BAKERSFIELD, CA – A photography shop in the fourth suite of 4300 Easton Drive is about to change ownership, once again. Henley’s Photo Inc. has been synonymous for professional photographers since it’s days as Kern’s.
Everyone of us, at some point in our lives, feels like we’re photography extraordinaires. To hold a Canon point-and-click or to focus an iPhone with 12 megapixels made us feel like royalty. Royalty worthy of artistry. But, like actual kings and queens, we’re deserving of actual tools and a resevoir of skills to help us stay on our A-game. And to whom else do we, finest folk of focal range an F-stops, go to frame our work well done, if only to discover it’s far from finished?
To the craftsman, or in this case, Henley’s Photo Inc.
Earlier in 2020, Henley’s shifted residence from downtown for the second time. Yet, it’s the current state of affairs that drives owner Jimmy Bunting to jump ship.
Certainly, the business went through financial damages during the spread of COVID-19. Only recently, have they been allowing business by way of appointment-only meetings.
However, Bunting wrote “we hope that Henley’s will continue to be a staple Bakersfield business for many more years.” The soon-to-be-former prepares to pursue a career in the medical field.
It’s another twist in the history of a shop that’s been operating since 1948, originally at Chester Avenue and 17th Street.
Throughout all the shifts of ownership, the biggest challenge has been keeping up with the rise of casual photography. Considering everyone who has an iPhone knows how to take clear pictures, what would they need Henley’s for anyway?
Henley’s exclusive sales in black-and-white film made them a memorable asset to photography. Ultimately, the people of Bakersfield generally agree that Henley’s was the go-to destination for photograph development.