Photodom
The Black-owned film photography staple in Brooklyn, NY.
Written & Photographed by Michal Petros
Unlike many photographers in NYC’s talented community, I moved to the city with little photography knowledge and no photo equipment. In March 2020, I found myself quarantined in South Africa for an indefinite amount of time and I was a month into managing my one-month-old photography Instagram account. When I was finally able to book a repatriation flight back to the United States in June, I decided to move to NYC so I could pursue both my full time nonprofit career as well as my interest in photography. It was shortly after moving that I heard about the opening of a Black-owned film store off the J train in Bushwick. Fast forward to 2023, Photodom is a photography staple in Brooklyn.
Opening just three years ago as the first Black-owned film store in Brooklyn, Photodom now boasts over 25,000 happy customers. The brand demonstrates photography’s power to build, preserve and grow community. Their demographic focus is other photographers, exemplified by their Instagram bio: “Y’all respect the one who got shot, we respect the shooters.” Opening in the midst of the summer 2020 protests, the store has become a celebrated photography hub with a focus on supporting and building its local Brooklyn community through initiatives inclusive of grants and free public programming.
Located off the Chauncey train stop and on a third floor walk up, Photodom’s store reflects a wide array of inventory spanning cameras, film, apparel, darkroom supplies, books, jewelry and much more. The door is easy to miss on a first visit, but luckily Photodom stickers steer visitors in the right direction. When I first moved here, I sublet an apartment in Bushwick that was a 20 minute walk from Photodom and I quickly became a frequent customer. At 23 years old, I was less than 6 months into my photography journey, wanted to support a Black-owned camera store and had no previous exposure to film. I’ve now been supporting Photodom for three years and I love seeing my full experience as a Black photographer represented in such a warm community.
Comparing the photo I captured of the store on June 15 to the photo Field Mag captured in 2022, the store’s inventory has clearly grown and diversified in the last year. I buy, scan, and develop film at Photodom but as a customer, I also enjoy finding products marketed towards photographers. Designs in particular that are timeless with an authentic NYC feel include the Film Sweatshirt replicating the FILA logo, the Shoot Film Tote Bag replicating NYC’s infamous “Thank You” plastic bags and the Black Lives Matter Pin replicating the B&H logo.
Beyond the store, Photodom has two additional spaces in the building: a darkroom to scan and develop photos as well as a studio space for rent. The studio opened in late 2021 and I led a Black Women Photographers (BWP) meetup there in February 2022. The studio was spacious with plenty of natural light and room for 3 shooting areas. It was beautiful to see the train run by the window toward the Manhattan skyline as we blasted music through the speakers.
“Photodom became a major resource for me because it was a place where I could go and feel seen, heard and supported.”
The photographers that attended the BWP meet up could best be described as vibrant, and Photodom’s staff only elevated the energy with an incredible surprise. Dom, the owner of the store, brought us two Polaroid cameras to borrow and expired film to shoot for free. I shot on Polaroid for the first time and ended up buying a camera to take home that day. Of the 10 BWP meet ups I have led, the one at Photodom was one of the best, as it was a great opportunity to introduce more Black photographers to the services offered as well as film photography in general.
When I moved here from Eswatini in 2020, I didn’t know anything about the photography industry or where I could find resources. I didn’t even know what I was looking for. Photodom became a major resource for me because it was a place where I could go and feel seen, heard and supported. There I learned how to load film into a camera, preserve my negatives, and use a light meter from various members of the team. I’m incredibly thankful and looking back, it was a privilege to have a safe space like that so early in my photo journey.
I live in Harlem now, but I continue to grow and learn with the Photodom community. Just this past May, I attended a Polaroid Emulsion Lift Workshop they hosted at the International Center for Photography. They printed photos of our choice onto Polaroid instant film, and we essentially moved the photo (“emulsion”) from the instant film to canvas paper. Without recording moments in life, the world may never know, understand or believe that they happened. Whether it’s Polaroid or 35mm film, photos are essential to storytelling and Photodom’s space invites Black creatives to tell their own stories.
An Eritrean-American who considers the D.C. area home, Michal has lived and worked internationally. While based in Eswatini, she started her photography Instagram account and posted throughout the pandemic. Now based in New York City, Michal blogs, takes on values-aligned projects and leads NYC Meet Ups for Black Women Photographers. See more of her work on Instagram @mkpetros.jpg.