A well-known photography shop in the heart of Paceville will be closing its shutters for the final time on Saturday after 25 years in the business. 

Fotoclassic opened its doors in the mid-1990s, a time when digital cameras had yet to truly hit Malta.

Equipped with a lab and studio, Fotoclassic’s services in Elija Zammit Street included shooting, developing, and printing photos; a one-stop shop for everything photo-related.

Without having a camera handy in the 1990s, people would often call upon the shop to send one of their photographers for a variety of occasions, Robert Camilleri told Times of Malta.

“People called you for anything and everything to take a photo,” said Robert, younger brother to Stephen and Peter Paul.

But as the digital revolution made its way to local shores, it was clear to the three brothers that a challenge lay ahead.

“You could tell that, eventually, people are not going to need us. It was new to us, but we were willing to take on the digital revolution.”

As digital cameras – and eventually smartphones – became household items, the Camilleri brothers were able to see the photography world shift from one trend to the next.

“Technology changes faster than you can keep up,” said Peter Paul, the eldest of the three.

Where people once needed a photographer as they lacked the knowledge of film, families quickly began buying easy-to-use point-and-click cameras, eliminating the everyday need for photographer services.

But while the rise of smartphones only made the daily need for photographers scarcer, people still wanted a professional hand capturing special occasions, such as weddings.

“Any photographer worth their salt will get the shot,” Robert said, emphasising that a photographer’s pressure has increased now that everyone has become an amateur picture taker.

As the public’s desire for a photographer dipped, Robert began to shift into commercial photography while still using the shop’s studio when needed.

Although the shift to digital did not affect the shop’s printing demand as people still wanted their holiday pictures framed, the number of photos people were printing dipped.

Equipped with a lab and studio, Fotoclassic was a one-stop shop for everything photo-related. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

In an era of film, people would need to hand in a full roll of film – a standard 35mm film allowed 36 photos – to be printed.

Since film cameras do not allow photos to be reviewed once they have been taken, this would mean many photos would be out of focus, have bad composition, be too bright, too dark or have some other visual issue.

“From a whole film, sometimes, you would only get two photos,” Peter Paul said.

Now that people can view their photos with their digital cameras, they only select the best photos they want printed before heading to Fotoclassic.

Yet, business was never an issue for the shop, the brothers said.

Apart from expanding the business to a wider variety of printing services, like large-format printing, the brothers have also seen a wave of nostalgia hit younger generations, bringing back the film itch.

Polaroid and film are back in popularity, Robert said, as retro trends hit media mediums like vinyl’s recent rise for music lovers.

Peter Paul explained that printing film photos brought many quirky moments.

Film camera in hand, customers would come to the shop asking to print photos they took on their holiday. After opening the camera up, it would not be the first time Peter Paul would find an empty film holder, the client unaware they had just taken 36 non-existent photos.

'There comes a time when you have to move on'

On the shop’s closure, the brothers explained that business was not the main issue.

“There’s nobody left in our area, and there is going to be a lot of unhappy people next week,” Robert said, as their services as a general printing shop will be missed.

Fotoclassic is not closing due to a lack of business, the photographer clarified, but rather because the family’s priorities have shifted away from the shop.

“We have enjoyed our time here and it was a wonderful experience. We have come across many different characters,” Peter Paul echoed.

“I will miss it, but there comes a time when you have to move on.”

Among those paying tribute to the Camilleri brothers was leading horticulturist and author Peter Calamatta who wrote on Facebook: “The Fotoclassic premises were my second home. A place where I emptied all my sorrows and flaunted my achievements.”