A nearly 50-year-old camera shop has changed hands as part of its next chapter in the Lehigh Valley.
Desmond Rio and Craig Kufta became the new owners of Dan’s Camera City at 1439 W. Fairmont St. in South Whitehall Township, in early July, Rio told The Morning Call.
The shop offers equipment such as cameras, lenses, tripods, flashes and microphones; classes and workshops; and services such as photography, framing, printing, archiving, repairs and restoration. Some of the changes they have planned, Rio said, included updating the store’s point-of-sale system, adding real-time product and price tracking to the website, and expanding the selection of brands.
Dan Poresky founded Dan’s Camera City in 1977 and sold it in 2003 to employees Kevin Harayda and Mike Woodland, who plan to support the new owners as needed.
“I’ve been working at Dan’s for 34 years, we bought it back in 2003 — Mike and I along with some investors — and … it was time for me to move on,” Harayda said. “I didn’t have the same energy. I didn’t have the same drive day to day after all of the changes over the years and such. So we always had a philosophy that … the staff were very important to Mike and I throughout our entire time, and we wanted to find somebody that would take into account the value of the staff.”
He added, “It was a lot of fun. It was a very enjoyable ride. The people, as I said, are the difference. No matter how you look at it, it comes down to the relationships you create with your customers, with your staff, and I think that’s what has made Dan’s successful over the nearly 50 years — just the respect that you give and that you get.”
For Woodland, the sale means not having to split attention from the FastSigns business that he and Harayda own in Williams Township, but it still feels bittersweet to say goodbye.
“Since I was 17-ish, I’ve been involved in the camera-photo industry through a whole lot of change, a whole lot of even turbulence at times as everything shifted from film cameras to digital cameras to cell phone cameras,” Woodland said. “Just a whole lot of different challenges that were really interesting, and in a lot of ways fun, to have to address and navigate and figure out and adapt, and I think Dan’s did that very well. When I started at Dan’s, it was six camera stores here in the Valley and it wasn’t too long after that — just with industry changes — that landscape really shrunk, and I’m very happy that Dan’s was able to navigate those challenges and to be able to come out a very strong organization that’s still prospering.”
Rio and Kufta own other camera stores in Michigan and Wisconsin, including CameraMall, Woodward Camera and Art’s Camera Plus.
“I’ve been in the photo industry for many years and I had been as … not really a competitor but in the trade, in the camera store trade, and certainly Dan’s Camera City was well known,” Kufta said. “It was actually somewhat of a legend in terms of its ability in a relatively small market to have just outside customer patronage and the amount of people that would come and do business with Dan.”
When asked about what he enjoys or values in these camera stores, Dio said he’s passionate about seeing people’s memories come to life.
“It is so special when you have somebody come in, they haven’t watched a video of a loved one in who knows how long? Maybe it’s been 10 or 15 years. And then we put it in a format that they can actually watch it on — might’ve been on a VHS tape before, they don’t have a VHS deck — and then we turn it into a digital format. So we put it on a flash drive or a DVD for them, and they’re able to watch that for the first time, and that’s just such a special moment. Or we restore images and it’s not uncommon for customers to come in to pick up the order and for them to cry at the counter because they’re seeing that for the first time again. It’s a really special part of the business.”
