Mitch O’Neil calls the digital generation the lost generation.

Not for a lack of snapshots, but rather a lack of physical photos.

“People aren’t printing their photos anymore,” O’Neil said. “They take them and put them on the computer.”

O’Neil, owner of O’Neil Photo & Frame, has been in business in the Baldwinsville area for 17 years, seven of which have been in his current location at River Mall.

“We offered the first on-site photo developing in Baldwinsville,

With the photo developing business quickly becoming a thing of the past due to digital cameras, O’Neil stays on top by offering his customers other needed services.

“We’ve always done framing. With the rise of the digital era, we needed another niche and framing has taken off,” O’Neil said. “Also, with framing we can still use creativity and offer high standards.”

O’Neil grew up in Baldwinsville and focused on photography at Baker High School. After graduating, he took photography classes in college, then traveled around before settling back in Baldwinsville.

“I had lived in a lot of big cities and I decided I wanted to move to a small town and what better place than home.”

O’Neil moved back and started his business.

“Photography is the only thing I have done since high school and college,” O’Neil said. “It has always been my calling.”

Digital vs. film

According to O’Neil, customers get a higher quality photo from 35mm film and photographic paper than from digital prints.

“You want your prints on photographic paper because the photos are crisper and film has a better look,” O’Neil said.

He also said printing photos from a digital camera is not cost effective. O’Neil can print 35mm prints with superior quality for nearly half the cost of digital prints.

“The misconception is that printing is cheaper, but the money just isn’t there for digital prints,” O’Neil said.

Although most people are using digital photography now, O’Neil projects they will return to 35mm photos for the quality.

“I’m not ready to give up photos,” he said.

O’Neil Photo & Frame offers framing, which includes artistic creativity in the presentation of a photo, matting and a variety of molds (including imports from Italy) for the frames. On the photography end, the business offers film developing for 35mm film, enlargements from film and digital file, photo restoration, passport photos and photo imprints on mugs, canvas and Christmas cards.

This past year, O’Neil acquired a new associate within his store. Marianne Miles, a local artist known for her beautiful landscapes of Baldwinsville and other Central New York areas, asked O’Neil if she could display some of her work in his store. O’Neil said Miles had been a customer for many years, so he agreed.

“Her work flies off the shelves like none other I have seen,” O’Neil said.

For more Baldwinsville news, check out the Baldwinsville Messenger.