Community, Photography and Business - A Conversation with Dominick Lewis of Photodom
☆ By Sophie Gragg ☆
WITH A PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY AND BRINGING UP THE NEXT GENERATION OF ARTISTS - Dominick Lewis continues to create space and opportunity for new and experienced photographers a like. Previously running a community photography space in South Florida, Lewis returned to New York and is now ready to bring his love for community space to life again. Finding success with his online photography shop Photodom, Lewis has now translated the online store to a physical store in Bushwick, making it the only Black owned photography store in Brooklyn. In addition to gear and accessories appealing to photographers, the space also serves as an inclusive community hub for classes, workshops, events and more. Since its open in September, the shop has served as a huge step forward for the Black creative community and New York photography community alike.
Please consider donating to support the store, or reach out if you’re interested in donating any equipment or your time. Read below to learn more about the evolution of Photodom, what personal projects Lewis is more on and more.
LUNA: Photodom has evolved into a really well recognized and respected brand. can you talk about the transition from having a small online business to it becoming a well known online store with plans to open a in person shop?
LEWIS: I think it’s really cool. I’ve always thought of it of going this way. I was trying to stay mostly online just in terms of overhead and keeping things as easy as possible for me. But, I feel like having a physical space is really important as well as a means for connecting more with the community and being part of a physical space.
LUNA: In your GoFundMe you mentioned how there isn’t a Black-owned photography shop in New York, and very few in the US in general, which is really crazy.
LEWIS: Some of these places like darkrooms do exist but many of the people that use them do not feel as accepted in those spaces. I feel like it’s very important to have our own space as well and have variety.
LUNA: When you first opened up the online store did you always have plans to translate it into an in person shop and space for underrepresented creatives?
LEWIS: I definitely already had things like that in the past. When I was in 20 I opened up a photography studio in South Florida that was a community space. One of the main reasons I opened it up as a community space was because there was no public studio rental spaces down there. A lot of things in South Florida are privately owned - you couldn’t use it as your own thing. I started something like that when I was 20 and had it for a couple of months. I taught classes out of it, had memberships to the studio and community events.
LUNA: How has your passion for other creatives areas like photography and wanting to support other creatives has translated into the business side of your work?
LEWIS: I feel like it’s very important to me as a person who is not just a person who has a business but also a photographer myself. A lot of it comes from me not having the proper resources at the beginning. So a big think for me is to be able to give that back to others and make things easier for artists that are coming up. I want to help train the next generation be better than me.
LUNA: People want to buy a lot of your merchandise because they’re a lot more relatable since you’re a photographer yourself. It’s not like they’re random Urban Outfitters pieces.
LEWIS: Exactly! I love to discuss photography with people and that shows. I am a very stay at home type person but if you put me in a room with photographers I’ll talk about cameras and lenses all day. I notice that about a lot of photographers - we talk a lot when it comes to the things we love.
LUNA: It’s your passion! I also think there’s been a positive shift in the film photography community where it’s a lot more friendly and supportive rather than a bit snooty.
LEWIS: Definitely. There shouldn’t be people who are gatekeepers and trying to keep information and opportunities. They shouldn’t feel like because they did things themselves everyone else should have to. I feel like that’s very unfair and that doesn’t progress our community at all.
LUNA: Shifting back to the store, the fundraiser already reached its goal pretty quickly which is awesome. Why is important, now more than ever, to create this space?
LEWIS: Honestly doing the GoFundMe like this even a year ago wouldn’t have gotten this much traction because of COVID and the Black Lives Matter movement. I feel like it’s important now more than ever for brands to not stay silent. A lot of brands have been staying silent and also benefitting from it as well because people are buying film, they’re buying cameras and buying things to document this historic time, and by not speaking up to it it’s kinda disrespectful to the whole movement.
I feel like now more than ever it’s important to have these spaces because it’s something for us to tell our own stories and be involved in it without having to support someone who believes in the opposite. For example, where I shop for photography gear, where I’m spending thousands of dollars a year at.
LUNA: That’s a very good point too - these companies are benefitting from this movement because of the desire to document it all. What are the next steps with you for this store?
LEWIS: I’m planning on opening on September 12th. Before I launched the GoFundMe I actually already secured the space, but the GoFundMe defintiely helped me with a lot more ideas I had in mind. It kinda perfected and brought the vision I had in my mind to life. September 12th is the day that I quit working at my job a year ago so it’s gonna be a perfect reunion to that decision that I made to quit that job, even after they offered to double my salary.
LUNA: Good for you though - you’re really pursuing your passion so the money aspect doesn’t matter.
LEWIS: I know what I’m worth. I know the things that I’m able to do are worth so much more than any monetary thing. My time is priceless. Spending 40 hours a week (and more) at a job was too much of my time.
LUNA: In addition to the store you’ve been documenting a lot of the Black Lives Matter movement - is that your primary project you’re working on or are there any photo projects in the works as well?
LEWIS: Prior to the movements I was working on a project documenting the neighborhood I lived in, East Bushwick, in Brooklyn, which is a neighborhood that’s in the process of being gentrified. One of the things that I wanted to do is document it as it is now, because historically we’ll look at it 20-30 years from now and we’ll see what it was. It’s gonna change and there’s nothing I can do about it as this is gonna happen to a lot of neighborhoods. So I was photographing the neighborhood and the people. I was very inspired by another photographer who documented the same neighborhood in the 1980s Charles *** - the way he was able to photograph people in a natural element on the streets of that specific neighborhood as well as other neighborhoods in New York.
I really like to focus on the kids of the neighborhood too. I want them to see these photos when they grow up and be like “wow that’s me!”
By Dominick Lewis
LUNA: Documentation is so important. Photography can be just for fun but photography as a means of documentation is really key.
LEWIS: Exactly. Even if it’s family and friends it’s all important.
LUNA: What can consumers like myself / our following do to support young creatives and entrepreneurs like yourself?
LEWIS: I would love to see donations, not just money wise, but gear that they’re not using for classes for teaching. I’ve been getting involved with a school district and possibly getting an after school program for middle school and high schoolers where we can teach photography to them. It’s gonna require some gear for sure. Definitely donations of that sort or even donating their time as volunteers. I would love have people teach or offer their services. Any way I can get deeper into helping the community. I know a lot of people have connections that all it takes is a simple email or a message on Instagram.
LUNA: You’re always up to something and seem to really know how to keep yourself busy!
LEWIS: I don’t leave my house without a camera - I feel like it’s a sin to leave without, it’s part of who I am. It’s like a cop putting on his uniform but forgetting his gun. It’s part of my uniform everyday since I never know what’s gonna happen. It’s life or death for me with photography. If I don’t shoot on my way to work or something I still plan my weekends to walk around and shoot something.
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