Watch Episode 1 here:
Watch Episode 2 here:
Watch Episode 3 here:
Watch Episode 5 here:
Watch Episode 6 here:
Gear used in this video:
Fstoppers Flashdisc:
Rode Broadcaster:
Mic Arm:
Rodecaster Pro:
GH5:
12-35mm 2.8:
Fstoppers Store:
In this video Lee Morris and Patrick Hall tell stories about their time as Ritz camera employees while the store began to struggle and eventually go bankrupt.
Watch Episode 1 here: https://youtu.be/E8fGoxm5aRY
Watch Episode 2 here: https://youtu.be/RIVulreIrHc
Watch Episode 3 here: https://youtu.be/H4BVl2teev8
As a fan of humor, these stories are great. But as an accountant, these are horrific haha
The oki, 4×6.5 prints and everything in that category paid a 5% spiff. EVERYONE was setting the books on fire to fake those numbers.
Those books were horrible. People would sit hours to make the books and the computer would crash. Luckily at our stores we had these women who would help customers with their books. It made honestly no sense for people who get paid by commission and spiffs to sit there and help someone with photo books for hours. But the company insisted everyone to sell these photo books at the detriment of your own pay.
It was crazy how they thought they could still continue to make money selling prints when people stopped printing. Just like how Kodak didn’t realize how their film line would implode, Ritz didn’t know how to change with the times.
The crazy part was when Ritz ran out of money and went bankrupt owing Nikon and Canon money and somehow convinced Nikon to join David Ritz into rebuying the stores in bankruptcy and the company survived a few more years. And right after we had to send back all the Nikon cameras to Nikon and that’s the only reason they were able to survive. If only they were as creative in bringing back customers. I don’t even know how they kept on getting lines of credit or why Nikon or Canon continued giving them cameras considering how much money we owned them but I guess they figured Best Buy wasn’t ever really focusing on selling cameras nationwide so who else would sell them.
You have to remember that at one point Ritz Camera bought out Wolf Camera and at its height had 1100 stores. And that just tells you how they mismanaged the company to go bankrupt.
I want to become best friends with Lee and Patrick, just so I can see this photo album. Jesus…
I am so hyped that you're flying your old colleague out to tell the story with you! it's going to be awesome 😀
Watch a couple episodes of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" to find your inner a-hole and release that sh!t. Plz 🙂
Blank the faces in the album, or censor it some how and then release it.
hahahahaha this was awesome
My sister got the duties of official wedding photographer for my Father's second marriage, the cake cutting shot is focused through the glass on a couple in the restaurant attached to the wedding venue. Don't drink and drive ;-D
I’ve said this before, but with a few changes, this could be the “Radio Shack Chronicles.” So much of this is familiar, although we never had the kind of “contests” that incentivized us the cook the books like that, at least not while I was there.
That Wedding album (if it does actually exist) is a piss take that no one, even you Guys, really fell for.
Cvs has all those old kiosks
Ritzpix.com
https://youtu.be/OW-x484B3Rk
That album sounds like "The Room" of Wedding Photo Albums…
I'm sure it's happening all over the US, but I worked at the most disfunctional Walmart in our region. I'm talking every single shelf system had tons of empty spaces. Endcaps were so twisted you couldn't line them up with the pins to lock them down, so they just SAT on the frame waiting to fall off at the slightest touch.
Even with this level of disinterest with product, I have NEVER seen a person ring up the wrong item to get a sale or pass a sales goal. We had sales goals, but it wasn't in a single item, it was total sales in the store.
Old lady fingers is likely due to long finger nails. My mom and grandmother both have this issue, and I think this is a likely cause.
If it restores your faith in humanity a little, I never cooked the books for a contest. And while I usually hit my goals, I never even got close to making those national rankings lists. We always assumed they were the super-crazy-busy stores.
I'm loving this series guys! I worked in a couple of large photo stores back in the 1980's and stories like these really hit home with me because I lived them myself! Keep 'em coming!
Some people should never be wedding photographers. I love my job!
RIP Mr. Ritz
I love this serie, it’s so funny ! I’m currently working in one of the last « old school » photo store in switzerland and so many things are the same here.
Thanks for the great videos. You've been an inspiration for me to open my own studio and start my very own youtube channel too. Thanks again
These are brilliant
This is gold.
Put the album on the webpage 'you are not a photographer'
If I come to PR, can I see THE wedding album?
I remember walking into their store and wanting to buy a $500 camera and the guy ignored me because the salesman was trying to sell another guy a camera. I was like wtf? and left.
Kiosks are great if you just want some quick prints , they still have their place.
New tourist attraction in Puerto Rico… rides in Lee's truck!!
OKI was the company that made the equipment to make the books. I was a store manager for Ritz in Cincinnati from 1997 to end of 2001. I was happy to get out when I did. These are great stories and they bring back a lot of memories. The stories I could tell. If you you ever want a guest, let me know. The stories never end.
So it looks like there is still a Ritz Camera with an online store. I wonder if their lawyers have contacted you yet.
Can you remake the album yourselves as a video?
Try to replicate it… Nothing shared, we still get the effect.
Old ladies often poke screens with their nails, which don't conduct properly.
Literally LOLing
Entertaining and richly educating! I've looked at this series from a business prospective, not just the obvious photographic aspect. As an investor, it behooves one to inspect the "floor culture" rather that just the books.
Sweet shirt, Patrick.
“Young man, have you seen my soul?”
Have ab episode where you Re-Create the worse photo from the album.
This is literally the best thing on YouTube right now lol!
This was so good.
Game of Thrones cliffhangers have nothing on this series…
Hahahaha!!!!! 😂😂😂 On the water!!! Different head!!!!
Wedding cake cutting photo focused on the exit sign – that's where I lost it :)))))))))))))))))))))))
lost their soul!)))