The shop is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
New Dan’s Camera City co-owner Desmond Rio stands Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in the South Whitehall Township shop. Rio and Craig Kufta, who co-own camera stores in Michigan and Wisconsin, bought the store, which was founded in 1977, from Mike Woodland and Kevin Harayda. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Cameras are for sale Tuesday, July 28, 2026, inside Dan’s Camera City in South Whitehall Township. Former co-owners Mike Woodland and Kevin Harayda have sold the store, which was founded in 1977, to Desmond Rio and Craig Kufta, who co-own camera stores in Michigan and Wisconsin. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
The framing department Tuesday, July 28, 2026, inside Dan’s Camera City in South Whitehall Township. Former co-owners Mike Woodland and Kevin Harayda have sold the store, which was founded in 1977, to Desmond Rio and Craig Kufta, who co-own camera stores in Michigan and Wisconsin. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Cameras are for sale Tuesday, July 28, 2026, inside Dan’s Camera City in South Whitehall Township. Former co-owners Mike Woodland and Kevin Harayda have sold the store, which was founded in 1977, to Desmond Rio and Craig Kufta, who co-own camera stores in Michigan and Wisconsin. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
35-mm film is sold Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at Dan’s Camera City in South Whitehall Township. Former co-owners Mike Woodland and Kevin Harayda have sold the store, which was founded in 1977, to Desmond Rio and Craig Kufta, who co-own camera stores in Michigan and Wisconsin. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
The framing department Tuesday, July 28, 2026, inside Dan’s Camera City in South Whitehall Township. Former co-owners Mike Woodland and Kevin Harayda have sold the store, which was founded in 1977, to Desmond Rio and Craig Kufta, who co-own camera stores in Michigan and Wisconsin. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Dan’s Camera City in South Whitehall Township, on Tuesday, July 28, 2026. Former co-owners Mike Woodland and Kevin Harayda have sold the store, which was founded in 1977, to Desmond Rio and Craig Kufta, who co-own camera stores in Michigan and Wisconsin. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Cameras are for sale Tuesday, July 28, 2026, inside Dan’s Camera City in South Whitehall Township. Former co-owners Mike Woodland and Kevin Harayda have sold the store, which was founded in 1977, to Desmond Rio and Craig Kufta, who co-own camera stores in Michigan and Wisconsin. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
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New Dan’s Camera City co-owner Desmond Rio stands Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in the South Whitehall Township shop. Rio and Craig Kufta, who co-own camera stores in Michigan and Wisconsin, bought the store, which was founded in 1977, from Mike Woodland and Kevin Harayda. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
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Lehigh Valley retail and restaurant news in brief
Toys R Us: A new store will open in September at the Lehigh Valley Mall in Whitehall Township.
Forman Mills: The discount retailer announced online it will relocate its Whitehall Township location from 2150 MacArthur Road to 1123 Whitehall Mall.
Decor Home Furniture & Mattresses: The store announced a closing sale in early July at the Palmer Park Mall in Palmer Township. It opened in June 2022.
Dolly’s Boutique & Studio: The formal wear store will hold its last day on Aug. 30 at 2495 Freemansburg Ave. in Wilson. Dolly’s Dressing Room will continue to operate at Promenade Saucon Valley in Upper Saucon Township.
New pizza restaurant opens
Hot Spot Pizza Shop announced online it would host a grand opening and ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. Saturday at 200 Main St. in Tatamy.
Co-owner Andrea Perez Cruz told The Morning Call the menu would include pizza, calzones, stromboli, wings, pepperoni rolls, fries, fried calamari, chicken fingers, onion rings, garlic knots, pierogies, sandwiches, salads and pasta.
She owns the restaurant alongside her husband Hector Perez Cruz and his friend Alex Flores.
“They’ve actually been in the pizza and Italian restaurant business since they were allowed to work, so it’s their dream and I’m helping them fulfill it,” Andrea said, adding that she liked the chance to work with family.
The property previously hosted Tony’s Pizza and Restaurant and Leo’s Pizza.
In other news
Promenade Saucon Valley announced it would permanently shut off its pop-jet fountain at the shopping center’s Town Square in Upper Saucon Township, as the mechanics behind the water feature “have reached the end of their useful life.” The fountains’ shutoff, the center said, will make way “for a reimagined Town Square that reflects the evolving needs of our community and continues to provide a welcoming place for guests to gather and connect.”
Retail Watch is a weekly column covering retail and restaurant news in the Lehigh Valley. Have a question, tip, or want to see something in the area? Contact retail reporter Graysen Golter at retailwatch@mcall.com. Sign up for our weekly Retail Watch newsletter at mcall.com/retailwatchsignup.