Clarks Camera Centre St Albans: the final shutter on Hollywell Hill
As a professional photographer working in London and St Albans, Clarks Camera Centre on Hollywell Hill was more than just a shop. It was part of the rhythm of my career for many years.
Clarks Camera Centre, St Albans. The side window showing an incredible array of vintage film cameras and the famous bright green, yellow, orange and pink signes that always usually started with – BARGAIN, USED or USED BARGAIN!
Step inside and you were met with an extraordinary range. Film and digital bodies. Antique classics and modern mirrorless systems. Lighting kits, tripods, studio equipment, bags, filters and every accessory you didn’t know you needed until you saw it. It was, without exaggeration, an Aladdin’s cave for anyone serious about photography.
Over the years, I picked up various bits of kit there. Nothing dramatic. A lens here, a filter there, film for personal projects, prints developed the old-fashioned way.
Walking up Hollywell Hill, I would slow down as I approached the window. What was on display this week? A Leica, a classic Pentax, a Sony body, a beautifully worn Canon or Nikon, and more obscure brands that only true enthusiasts would recognise. Wide-angle and telephoto lenses. Specialist accessories. Second-hand treasures waiting for a new owner.
I particularly enjoyed looking at the bright green, yellow and orange stickers on the equipment in the window. Each one usually started with “BARGAIN, USED” or “USED, BARGAIN”.
What many people, myself included, didn’t fully appreciate at the time was the depth of its history.
Clarks Camera Centre had been a family-run business for nearly 60 years, trading from 1960 until its closure in January 2026 following the owner’s retirement. In an era of rapid online retail and shrinking high streets, that longevity is remarkable.
Think about what that shop witnessed. The rise and fall of film. The transition to digital. The birth of mirrorless systems. Few independent retailers survive that long. Fewer still remain relevant across such fundamental industry shifts.
For collectors, it was a paradise. Vintage film cameras sat alongside the latest digital technology. For enthusiasts of analogue photography, it felt like a sanctuary. For professionals, it was a reliable local resource. For St Albans, it was part of the town’s character.
Its closure marks more than the retirement of an owner. It signals another independent specialist disappearing from the high street.
Yes, equipment can be ordered online. Yes, prices can sometimes be lower. But you cannot replicate the experience of standing in front of a window display filled with decades of photographic history. You cannot replace the quiet inspiration that comes from being surrounded by the tools of your craft.
Shops like Clarks played an important role in shaping photographers, not just by supplying equipment, but by reinforcing a connection to the craft itself. That sense of continuity, history, and purpose influences how photographers see the world and document it. It is something that continues to inform my work today, whether I am photographing corporate leaders, professionals, or documenting events.
I will miss walking up Hollywell Hill and instinctively glancing towards that familiar window, only to find it no longer there.
Clarks Camera Centre was part of the visual fabric of St Albans. For nearly sixty years, it helped countless people capture moments, tell stories, and document life through a lens.
That legacy does not disappear when the shutters come down.
Professional photography in London and St Albans
If you’re looking for a professional photographer in London or St Albans for corporate headshots, personal branding, executive portraits, or events, you can view my portfolio or get in touch here.