Every bride’s too.
In the process of downloading photos, your wedding photographer has, somehow, lost every last one of them.
Zero.
That’s where Echuca Camera House’s Chris Norman comes in.
He’s the one ready behind the counter, bracing himself for a flurry of shaking hands, wild eyes and empty SD cards bursting through the front door.
“I’ve done a lot of photo recoveries,” he laughed.
“A lady did a wedding once and lost all the photos when the card went a bit iffy.
“But thankfully we managed to save it and she was extremely relieved. Sadly it doesn’t always work, probably about eight out of 10.
“Like if the card is formatted, forget it.”
Thankfully, that’s just one (more stressful) part of a job Chris has come to love throughout the 12 years he’s headed up Echuca Camera House.
The local camera shop has been part of the Echuca fabric before he can remember.
Chris’ daughter Kylie started helping out at the shop when she was 14, working officially for three.
While staff member and store stalwart Trista Wallace has been around for 21 years.
“Trista’s been here for so long, she’s the one who really has the smarts. What she doesn’t know is stuff-all,” Chris said.
Throughout the years, the team has watched as the evolution of tech changed their business.
Back when Chris started, printing photos was all the rage.
Now, it’s a rarity.
“Now everything is on phones or digital and we might print off a few here and there,” he said.
“But it’s not an issue for us to keep up. We know if we don’t step up, we’ll lose track. So every day we’re learning something new.”
The store provides everything from passport photos and poster printing to camera services and cleans.
They can also convert old VHS recordings or 8mm films to DVD or USB.
Plus the team sells a pristine range of Nikon, Canon and Olympus cameras.
“If we haven’t got it, we can virtually get it in for you the next day,” Chris said.
But for Chris, the highlight of job is the long-standing relationships with faithful customers.
Who he’s worked with through all the major milestones.
“I’ve seen photos of the trips - almost feel like I’ve gone on them too. I’ve seen pics of the kids when they’re young then watched them grow up and get married and have their own kids,” he said.
“It’s a real honour.
“And it’s this personal, high quality customer service which keeps people coming back.”
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