Camera Outfitters to close in October on 11th anniversary

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Delaney Wegiel recently asked her dad, David, to take her to Camera Outfitters the next day so she could buy her first camera.

As she stood at the counter waiting for her selection, a Sony Cybershot, to be boxed up, 10-year-old Delaney broke out into a little dance with excitement, eager to begin snapping photos of people walking into the store.

For Camera Outfitters co-owner Rena Aiken, moments like this are what she'll miss most, she said, after she announced the Market Square camera store will close its doors on Oct. 15.

"David has been a customer of ours since day one, and he was also a customer when we were down at Berry's where I sold him his first camera," Aiken said. "It was a Canon 60D."

Camera Outfitters opened on Oct. 15, 2013, after the closure of Berry's Camera Shop, formerly located at 328 Ferry St. in downtown Lafayette. Aiken said she had worked at Berry's for 26 years when the downtown store's owners decided to close its doors. After hearing an outpour of support from the community, Aiken said she decided to open a scaled-back version, offering an array of products alongside various services.

The choice to close Camera Outfitters comes at a high point, Rena said, as photo and digital service demand in the store, co-owned alongside her husband, Ross Aiken, has never been higher.

The camera-pro duo will wade into retirement, Rena said, with plans of travel and local volunteer work already being thought up between them.

But what Rena looks forward to most in retirement, she said, is spending more time with her own camera.

"I have noticed in the last year or so that the things I am responsible for here in the store have seen an increase in demand, so that meant I was spending less time with my camera, which I have a few of," Rena said. "When you're running a small business, it sort of takes over your life, and that's not a bad thing. I love my store."

Ross sympathizes with his wife, however, as he fully understands that what his she does is art, while Ross views himself more as a technician.

"I see her as a craftsman going back to the craftsman style, where you're so immersed in the process you forget about time deadlines and you're simply just working on the image until it's exactly as you want it," Ross said. "And you may never stop working on the image, but you don't do that in a business context."

Helping new and budding photographers on all levels is something Rena said she's enjoyed over the years, whether it's helping someone to see the beauty of their shot with a little editing, or spotting someone struggling to adjust their camera properly in a park.

Ross said he views the ability to pick up a camera like that of picking up a musical instrument to play: a life skill that never goes away and sticks with you forever.

"Rena is always training photographers who come in here, and she expects them to go do the performance," Ross said. "She can't get herself out of teacher mode, but the whole idea is to see your student do something that's beyond what they thought they could do."

Rena said she has always encouraged those who come in to take a class, seek advice or buy a new camera to bring their photos back for her to see. Often, she'll make a few editing suggestions to photographers, showing them the difference between darkening and lightening an image to get the picture just right.

"This is the kind of thing that some people need," she said. "I think by having somebody kind of hold their hand, then they realize that they have a really good image."

Leading up to the store's closure on Oct. 15, Rena said they anticipate having sales on their camera equipment and merchandise available. But despite working on her plans toward retirement, she won't slow down on coaching new photographers.

After picking out a case for her camera, Delaney said she plans to take photos of nature to start her new hobby, eager to go outside and begin snapping.

"Make sure you have your dad send us some of your pictures," Rena said, "so we can see, too."

Jillian Ellison is a reporter for the Journal and Courier. She can be reached via email at jellison@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @ellison_writes.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Camera Outfitters to close in October on 11th anniversary