Photodom, a Black-Owned Film Shop, Relocates to Bushwick
On a sunny July morning, a lively crowd gathered in Bushwick to celebrate the grand “re-opening” of Photodom’s new storefront. Surrounded by family, friends, and loyal customers capturing the moment on everything from smartphones to vintage film cameras to Polaroids — and joined by the ever-cheerful Film Buddy mascot — founder Dominick Lewis, holding his toddler daughter, cut the ribbon on the beloved Black-owned film and photography shop’s first ground-level location at 1717 Broadway.
Throughout the day, visitors streamed through the bright and colorful 1,600-square-foot space, browsing gear, merch, and rentals. A retro claw machine filled with plush toys, film rolls, and cameras drew a crowd. “It’s actually my birthday!” said portrait photographer Den Alexander, who was trying to win a Film Buddy plushie. “I thought it’d be cool to check out all the merch and see everything laid out in person in a big space.”
Lewis, eyes gleaming, soaked in the moment. “I just can’t believe we can fit this many people at the store at once,” he told Hyperallergic.
Founded in 2014 as a tribute to film culture, Photodom took physical form in 2020 after Lewis raised over $35,000 through a GoFundMe campaign. The original third-floor, 400-square-foot walk-up in a 1917 Bushwick building housed a small shop, lab, studio, and creative workspace. Now, backed by a 10-year lease, Photodom has moved to a more visible location.
“I feel like it legitimizes us even further,” Lewis said. “Having a retail storefront on the ground floor makes us more accessible to everyone, especially those who couldn’t make it up three flights of stairs in our old space.”
The build-out process, which had been in the making for over a year, came with its share of hurdles.
“There wasn’t a way to avoid the 145% tariff,” Lewis said, referencing Trump’s initial tariff rates on Chinese imports. A week later, he got some relief when shipping fees dropped by 10% due to China’s tariff adjustments.
The store’s opening was also delayed by cargo ship schedules. Photodom’s order left China on May 22 and arrived in New York a month later. Once docked, Lewis had to coordinate transloading the goods into smaller trucks — a first-time experience that required two separate trips due to the volume of inventory.
Beyond retail, Photodom has become a hub for creative education. The store regularly hosts workshops led by both Photodom staff and guest instructors, including the four-part program Through Each Process: Learn to Develop Your Own Film and A.A. – Artists Anonymous, an ongoing series of photography critique nights hosted by photo editor Wendy Correa. Its ongoing artist residency program, which hosts two artists each month, provides residents with access to all of these services for their use, creating space for experimentation, collaboration, and skill-sharing among emerging photographers.
The newly designed space features a studio, a gallery-ready layout, and a full-service lab open seven days a week for developing 35mm, 120, and APS film. Photodom also offers a comprehensive range of services, including camera rentals, film processing, and inkjet printing.
For Alexander, a regular for the last five years, the shop’s standout feature is its unique in-house film. “I like to buy film when I drop off film, and the selection just ain’t there at other spots,” he told Hyperallergic. “Photodom has its own brand. I really like their ‘Blue Dream,’ which has blue hues all over it, and I just got their newest film, ‘Super Nova.’”
“They experiment,” Alexander continued. “It’s not just that standard Kodak, clean and crisp — you get some variation.”
That deep customer loyalty is reflected not just in repeat visits, but in the crowds Photodom draws at its flagship events. An annual yard sale gathered over 2,000 attendees in 2023, wrapping around the block. The World Photo Day Photo Walk challenges participants to cross all three East River bridges in one day. And in 2025, its Juneteenth Photo Walk with I Am CaribBEING guided photographers through Little Caribbean in Flatbush, ending in a lively mixer at Miss Barb’s.
Jean-Andre Antoine, an analog street photographer spotted on opening day with a sleek Ricoh, summed up what Photodom means to many: “As a camera lover, I’m so happy that Dom is here. When I need something specific, like a piece of equipment you’d normally have to trek to the city for, or a last-minute roll of film, Dom usually has it. It’s good to have them around.”