Chuck Rubin Photographics, the legendary camera shop that began on Bardstown Road and transitioned to it’s current space on Frankfort Avenue, has been a Louisville landmark for more than three decades. It’s been a place where photographers of every generation found gear, advice, and friendship. Chuck built his shop in 1988 around a love of vintage cameras and the community that formed around them. Over the years customers became friends, students became artists, and his store became part of the city’s creative memory.

I first came as a customer while a photography student at the University of Louisville. Then, I came working long nights as a freight railroad conductor, carrying a camera on the rails and publishing photo zines on the side (NEARzine.com). Those years taught me patience and an eye for small, telling moments. When the pandemic ended my railroad career, I stepped fully into creative work, eventually serving as a creative intern at Angel’s Envy, where I deepened my skills in visual storytelling and design.

Now I carry Chuck’s legacy forward. Abandoned Cameras occupies the same space, offering carefully curated vintage and used 35mm, medium-format, and digital gear, along with film, filters, bags, and accessories. More than a shop, it’s a gathering place, somewhere to trade a DSLR for a rangefinder, discover a first film camera, or simply connect with other image makers.

Chuck liked to say he never worked a day in his life. As I take up the next chapter in this space, I understand what he meant. This is more than a business; it’s a living creative hub where film photography, memory, and community will continue to thrive.