31-year-old raised $40,000 on GoFundMe to open one of few Black-owned camera stores in NYC—it brought in over $1 million last year

Lewis took some time off to figure out what exactly he wanted to do next. In 2017, he started a photography brand and online store called “Photodom.shop.” He sold gear for photographers and merchandise that he designed himself.

“I taught myself how to make T-shirts in a little storage unit in South Florida that me and my brother were renting. I realized the brand needed to be in a bigger market, so I decided to move back to New York,” he says.

As a child, Lewis lived in New York but spent a lot of time Florida. When he dropped out of college, he went back to the Big Apple for a bit before officially moving himself and the business back there in 2018.

In New York, Lewis lived with his grandmother while he worked to grow Photodom. At the time, Lewis was selling customized merchandise and organizing “photo walks” and get–togethers with other photographers.

At the beginning of 2020, Lewis’ bedroom was overrun with production materials, so he decided it was time to sign a lease for a proper studio. That February, he secured his first studio space in Brooklyn and because the pandemic forced so many film labs to close, people turned to Lewis to develop their own film. He started taking online orders and expanding his services.

When protests against George Floyd’s murder began across New York City later that year, Lewis felt it was vital for him to document this historic moment.

“I took my spare time to go to a lot of the protests. One of the things I definitely noticed was that there was a lack of support from the businesses that were directly benefiting from the George Floyd protests,” Lewis says. “I felt that starting something at that time, especially a physical camera store, could have been very impactful for the community.”

That summer, Lewis signed a lease for a second space in the same building that housed his studio. Around the same time, he launched a GoFundMe to help open the storefront. His initial goal was $25,000, but he raised almost $40,000 within a few days, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.

“A lot of people were supportive of the efforts to make something that was black-owned and very personal to the community that we served,” he says. “I knew the GoFundMe would be something that could help make the space feel more personal. I was shocked because I didn’t think that many people knew about what I was doing.”

Lewis used the money from the GoFundMe to purchase inventory for the store and hire some employees. The brick-and-mortar location of Photodom officially opened in September 2020.

“My vision for the store was definitely to make it a one stop shop for photographers, especially analog photographers,” Lewis says. “I wanted a space that carried a lot of different things. I always envision Photodom as an institution. A place that is very necessary for all purposes around it.”

The GoFundMe fundraiser introduced Lewis to other photography fans who were willing to donate their time and inventory to the store.

By the end of 2021, a little over a year after opening, the camera store brought in $726,910 in total sales, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.

At the time, Lewis was paying himself about $50,000 a year and had five employees.

“It felt really good because I was able to find my own apartment and move out of my grandma’s house. That was a big change for me; [I was] able to have a different lifestyle than what I was used to before,” Lewis says.

It’s now been almost five years since Lewis opened his storefront and he says Brooklyn has embraced the business because it offers services that are hard to come by — like passport photos, for example.

“The neighborhood loves us being here. People can feel comfortable going to and asking any type of questions that they want about cameras and photography,” Lewis says.

“Being one of the only black owned camera stores is a big responsibility. I feel like it’s a very important thing to have this belonging because in the past, it could mean violence if you went to a space that was not meant for you,” he adds.

Recently, Photodom moved into a larger space and expanded its offerings to include classes and workshops.

The business increased its total sales from over $700,000 in 2021 to $1,096,319 in 2023. By 2024, the total sales increased to $1,146,737. Lewis has been able to increase his staff to 10 employees and his yearly salary to $97,000.

Photodom is going into its fifth year, and in that time, Lewis has seen his business go from selling merchandise out of his grandmother’s house to designing his own camera and creating more of his own products.

Next, Lewis wants to install a dark room in the store. He also hopes to open a second location in Harlem or in the South Bronx.