75 years later, Phototronics to shutter

After three quarters of a century providing photo, video and camera services to Winnetka, Phototronics is preparing to close its doors for good.

The 75-year-old business, 996 Green Bay Road, will be open for the final time on April 30.

Lab manager Toni Greetis, who has been working for Phototronics for 34 years, said the business has already stopped taking service orders.

“It’s a sad day for all of us and, I think, for the Village of Winnetka,” she said.

The evolving environment for photography, changes in the industry, and the increase in digital services reportedly are the major reasons that Phototronics is closing up shop.

“With most things going digital, everybody has a camera on their phone,” Greetis said. “So selling of cameras, developing of film, and all of that has just kind of gone by the wayside.”

Phototronics opened in 1951 and long stood at the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Elm Street. Since it opened, the shop has provided photo and camera services. Greetis said the business originally started by developing film, selling cameras and related equipment, and providing repair services for those cameras. They’ve also offered printing.

Most recent owners, Scott Dallmeyer and Keith Franson, purchased the store from Peter and Betty Skalski in 2014, and Phototronics moved to its current location two years later.

Greetis said industry changes also meant that Phototronics evolved as well in terms of what it offered customers.

“As the industry kind of changed to digital, we started providing services like digital archiving of photos, artwork, documents, and then transferring old VHS tapes (and) Beta tapes, digitizing them so they can all be played on a computer,” she said.

She added that one service that has been “pretty decent” for Phototronics has been photo restoration.

Greetis said she’s seen firsthand how the industry has evolved.

“When I first started in the early ‘90s, there were two camera stores about a block apart in Winnetka, doing a booming business of film developing and camera services,” she said. “And then, over the years as digital sort of came of age, we saw business decline.”

Close to a decade ago, Greetis said there was a film resurgence, with young people on the North Shore taking an interest in film photography, but it wasn’t enough to power Phototronics.

“There’s (artificial intelligence) that can do just about anything, so it kind of stunted our growth as a business and then just a gradual decline,” she said.

Phototronics’ customers have been upset by the news of the impending closure.

“They’re very sad,” Greetis said. “We’ve had some tearful goodbyes here.”

She said Phototronics has seen different generations of the same families come to the store, and added that it’s not just photographers, but “people from all walks of life” that have been expressing their sadness at the store’s closure.

“They’ve kind of relied on Phototronics to preserve memories, develop their photos, and take portraits,” Greetis said. “I think this town was really kind of dependent on Phototronics for a lot of the services that are now just extinct.”

Speaking personally, Greetis said her favorite part about being with Phototronics is working on people’s photos.

“I’m a born artist, and I was never much of a camera person, but I like to work in a darkroom,” she said. “Being able to make everyone’s images perfect brings me so much joy. Especially if someone brings me an old damaged photo of their great-grandparents and it’s falling apart, I can save that, and now that memory is preserved going forward for future generations.

“I’m also a history buff, so working on photos is just a passion.”

While Phototronics will be closing its brick-and-mortar location, the staff will continue to offer their services on a freelance basis.

Greetis said she will continue to provide digitizing, printing and editing going forward, while co-owner Keith Franson will provide video services.

Additionally, Phototronics is currently offering 50% off all the merchandise in the store.

Greetis said although Phototronics is no longer taking service orders, if customers still need services done, they can come to the store and the staff will connect them to the employee that will be providing that freelance work going forward.

They can also contact the staff online at Phototronics’ website.

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