After five decades in the fast-changing business of photography, Foto Forum at 4834 North 7th Street in Phoenix continues to offer a vast array of products and services to the Valley of the Sun. It is never a dull moment in their shop.
On the day I stopped in to congratulate them on their upcoming anniversary, customers of all ages were coming and going. Manager Mike Balzano smiles when he talks about Foto Forum and the changes that have kept them busy throughout the years. When Mike began working in photography in 1977 for Dinon Photo, the first iteration of Foto Forum, owned by Dick Noll who had only opened it five years earlier, he probably never realized he would spend his lifetime in the industry. Watching the changes in photography through the years, he is still excited by the craft that seems to reinvent itself with each generation. He is excited about their upcoming You Tube channel offering customers new product tutorials as they celebrate their best year ever.
Time and innovations have taken their toll on independently owned photography shops throughout the country. Changes in the industry, especially with the coming of digital photography nearly obliterated the individually owned shops. When Dick Noll, the first owner of Foto Forum opened his doors in 1972, Phoenix was a very different place. Foto Forum was and still is a full-service camera store with a great reputation. Dick worked until 2013 when Foto Forum and Larmon Photo owned by David and Randy Harrar, a father and son team in Abington, Pennsylvania, bought the shop. Both Tempe Camera and Foto Forum are members of ProMaster, a company that supports independently owned shops throughout the U.S.
Mike likes to talk about “hipsters” who come into the shop, the 20 to 40 year-old age group who want a “grunge” look to their photos. He carries pre-fogged film for them. With classes available and the fact that their business was considered “essential” through Covid, the store has remained a vibrant place through the years. Stop in, shop local, and give them a nod for their longevity! Happy Anniversary Foto Forum!