Photographers embrace new opportunities
When a fire broke out in May of 2013, nobody knew exactly what the damages would amount to.
Property damage, inventory loss and the stresses of starting anew can be devastating to any business.
But that isn't enough to bring down the Wilsons.
Lester and Judy Wilson, of Wilson's Photography, Wilson's Formal Wear and BuzzBomb Graphics, have seen a lot of change in the last two years. From remodeling to restocking, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, like other downtown businesses owners, have had to rebuild their vocation as they dwell above the storefront.
The fire began in an upstairs area and spread quickly to other businesses located along the 200 block of East Washington Street. Stopping just short of Eli's Books, the downtown complex ultimately saw between $1 million and $1.5 million in damages.
Lester and Judy, like many others, lost a good portion of their economic strength in the fire, coming in the form of scorched inventory and smoke damage. Perhaps the most devastating effect was that of the fire-dowsing water which ran down through to the building's basement and destroyed thousands of valuable negatives -- negatives that the Wilsons were planning on utilizing during their golden years.
"One of the toughest things we had to deal with [came] when we went to pull all of our negatives from pre-studio times," Lester said. "There was so much water in the basement by the time we got to it, even though the films there were in decent containers -- everything in the basement was gone. Every bit of it was trashed.
"I wanted to save the negatives that day and wanted to sort through them," Lester continued. "Out of about 2.25 to 2.5-tons of negatives, we salvaged 2,100 pounds. We not only lost every wedding we've ever photographed, we also lost all of our family stuff."
With hard work and the support of the community, the Wilsons were able to recover several tons of inventory, some of which are still in use today, such as special cameras and large-scale printers.
Some utilities the Wilsons may not have had, if not for the fire, are now prevalent in today's shop. New heat-pumps and air conditioning, new electrical systems and fresh drywall have helped the recovery process. Lester said they exclusively used local companies for their repairs, putting an emphasis on the area's economy.
"Our regular heat pumps and the air conditioning have been very efficient and creates a nice flow in the store," Lester said. "The current light bill, through the winter and that cold section -- the savings were just incredible.
"We did our furnace work locally and used a lot of local people," Lester added. "We also did a lot of work ourselves -- our daughters, grandson, Judy and I. We had a couple friends of the family that really stepped up and beyond-helped us."
Photography equipment has been renewed as well; from camera to lighting efficiency, the Wilsons have seen a slight reduction in operating costs. Lester said their goal right now is to get "back," not necessarily "better."
"There was no fire down here," Lester said, referring to the storefront. "Everything we lost was in our home above us. There was a lot of heat and water down here, and some mold began to grow up because of the moisture. With drywall it doesn't take long for that to start.
"A lot of our old stuff is gone, but anything that was digital we can still pull up," Lester continued. "It looked bad, but it was fixable."
A banner-printing machine, capable of producing banners hundreds of feet long, is still in need of repair before it is able to be used.
Perhaps the most-crucial item that is still in need of remodeling -- their home.
Lester and Judy still aren't able to move back in to their home above the store, but hope to be able to do so before Christmas. Focusing on the store, Judy said, has been the top priority.
As the Wilsons proceed with their cleanup, they'd like to extend an invitation to come check out their seasonal specials, including a Christmas special that may help them with the cleanup process. Through the fall, with the exact start time yet to be determined, Wilson's Photography and Formal Wear will offer a 40 percent discount on tuxedo rentals when using them for wedding photography.