West Seattle businesses: Jefferson Square Kits Cameras closes

The Kits Cameras store at Jefferson Square has gone out of business. After a texted tip (thanks!) we went over to investigate and found a sign on the door, saying yesterday was its last day in operation.

Court documents available online indicate that its parent company has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. (We’ve sent an inquiry to corporate PR, but haven’t heard back.) As the door sign says, if you have photo prints or camera repairs you were expecting to pick up at this shop, you should instead contact Cameras West downtown, 206-628-0066.

20 Replies to "West Seattle businesses: Jefferson Square Kits Cameras closes"

  • bsmomma June 22, 2012 (4:15 pm)

    Aaawwww dang! I Loved being able to order prints on line and pick up in store. :(

  • Velo_nut June 22, 2012 (7:51 pm)

    Costco.

  • Tuesday June 22, 2012 (8:12 pm)

    I’m not surprised, really. The employees were lovely people, but the prices were pretty spendy.

  • KD June 22, 2012 (8:50 pm)

    I will REALLY MISS that place. Such polite, knowledgable staff, and a great place for us non-tech folks to go for help and have cool printing with embellishments done. Costco cannot do all that they could. The set-up is slightly more enhanced. I bought my last three cameras there. So sorry for the employees there.., this is my ‘thankyou/farewell/good job’ to them for taking care of me. Wish I could’ve said goodbye in person. (Dang corporate heads!)

  • Noelle June 22, 2012 (8:59 pm)

    that is a shame

  • cjboffoli June 22, 2012 (9:18 pm)

    This was the blacksmith and we’re all driving Model T’s now. The market organically contracts in some areas and expands in others.

  • Amy June 22, 2012 (9:28 pm)

    So bummed, I have all of my photo cards printed there.

  • Idle June 22, 2012 (10:03 pm)

    Will definitely miss the convenience of being able to get my photos printed here in W. Seattle. The quality was always great and I liked the option on matte photos with white edging.

  • nighthawk June 22, 2012 (11:45 pm)

    So wierd. I got a call today about some photos from a few weeks ago I had forgotten to pick up. They didn’t tell me they were already closed. How stupid! They just said “we are merging with our downtown store, come pick up your photos as soon as possible”. I was in the middle of something so I didn’t think to ask them what their closing date was and now to find out they are already closed and I need to pick up the photos downtown. What a pain.

    That said I”m sorry to see them go, they were great for getting photos done quickly and a decent quality, the photos labs at the drug stores in W. Seattle do not generally do a good job

  • photodeveloper June 23, 2012 (2:17 am)

    Man that is sad. you have to specially request and pay, To get your prints exposed onto actual photo paper and developed in the proper way. vs having a computer extrapolated image (run through a computer chip with half the ability to capture the light, clarity and sharpness that only actual film can) printed on cheap glossy paper that will fade in a couple of years. you have to send it to a “real” professional lab. ie 2 – 3 weeks for your prints. digital tech is great, digital photography sucks. Tribes used to believe that pictures sucked the soul out of people. Digital Photography and the CCD has sucked the soul out photography.but thats ok right? because ashton kusher can take photos of celebs at parties like a stalker and post them to his facebook where real life happens anyway. What would Ansel say about this whole “digital camera revolution” Photography is capturing a moment of time in light. digital photography is like imprisoning a moment of time in 1’s and 0’s . God help us all when we trade the idea of 1’s and 0’s for the reality of living in the light.

  • KD June 23, 2012 (9:09 am)

    Can all those reading this in our community suggest anyplace comparable to Kits services (and fun options) around our area? I’d be willing to go all the way of So. End of Burien???

  • Agen Schmitz June 23, 2012 (10:28 am)

    Yes, a camera store like this was a dinosaur waiting for its slow demise, but it filled a niche — we sent many a last-minute photo for printing and also picked up our annual Santa photos (shot at CityMouse) at Kits. The staff were always great. But the memory I will hold onto the most was a visit to print some actual film that my 5-year-old and I shot (acclimatised to instant gratification digital photography, he had trouble comprehending such a thing). When we got the photos, he was pretty amazed. And while waiting to pick them up, he discovered the collection of tripods, and now he’s always got his digital camera on his tripod, ready for a shoot.

  • CB June 23, 2012 (11:10 am)

    Bummed to see it go, but can’t say I spent more than a few dollars there over the years. Technology continues to march forward… cell phone cameras are good enough for most folks and printing has been replaced with online social media forums. Can’t say I am surprised to see it close.

  • Machel Spence June 23, 2012 (3:59 pm)

    WOW, that really sucks. I have relied on that place for quick prints for many years. Bummer!

  • cjboffoli June 23, 2012 (5:59 pm)

    photodeveloper: I’m not sure I’d co-sign the idea that the soul of photography is gone. I mean, I understand the romance and appeal of analog photography. But I happen to think that we’re living in an age of tremendous privilege when it comes to digital photography.
    .
    Gone are the days when I had to carry around dozens of rolls of film, invariably running out and having to make decisions on what I’d expend those last few frames on. And then I’d have to wait days or weeks before I could even see what I had shot.
    .
    The many hours we spent in dark rooms – dripping in chemistry – can now be spent out in the light making more images. Cameras no longer have to be relegated to the hands of only the people who can afford expensive optics. The miniaturization of digital cameras has democratized the process of photography, spreading cheap and powerful cameras to the hands of everyone, including children in the developing world and citizen journalists who monitor the activity of police departments and governments.
    .
    The fact that I can shoot images and video at the scene of breaking news in West Seattle, and transmit those images to the editor within seconds or minutes saves tremendous amounts of time and money. Or that I can shoot an image in my studio and see it a few hours later on a news website in Russia is an astounding thing.
    .
    Photography is an ever-evolving thing, just as was the movement away from making long exposures on glass plates. I think the more we can remove the expense and exclusivity of photography, the better.

  • emcat8 June 23, 2012 (6:35 pm)

    Great. I just bought a camera there a month and a half ago, and was going to take my stuff in for some printouts and some help because there are some features I’m having trouble with. Downtown isn’t really even an option… this really pisses me off that there was no warning and I bought that whole pics package, as well.

  • Km June 23, 2012 (8:25 pm)

    Sorry to see them go. The staff was great. I worked in a lab and understand the importance of quality processing! Thank you all for your fine service.

  • Bob Mullins June 27, 2012 (9:56 am)

    Sorry to see Kits Cameras go. I called 4 different locations, no answer at any of them. Moonphoto in Greenwood does film processing and digital printing. They also do giclee enlargements, scanning, and photo restorations.

  • Brittany (former store manager) July 5, 2012 (3:05 pm)

    Just wanted to let you guys know that I got transferred to the Downtown Seattle location, so anyone that is interested in working with me can find me down there!

    Thanks for the kind words, we miss you guys!

    • WSB July 5, 2012 (3:14 pm)

      Good luck, Brittany. As occasional customers for accessories, Patrick and I will miss you too. – Tracy

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