Johnson Studio & Camera: More than a Business

As COVID-19 rages through the nation, small businesses ask themselves whether they can afford to shut down for months of social distancing and shelter in place orders. For Lydia Johnson, owner of the Syracuse business Johnson Studio & Camera, the choice was simple due to her natural desire to help people. She had to do whatever she could in order to support her employees and the community, who she sees as family. 

The shop’s dedication to family does not end with the Johnson name. According to Lydia, in the 60 years the store has been open, they have never fired a single employee. Johnson credits it to a “company culture of loyalty.” With this in mind, Johnson knew she had to protect her employees when COVID-19 forced all non-essential businesses to close. 

“We just decided to make the most of it and transform our business as quickly as we possibly could, by working remotely online, selling goods and services through emails and phone calls.” Johnson explained. “And I am so proud of the talented men that work for me. And I’m so happy that my father instilled that attitude in me that you can always persevere if you get creative.”

Johnson’s grandfather opened the family business over 60 years ago strictly as a photography studio. As different generations of Johnsons grew up, so did the store. After Johnson’s father took over, he expanded Johnson Studio into Johnson Studio & Camera in the late 1960s, where he sold goods in addition to studio space. When Lydia Johnson took over, she added graphic design to the store’s services, continuing the “metamorphosis” of the store.

According to Johnson, she was worried about the amount of business that Johnson Studio & Camera would receive after they closed down the physical store. However, Johnson says the Syracuse community has offered an overwhelming amount of support. From placing camera orders, to requesting Evites for virtual baby showers, to offering to lend Johnson their truck to pack up the store, customers have rallied together to keep the beloved camera shop open for business. 

“It’s truly been quite an amazing miracle, that my business is afloat, and I believe that’s because of two things” Johnson said. “We have a wonderful community, and the second part of that is, we’ve always helped people.”

The community surrounding Johnson Studio & Camera is also what originally drew employee, Dylan Suttles, to the store. After 3 ½ years, Suttles is still considered the “new guy” in the shop’s small staff, a true testament to Johnson’s loyalty to her employees. According to Suttles, he sees himself staying with Johnson Camera long term because of the “friendly and inviting” community he found within the store.

“It’s definitely nice to be a part of something more than just, you know, a business,” Suttles said.

Johnson attributes this love and dedication for her business to her parents, who Johnson described as her “mentors.” According to Johnson, the camera store was a large part of her childhood. From bumping into the showcases with her tricycle as a toddler, to working at the store over the summer as a teenager with her three siblings, she was always “immersed in photography” and the arts.

Johnson’s father was well-versed in photography and her mother in painting, which inspired Johnson and her siblings to pursue creative hobbies and jobs. When deciding whether to go to college for art or business, Johnson explained that her parents always encouraged her to do what she was passionate about. 

Johnson said, “My dad gave me some great advice to do what you love, and if you do what you love, you’ll never go hungry because you have such a passion for what you do.” 

With that, Johnson chose to follow her love of art, and graduated from SUNY Binghamton in 1997 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and illustration. After graduation, Johnson became an art teacher for several years; however, she always found herself making her way back to the camera shop every day after school. Eventually, Johnson realized that while she loved her teaching job, her true passion in life was the camera shop. Once Johnson got her “sea legs” with the business aspect of the store, her father allowed her to take over, and Johnson has never looked back.

“I made that decision, I’ve never regretted it, and the irony is, that I teach every day, I help customers every single day, and I just, I just typically teach to an older group,” Johnson said. “So instead of kindergarten through sixth graders, it’s sixth graders and beyond, you know, at my camera shop, and so I’m really, really happy that I can continue to help people.” 

Johnson’s 12-year-old daughter, Charlotte Grandy, speaks to Johnson’s dedication to the community, and explains that just by observing her mom at the camera shop, Johnson inspires her and her 13-year-old brother, Blake, to be better people. 

According to Charlotte, “She’s just showing us how to be a good person and how your actions might affect other people. I think that’s helped my brother and [me] a lot.”

Luckily, all of Johnson’s hard work and commitment to serving the community surrounding her camera shop has all paid off. Whatever happens with COVID-19, Johnson is hopeful about the future of her store because of the mutual trust and support between her and her customers. 

“It’s humbling to know that all of those occasions I’ve invested in customer relationships were not just about business, they were not just about cameras, they were not just about photographs,” Johnson said. “There is a true relationship that’s precious between so many customers.”