filled with way too much turkey and pumpkin pie – or maybe that was just me. I know that many of you will be hitting the stores today and throughout the weekend, looking for bargains for family and friends for the the upcoming holidays. I did Black Friday once and that was enough to convince me that there is no discount worth that kind of craziness. I will however be out on Saturday throwing some of my holiday dollars at small businesses in the area. That’s because tomorrow is Small Business Saturday.

If you live in the National Capital region and are thinking of doing some photography related shopping, skip the mega-chains tomorrow and head to a place like Ace Photo in Ashburn, VA. They have an amazing assortment of camera gear and accessories. If you can’t get to Ashburn, check out Penn Camera. They have several stores in Maryland and Virginia and have been servicing the photo community here in the area since 1953.

A big benefit to shopping one of these local camera shops is that you aren’t dealing with some seasonal hire who doesn’t know shutter speed from his aperture setting. Penn and Ace are staffed with very knowledgeable folks who are really interested in getting you the gear you need, not just making the sale.

So if you are brave enough to venture out this weekend, try avoiding the crush of the mega-stores and give your smaller businesses a try.

Related posts:

1. It’s Good to Go Local
2. Penn Camera To Close Its Doors After 59 Years
3. Camera Calibration – Camera Raw and Lightroom’s Secret Weapon for Better Looking Images
4. Don’t Forget the Plug-Ins
5. Travel Photography Tip – Don’t Forget the Signs