Business
Business

Remember the Wolf Camera guy? He’s back with a new cause

By Matt Kempner
Sept 17, 2015

Chuck Wolf wants to get his hands on a few of those bazillions of photos you’ve lost track of on your phone.

More than a decade after his Atlanta-based photo empire, Wolf Camera, filed for bankruptcy protection, the 73-year-old Wolf has launched what he calls his "last hoorah." He's convinced a little Buckhead shop he has opened can outmaneuver giants like Walmart and Shutterfly to help you do something with at least some of your digital photos and old snapshots.

Find out what he has in mind and how our relationship with images has changed in Matt Kempner's latest Unofficial Business column on myAJC.com.

980501 - ATLANTA, GA -- Chuck Wolf, owner of Wolf Camera poses for the camera, May 1, 1998, in a training room that's set up like a store in their new headquarters. Wolf Camera is experiencing dramatic growth due to acquisitions and national expansion. Company currently has about 300 stores and recently moved to new headquarters that could handle up to 1000 stores. New headquarters represent a significant investment for the company. (RICHARD FOWLKES/AJC staff)
icon to expand image

Back in the day,  Chuck Wolf built Atlanta-based Wolf Camera into one of the nation’s biggest specialty camera and photo chains with 700 stores. Here’s how he looked in 1998, three years before his empire crumbled. RICHARD FOWLKES/AJC

About the Author

Matt Kempner is an award-winning journalist who seeks out intriguing twists about people and subjects beyond what the AJC might typically cover. A former columnist and editor, his past assignments have included business investigations, energy, the economy, entrepreneurs, big business, consumer spending, politics, government and the environment.

Follow Matt Kempner on facebookFollow Matt Kempner on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

John and Barbara Spence Orsolits pose in their porch on Thursday, March 13, 2025. Both Delta retirees, they are concerned about the economy and have decided to cut back on their planned trips in the coming years. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

‘Waiting and seeing.’ Georgians putting off purchases amid wild economic swings

Georgia consumers are unnerved by plummeting stock prices, a trade war, job cuts, inflation and growing fears of recession and their shrinking retirement account balances.

New site being studied for restaurants next to Mercedes-Benz Stadium

A development with a collection of restaurants is envisioned between Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Georgia World Congress Center.

DATA SURGE

Data Center Alley has lessons to teach. Is metro Atlanta listening?

Northern Virginia has spent more than a decade unchallenged as the country’s top data center market. But Atlanta has recently risen as a contender.

The Latest

A development with a collection of restaurants and other tenants is envisioned in what is currently a grassy area with concrete walkways called International Plaza. (John Spink/AJC 2023)

Credit: John Spink/AJC

New site being studied for restaurants next to Mercedes-Benz Stadium

DATA SURGE

Data Center Alley has lessons to teach. Is metro Atlanta listening?

Are you a scrappy business or developer? This $50M campaign is here to help.

Featured

Bumper to bumper traffic travels northbound on the I-85 just past the I-285 overpass, also known as Spaghetti Junction, in Doraville. In late May and June of this year, several drivers have pulled out weapons and fired guns at other motorists on metro Atlanta roadways. (Jason Getz/AJC 2023)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Metro Atlanta road rage: Routine drives can quickly turn violent, experts say

‘Power mad’: Why a far-right Georgia GOP faction is splintering

Defections from a far-right faction within the Georgia's Republican Party show it is losing influence in state politics.

Jake Paul’s $39 million Georgia property is fit for a ‘big kid,’ broker says

Social media influencer and professional boxer Jake Paul said much of the $39 million he paid to buy a massive South Georgia property in April came from fighting Mike Tyson