Back in March I wrote about my debacle with Lee’s Art Shop - and I promised an update after trying out the guy in Brooklyn Heights I’d found on Google.

Well, I’ve had three pictures framed by the guy that runs Daphne Art & Custom Framing, and I plan to use him for every framing project in the future. He’s been extremely helpful and professional, and even waived the extra fee for expediting my most recent order as I came back to him a second time - very generous.

As it turned out, he fitted exactly the same frame, backing, and glass as Lee’s - for half the cost.

154 Montague St
Brooklyn, NY 11201-3535
Phone: (718) 643-0229

I’ve taken up photography as some of you will already know, and I’m having a whale of a time with it - very enjoyable. About a month ago I ventured out on my own and spent the day walking from the High Street/Brooklyn Bridge subway stop to midtown Manhattan, leisurely taking shots. I took a couple of hundred photos and whittled them down to about 20 - one of which I really liked; it was one I took early on, right on the Brooklyn Bridge.I decided to use the guys at Shutterfly.com to enlarge the photo, and I chose their largest option, 20″x30″. I got it delivered today, and my god, it looks superb. Very happy indeed… that was until I chose my vendor of choice to frame the print: Lee’s Art Shop.

I’d done some research on Manhattan-based custom photo framing establishments, and this place came up in the top 3 results every time. So without further ado, I finished up at the office at around 6pm and took a stroll over to 57th Street and Broadway to see what they’ve got for me. I arrive - the place is huge inside. I was directed very politely upstairs, all was good. I approached the framing people and explained exactly what I wanted, and was assisted by a lady that asked the right questions, didn’t try to “up sell”, and I felt very positive.

I knew it was going to be expensive (as I’d chosen the best wood, the thickest depth, the best quality UV protected glass), so when it rang up at $400 I wasn’t surprised - and to boot, she gave me 10% off - I’m assuming as I’d told her I was likely to return as I had plans on framing more photographs as I was an amateur photographer. This was a very good experience thus far. She proceeded to tell me that their framing was of top quality and if there was any damage or imperfections when I came to pick it up (around two weeks), then they would fix whatever problem there was. I politely asked where that “fix whatever problem” promise was in writing, and that’s where the fun began.

I’ll make this as brief as possible.

I asked if I could see some kind of store policy that guaranteed their work, any warranty information, any firm guarantee in writing that covered their work in case the framing was botched when I picked it up, or if the frame fell apart when hung - you know, the usual stuff you’d ask if you paid $400 on anything. Basically I was told that they didn’t have this in writing, and they deal with their customers in this capacity based upon… wait for it… faith. FAITH?They expected me to lay out $400, UP FRONT, and base any guarantee on a verbal promise alone. Not bloody likely. I explained to the [very polite] lady that as a customer about to drop $400 on their services, I expected to see something in writing - a notice on the wall of sorts, a return policy (which I know every business MUST have publicly displayed by law if they are to honor legally such a policy - which is why I always ask), anything - and she turned to her coworkers for advice - they concurred with her initial response to me - it was a nay.

Then the manager walked over… for the sake of this story, I’ll call him Dick. Fat, Brooklyn Italian, belligerent, seriously lacking in the customer service department, and full-on arrogant. I asked him (and in the same polite way I’d always asked until this point) the same questions pertaining their guarantee, return policy, etcetera. His response was classic. “We have never had a written guarantee on anything, our customers take our word for the work we do, I do not know what you want.” I asked again, succinctly, “where do you have a copy of your guarantee, a store policy on returns, for example?”. Again, Dick responded with something I didn’t even ask, “why would you want me to sign a guarantee for something that hasn’t even been custom built yet?” Finally, after much back and forth with this Darwin nominee I said, “Dick, I’m about to pay you [up front] $400 for a service you cannot, and evidently refuse to guarantee, so I’ll take my business elsewhere.”  I won’t go into the tirade that I went into in commenting on his unprofessional bias, nor his blatant lack of my “the customer is always right” retort because it’s ugly and unnecessary, but it’s safe to say I wasn’t polite anymore at that point.  I rolled up my photo, placed it back into the cylindrical packaging, and told Dick that he was lucky to have not had this shoved up his fat arse, and how I was amazed that he did any [legit] business.

This shit makes my blood boil.

Dick the wanker lost out on a lot of potential repeat business, and I could have quite likely have been a multi-thousand-dollar client - I’m shocked to have encountered an unprofessional business owner that communicated in such a manner that was clearly less than above board.

I’m taking my photo to a guy in Brooklyn Heights tomorrow.   Already called ahead to establish his business provides a guarantee for their work. I’ll keep you posted.

About 3 months ago I upgraded my camera from my Cannon point-and-shoot to a Nikon D40X (10.2MP) Digital SLR. To be honest, I was Hoke Colburn with a Porsche. The good pictures I did manage to take were out of sheer luck - the kind of luck that warrants the obligatory “ooh yeah baby!”.

Fortunately, I wanted to take my sub-par photography prowess to the next level and decided recently to register with the New York Institute of Photography. Maybe they could help me understand the difference between an f/stop and depth of field, or how to understand what aperture means. I’m a couple of weeks into the course, and I love it. I’m learning more on light, framing, focal length, and various other aspects that I feel are already beginning to improve my shooting.

The course encourages all students to start their own photography website - a place to post their work. Last week I registered www.davidkerryhannan.com in preparation for displaying some of my photographs. I think I’ll wait until such time when I’m not mentally crossing my fingers when hitting the shutter release any longer.

This photography thing is very fun.