While not a traditional brick and mortar store, Fotodiox sells via their website and their ebay…read morestore. It was their ebay store that I stumbled onto not long ago and when I saw that they were locally-based, I called to see if I could see the items I was considering purchasing in person. I made an appointment to stop in, and made the trek up to Waukegan to meet with Calvin and Gene. With an extensive, yet compact warehouse of drop-shipped photography goods from China. From lens caps, photographer vests, strobes, muslins, camera bags, and projection screens you'll find a lot of the usual photographic knick-knacks here. I got a good deal on a set of studio strobes and a wireless remote. Calvin and Gene were both VERY helpful and knowledgeable about their products. I'll definitely be going back again for future purchases.

I purchased a pair of FotodioX Pro Led-312ds Bi-Color Led Photo Video Light Kits and I have been…read moredelighted with them and FotodioX. I really like these lighting kits, and the company has been quick to answer questions, and take care of their customers.

Wonderful and knowledgeable staff for print, photo and accessory items. Went to their new location…read moreSaturday for some new passport photos. Great services copying old VHS and camera tapes to current formats.

UPDATE: Way overdue, but was beyond satisfied with click and am collecting more items to bring to…read morethem. They did a great job of pulling stuff from ancient media, and returned it to me in an extremely well-organized package with original media and new formats. Exceeded my expectations, and I'll be back! 3/9/16 This is a preliminary rating based on today's consultation and drop-off of media. Fully expect it'll be a 5-star review when I update it after receipt of final products! After years of neglecting old pics and videos on various media, and inheriting more of the same, I finally bit the bullet and decided to start getting this stuff into a more compact usable format: 1) so I (and others) can actually see and enjoy it 2) so my kids aren't left with boxes of stuff to go through if something happens to me 3) to better ensure preservation for future generations, as my kids may very well want to just toss boxes of old media 4) before it's too late! Realized I really need to get it done before there is no way to get stuff off of this ancient media. Wanted to use a local and specialty company, not mail-in, so found this place that has only one lil Yelp review, but an informative website, and not too far from me --- and called and spoke to Nick. Based on conversation, I brought in a smallish box with a variety of media to consult with him on how to best handle. Included: - VHS C tapes - Flip Video Cam - Tons of disposable cameras, some of the underwater type, most only partially used - XD disk - Sony Media Sticks - SmartMedia disks (oooold) - 6 oooold film cameras with the film still in them, partially used (I didn't want to risk messing up the precious contents by trying to use up remainder and remove film myself) Nick patiently explained how he'd go about handling these items, and best options for output. He took plenty of time with me (but I had called ahead to see when would be a good time to allow for consulting, so you shouldn't necessarily expect this with a walk-in when he may be busy). When I apologized for being somewhat weepy (hey, these things contain precious memories from my late mom, other deceased relatives, and from my baby's earliest years!), Nick was SO kind and empathetic. Said this is not unusual; of course when people are bringing in old stuff it's usually packed with emotional memories by virtue of it being old! I also like the back-story of this company. They took a chance and put everything into this type of service after their corporate company disintegrated. This tells me they care about the specific service they are providing, and likely put great effort into doing it well. Nick said he's going to need to investigate best method for some of the media, and I appreciate this. I know mail-in labs must by nature of their business follow a scripted process, regardless of condition of media, which may not always be the best route. I'm not sure what cost will be.... but figured worth getting started before it's not doable anymore. I have boxes more to get through - including audio cassette tapes (my mom was in a band and these are probably so fragile and crispy by now!) and VHS tapes. And personally I'd rather spend more if necessary to do business with people I can see in person, who may then feel more pride and accountability, and know they'll get more business and referrals from me if it goes well --- unlikely with a mail order service. I asked Nick if he could try to provide output in some identifiable form, including descriptions when provided on the media (such as on VHS C cases), or at least names of camera/type and/or media type, and he assured me he would do this. Very much looking forward to what comes.... and hoping I've found the right place to finally help me get through the boxes of precious memories that need to be turned into updated, usable formats. Will update review after completion of project!

I have portraits of my children all by Audrey, she has captured their essence beautifully!…read moreHer work is truly Art!

Audrey has the most amazing space for taking the photos. You can easily see why she has earned all…read morethe awards she has displayed (there are so many!). From the moment I spoke to her on the phone through the pickup of our portraits, she was so kind and knowledgeable! With 3 year old twins, you never can tell if the photographer will actually get anything worthwhile - but Audrey turned the shots she took into a true work of art. The twins are OBSESSED with the portrait. We often find them starring at it with a smile on their face. Months later, they still talk about Miss Audrey and her ducks. Would absolutely recommend Wancket Studios to anyone!

