For Clear Image Photo of Marysville, 2008 began with a whole new direction as the business closed the last of its five one-hour photo- and film-processing stores. Once the stores were significant mileposts of business growth and progress over the past 20 years in Snohomish County.
“The industry has changed dramatically over the past 10 years as the need for photo labs has been in decline,” said owner Joe Gogal. “It’s estimated that people now take 12 times as many photos as they did with film cameras but the number of images printed at a commercial level is miniscule. Photography is now an electronic medium.”
At its peak, Clear Image processed 800 rolls of film each day. With all but the Marysville store closed, the largest daily volume in 2007 was 50 rolls of film, he said, leading to his decision to close the photo-finishing business Dec. 24.
Gogal’s sister, Margie, who shared ownership of the business, and longtime employee Denise Wesley have left the downsized company. Daniel Jolly, vice president of operations, will continue to manage Clear Image Portrait Studio, which has operated for several years adjacent to the Marysville one-hour photo-finishing store.
It’s his 10-year-old, well-established photo studio that Gogal is now turning to for his future venture. Fortunately, the precision printing equipment that produced superior products for customers for years will continue to produce studio photos and other Clear Image products. One of the high-quality photo machines cost $180,000, Gogal said.
“Many people have been very disappointed we were closing. We took good customer service to heart and knew customers by their names. Now there are the same high standards, but we have a new focus on the studio,” he said.
Studio work is still something people can’t do at home, he said.
“We have a quality photographer, Mindy Matson, and quality equipment — including a digital camera,” Gogal said with a smile. “It takes an artist to do studio portraits, and we can still market that service. We’re looking at the midmarket people who want reasonably priced, high-quality photos of families, children or individuals.”
Working with Jolly and Matson is sales representative Linzie Dahlke, who also operates Clear Image’s photo-imaging equipment, fixing wisps of hair that are out of place or a skin blemish in portraits in the touch-up process following the studio photos.
“We’re also doing on-site photography for events, and things like sports teams, player’s trading cards and that sort of thing for baseball, basketball and soccer league or for various organizations. We’ve been doing sports teams for the last seven or eight years,” Gogal said. “For family shots, we’ll take photos in different settings as well as the studio, depending what they want.”
Quality examples of Clear Image’s work are framed and displayed on racks in the waiting room of the studio. With his equipment on premises, and a dedication to customer service, Gogal said he has a turnaround time superior to competitors.
“The latest projects we’ve been doing are church directories. Our first one was for St. Cecelia parish in Stanwood,” Gogal said. “We also do corporate events, annual reports, that sort of thing.”
For Gogal, it’s a major change but one he thinks will be good.
“Ironically, digital technology and advancements in the photo business that really pushed the one-hour photo shop out are now being applied to our studio business, so it’s created something new for us,” he said.
Photo packages offered at the studio include business portraits for annual reports, press releases and resumes, as well as passport photos or Web sites. Along with graduating senior photos, the studio is specializing in such things as “New Beginnings” packages of newborns, including wallet photos and images for birth announcements.
For more information, go online to www.clearimagephoto.com.
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