John Dotson, owner of Dotson’s Photo Center on Wall Street, came to Bend in 1974. He left Eugene and a secure job at his family’s film processing business, which had more than 100 different retail accounts in the state. Dotson wanted to get out on his own and escape the rain, he said.

The Owl Pharmacy on Wall Street had a camera department and hired Dotson to manage the store. But after working there for nearly two years, Dotson knew the business wasn’t going to survive. So he set up a photography shop five doors away with one employee.

Dotson sold camera equipment and later added a film processing lab. More than 27 years later, his store is still in the same location and it’s three times the size of the original shop.