Laura and Jerry were such a pleasure to work with! They made the most beautiful invitations, signs,…read moreand stationary for our June 2019 wedding. We received countless compliments from our family and friends. Their creativity and passion is evident in every detail of their work. Not only did they make us gorgeous "storybook" invitations, but they also made us custom menus, place cards, welcome signs, social media signs, and custom napkins. They can create anything you could possible need for your wedding. They are incredibly talented and take great pride in their work. I would recommend them to anyone looking for custom wedding stationary!

We used Lucky Invitations for our wedding invitations. My sister actually did all the work for it…read more It turns out that Lucky Invitations did an amazing job across the board and I am already receiving compliments on them. Thanks!

My friends and I came here a few weeks back as one of my friends was looking for a dress. I…read moretogether with the other three, were the supporting bridesmaids. Well to keep the long story short, it was the fourth place we came for the dress and we were very happy. My friend was able to say yes to her dress for her wedding in the fall of 2018. (Dress pic not posted because it personal and a surprise for everyone) Anyway the place is huge and the selection is endless. They offer brides maid dresses and prom ones as well. The staff is super helpful and they make sure you are treated well and not rushed. They listened to her vision and were uber helpful. I really enjoyed coming here. Can I get married again and pick a dress? We plan on being back to look into bridesmaids dresses. Until then .

I don't think the bulbs have ever been changed in the beds . You need to have a lot of patience to…read moreget a tan there .

Complete trash. Beds are from the 2000s. Wouldn't never go back again. Plus the lady at the front…read morecounter was extremely rude.

Rode's is one of the few professional camera stores left in Wisconsin. I think there are only…read morethree. Unlike a Big Box store that also sells refrigerators and underwear, Rode's is strictly photography. They have a very knowledgable staff that will take the effort to meet your photographic needs. They have new and used equipment, pro-level equipment, plus rental gear. Their prices are competitive with any company. Rode's has been around for literally around 115 years. It was a family business till recently when the o wner retired and sold it to some employees that had been there for at least 30 years.

So I had been visiting from out of State and I wanted a quick place to drop off and develop film…read more Prior to visiting the shop I had went to the store to pick up a USB drive as an alternative to having the scans placed onto CD's, because ideally I know could do this elsewhere at reduced costs. However, I had been overcharged with a total of nearly $50 for two rolls of film, prints and (unwanted) cd's. Sure, I can accept that costs vary from place to place but in this situation, I was told it'd be $4.90~ each to just have the rolls developed and so I was like "Yes! That sounds great.". I had mentioned specifically that I wanted scans placed onto my USB flash drive to avoid the cost of burning copies onto CD's and initially it was never brought up as an issue. I also requested to have one roll pushed during development, but the request was declined due to having the incorrect equipment (which seemed odd) so I humored the idea and just dropped off the film. The storekeeper asked if I had wanted prints and .29 cents a piece and so I went for it. At this point, he had never mentioned any additional hidden costs or fees, and told me to be here to pick up film within a few hours. So when I came back, I had arrived to two packages of prints and the storekeeper had explained that one roll of film (aside from 2 exposures) had turned out and so he didn't charge for the prints. He also mentioned that he had just "places the CD's" with the prints because that's "what they just do." And so I saw the absurd amount and paid for the film because I did not know how to react. Upon further inspection I'd discovered that I was charged for the development of the film (of course, this is expected), charged $10 for the prints that did turn out, and I was charged $10 (bad roll) and $15 (good roll) for the CD's I specifically requested not to receive. I was livid and could not believe that had just happened to me. I've decided that I'll never trust that place again with my film. The only redeeming factor for this place to even receive 2 stars was that the scans from the one roll that did turn-out ended up looking nice. I would hope that this review serves in preventing others from receiving the same treatment.

Laura took my wedding dress (almost 40 years old) and altered it for my daughter to wear to her…read morerehearsal dinner. She did the most beautiful Job! She shortened the dress, removed some of the lining that made it too full and even put new panels in the back and replaced the zipper.My daughter had 3-4 fittings and she was so caring and easy to work with. Honestly both my daughter and I wished we had brought her wedding gown to Laura instead of to the seamstress we used in Chicago! She also made a dress out of the remaining fabric for my 2 month old granddaughter to wear to the wedding. It was gorgeous! Laura is friendly, easy to work with, reasonably priced and most important an expert seamstress!

Laura is fabulous! I brought my wedding dress in a month before my wedding and she completely…read moretransformed it and made it fit perfectly. I had a huge bow in the back and she pinned it in a way that gave it so much more life. She's truly a master at her craft and I couldn't be more thankful that I found her. I brought another dress in since and she knew exactly what to do to make it fit my body perfectly. I can't thank her enough! 10/10 highly recommend!