Learning with Jack
"Camera shop" is in the title of this local business, but the store offers more than just equipment - it provides classes in everything from photography to photo editing. All classes occur 2 doors east from the entrance of the camera shop.
Jack's Camera Shop Beginning Photography class
Status: full
Price: $175
Description: A class for learning the basics by receiving guidance from who the website calls, the photographers who know best.
Jack's Camera Shop Photoshop Elements 1-6
Status: TBA
Price: $40 each
Description: 6 different classes on Photoshop.
Jack's Camera Shop Street Photography
Status: TBA
Price: $60
Description: Photographer Ben Miller teaches street photography.
Source: jackscamera.com
In the midst of Mike Powell's junior year and while working full time for a camera shop, the owner of the business died. Quitting school wasn't a choice for Powell - he had to. The shop needed to survive, he said.
Long before before Powell started working at the business, on Sept. 30, 1948, the camera shop opened in Muncie. Its owner, Jack Walters, didn't have to look far for name inspiration. He called his store Jack's Camera Shop. Approximately 18 years later Powell started working at the downtown Muncie business part-time.
Powell had experimented with photography in 4-H. His hobby inspired him to work at the camera shop. At the time, Powell attended Ball State and worked another job. Eventually, he was able to adjust his class schedule to work at the store full-time.
Now, Powell’s official title is owner, but he’s more than that. He’s the human resource professional and the maintenance guy - whatever the shop needs whenever it needs it.
“I do it all. There is no typical day. I just walk in and see what flies,” he said.
In 1986, Powell moved downtown and now lives right next to the shop. He said the situation is perfect - he hates traffic. He said he wouldn’t want to live in a bigger town than Muncie. He was born here, so keeping the shop in the area always made sense. For Powell, “the area” also means downtown.
“When everyone was leaving downtown because of the mall and what not, everybody said to get out to McGalliard,” said Powell. “But I always thought downtown would come back and it finally has.”
His favorite part of the job is his customers, who Powell said are great – most of the time, anyway. He said it’s the great people, the long-term customers who keep the shop going.
Ball State students also benefit from having the shop in Muncie. Jana Lowery, a sophomore telecommunications student, went there when she was looking at cameras.
“They were really nice and very friendly,” she said. “They were also honest about what camera would work best for me.”
Powell also said the employees are the key to the store’s success.
“Good people, good long-term people,” he said. “I think the newest person has been here for 14 years. In retail that’s a long time.”
He said it also helps that there aren’t many camera shops anymore and his shop is full-service, meaning he sells photography gear, bags and even provides labs.
“We have probably the best selection of used [goods] around,” he said. “Plus we’re now on Amazon and eBay – so I don’t know where we’d be without that.”
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