‘A job well done’: The end of an era for K-Ellis Photocenter

At the entrance of K-Ellis Photocenter an exit sign hangs crooked — a remnant from the time a car plowed through the front door and insurance never fully covered the damage. The jerry-rigged fixture is almost fitting in the shop that is filled with fading prints, aging equipment and the quiet ticking of the clock for a business whose time is nearly up.

After 33 years in business, the photocenter will be coming to a close at the end of May.

“To tell you the truth, I’m having a hard time saying goodbye,” said shop owner Kenneth Sutton said.

Sutton began his career in photography at Ann & Hope, where he learned the ins and outs of both the photo industry and the business world. When he was laid off during company downsizing, he went on to work for another specialty photo business in Rhode Island, continuing to build his skills.

In 1991, he struck out on his own and opened K-Ellis Photocenter at 37 Faunce Corner Road in Dartmouth.

The business got off to a good start, but Sutton recalls being slightly disappointed by the quiet reception. In 1999, Sutton decided to branch out and opened up a second store in Fall River and 2000 would mark his best year yet — and a turning point.

Having spread himself thin between the two shops and with the age of digital media looming on the horizon, there was already some uncertainty where his business would be in the next couple of years. 

New technology was coming out seemingly almost everyday and Sutton needed to make quick decisions that would keep him as a competitor in the industry. And unfortunately, he would go on to make investments in technologies and services that he would later come to regret. 

At one point, the company spent over $30,000 to purchase three kiosk terminals that would allow customers to process their own photographs, similar to those that were found at pharmacy chains. However, it was soon made clear that interest in this service was not as high as previously anticipated and those seeking Sutton’s services didn’t want to do the work themselves.

Other investments, such as for photography equipment he hoped to rent out, also never took off.

“We kind of had to let our customers define what they wanted us to be,” he said.

The interest in film photography has continued to decline since the business’ peak in 2000.

Sutton said there was an increase in demand during the Covid pandemic when life seemed to slow down a bit and the younger generations became interested in the art. 

However, soon enough they were spending their disposable income on the next trending hobby.

He added he imagines after businesses like his are long gone, someone will come along with a “tremendously cool idea” to encourage people to print the thousands of photos they have on their phones.

There are still dozens of photo orders customers never returned to pick up — and never paid for. Sutton plans to make arrangements for one last chance to claim them before the shop closes.

Reflecting on the last three decades, he said it’s had its share of ups and downs, but added, “at times, it’s been an awful lot of fun.” 

He said he knew the end would come sooner or later and looking back, he believes “it’s a job well done.”

He’s begun putting feelers out to see if anyone is interested in buying, but in the meantime, it will operate business as usual until the end of May and in June he will begin to liquidate everything.

“Like anything, there’s a beginning and an end,” Sutton said. “You just can’t beat the dead horse anymore.”