After nearly four decades, Cathy Church’s Photo Centre and Gallery at Sunset House has closed its doors, prompting a deluge of heartfelt messages from the local photography community.
Church, a well-known photographer, marine biologist and environmental advocate, established the centre, based at Sunset House, in 1988.
‘A great loss’
The Compass was made aware of the closure and close-out sale last month by local photographer and associate of Church, Courtney Platt.
“It’s terribly sad,” Platt said, adding, “I always thought she would find a manager who would continue running the operations after she retired. It’s a great loss.”
He noted that he would regularly try to patronise her store. “I always preferred to purchase my big purchases [there] rather than from New York, which her prices were comparable to,” he said.
On a personal level, he said, “We had mutual respect for one another. I did get to go diving with her on rare occasions and enjoyed that as well. Her first book on underwater photography was the first book I ever bought on [that subject] back in the late ’70s.”
But, it is not just a personal disappointment to lose the store, Platt said, noting the closure is now a setback for the local photography community.
“Before Cathy opened the photo centre, the only place on island that you could buy equipment was Cayman Camera. They went out of business. After that, Cathy was the only business in town, and now we don’t have that. It leaves us buying and shipping equipment down from the States.”
Platt believes it will be hard to replace what her store offered.
“It leaves a hole for somebody to fill. It’s not an easy thing to do because it’s a huge investment. It’s too big of a risk,” Platt said.
The photo centre, specialising in underwater photography, was the cornerstone for the community, offering many local creatives a wide range of camera equipment and accessories, training and workshops.
‘It’s sad to see her go’
Another photographer, Kayla Parsons, told Compass TV she was really surprised by the closure.
“I was, like, no, that can’t be true. You know, she’s just doing a sale,” Parsons said, adding that then it was confirmed the store was actually closing. “[S]he’s the only shop that exists that sells any sort of equipment for photographers. And there’s a lot [of photographers] here in Cayman.”
The lifelong photographer said Cathy Church’s is where she bought her first camera and where she progressively upgraded her equipment over the years.
“I knew that once [the store] was gone, a lot of us, including me, would be completely at a loss for what we’re going to do because importing [equipment] is a lot of money, and if you want to get equipment, we’re going to have to go away.”
She added that Church “did a lot for Cayman, especially in the dive and underwater community. Her shop and everything she’s done is now just a memory and I’m glad I was able to experience that while it was there.”
‘Eternally grateful’
Matthew Seales, who has been taking photos for over 20 years, said, “I’ve known Cathy Church since 2004. It was just after Hurricane Ivan … I remember just being in the same space as her and seeing the operation that they were putting out. They were just starting the bigger operation of printing, doing canvas and more photography, printing services as well.”
He reflected on what Church and her store have meant to him.
“I will never forget the presence and value that someone like Cathy Church brought to Cayman, whether it was through her underwater photography and bringing the beauty of Cayman’s underwater life to life, or if it was as a photographer being 17 years old and aspiring to doing something more as a photographer and share my art to the rest of the world.”
Through the years, he would use Cathy Church’s, he said, “whether it was buying a camera, tripod, any gear or printing photos to share with my family for memories … there were no other options for young Caymanians to explore the art of digital photography, film photography, without Cathy Church’s services being there, so I’m eternally grateful to her and, honestly, on behalf of my generation of photographers, thank you, Cathy, for your services and doing what you have done for Cayman.”
Seales said there are now no options on island to purchase gear specific to his camera.
In the meantime, Seales is purchasing items online and shipping items here that he can. “We all need somewhere to call home now and we’re going to miss Cathy Church for that.”
He added, “Even as limited as my interactions may have been [with] her, the presence of someone like her being here in Cayman and knowing you had a place to go to was very comforting.”
Another option
The closure of the photo centre also was going to mean the end of image-printing services, but others are stepping into that arena, with a new graphic design and photo-printing studio coming in August.
Graphic designer Barbara Castillo told Compass TV that life has taken her more to the production side of things.
“Developing the business for me was way before [Cathy Church] decided to close …. I didn’t even know that was in their plans,” she said. “And so it was pure coincidence. But I think it’s a nice coincidence for photographers on island … So, they have another option.”
Related Videos
This is a tragedy for the whole island. Strangely nowhere have I seen a reason as to why the owner closed the shop..It was I presume a rented property and I cannot help feeling this had something to do with it. I was a regular visitor over the years, living almost opposite Sunset and I was astonished to find it closed without any notice. When questioned the Sunset staff were tight lipped about it.
One of the dive supply stores should add cameras