MEET OUR TEAM

JIM WILSON

Jim Wilson is a lifelong resident of Milford. He graduated from Milford High School and then attended Southern Connecticut State University. While in high school, he got a summer job working at Milford Camera -- this part-time job turned into a lifelong career in the photo industry. He worked for 24 years at Milford Camera eventually becoming general manger. In 1995, he started Milford Photo in downtown Milford and moved the store to the present location in 2000.

Milford Photo is now recognized as the leading photo specialty retailer in the state of Connecticut. Milford Photo is repeatedly voted as #1 Camera Store by the New Haven Advocate. Jim was honored as Business Person of the Year in 2001 by the Milford Chamber of Commerce and Milford Photo was chosen as Small Business of the Year in 2010.

Volunteerism has always been a personal trademark. Jim served as the president of Photo Marketing International for Connecticut and New York, the president of Downtown Milford Business Association, is on the Board of Directors for Milford Progress, Inc. and is a proud member of Milford Rotary. He is constantly helping out local non-profits and has a reputation as a strong community supporter.

He is married to Linda Wilson of Coldwell Banker Realty and has a son Mike who is a filmmaker, living in California.

What's in Jim's bag? Normally a set of golf clubs! Right now, his camera of choice is the Canon G12 for most picture taking and the Canon S95 (it fits great inside a golf bag).

JESS THOMPSON

It started as a way to get in out of the cold. As a teenager, Owner / Manager Jess Thompson was looking for a cushy inside job that got him off his bike delivering papers. He applied at a downtown camera store and has been in Milford Center selling cameras since 1979.

On the side he photographed weddings and events, shot for the local newspaper, and did his share of yearbook and corporate photography to put himself thru college and buy more cameras along the way.

His extracurricular activity is now centered on teaching practical photography to Milford Photo's customers and has instructed thousands over the years. His classes and workshops over have included SLR/DSLR, point and shoot, hot shoe and studio strobe, portrait and scenic photography.

Jess founded the Milford Photography Group, a photo club that meets online for classes and at area locations for informal shoot-abouts. The group counts over 9,900 members and its active schedule has made it one of the most popular photo Meetups in New England.

He shoots whatever gear he can borrow off the shelf. Jess is past president of his local Rotary club and is the townie's townie. Naturally, he lives in Milford with his wife Amy and son Andrew.

CHRIS BROWN is the cheerful voice you will hear most of the time when calling the store.

She is an indispensible part of the Milford Photo team. As office manager Chris is in charge of many different things that are required to run a small business. She wears many hats, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, employee benefits co-coordinator, vendor receivables, ordering store supplies, co-op advertising redemption, creating financials, working with accountants, payroll, and taxes.

Chris is a life long resident of Milford, and with her husband Gary have raised three great sons.

The store could not run without Chris's hard work and dedication. Give the store a call and talk with Chris!

CAMILLA is an experienced customer service professional and speaks Portuguese. See Camilla for help with printing, archiving, and more.

DONNA CLEMENT provides unmatched customer service at Milford Photo! She'll help with your finished orders, camera repairs and other imaging jobs. She can guide you in picking out the perfect frame and mat combination in our custom frame department. You can also find Donna working with visitors to our digital print center, showing them all the exciting things that can be done with digital photos today.

Donna previously worked as lab manager at James Camera and helps out in the photo processing lab when needed. She earned an associates degree at Paier School of Art and has expertise on a wide variety of imaging topics.

Donna's camera of choice today is the Nikon D90 DSLR camera which she uses with a variety of interchangeable lenses. She also has the compact P300 Nikon camera for when she is doing two of the things she loves, being out in nature and taking pictures.

Stop in and let Donna help with all your imaging needs!

CHRYS COBY has worked in photo retail for many years, helping customers with their servicing needs.

Being a full service photo specialty store requires not only selling products but also being there after the sale. In the event your equipment needs servicing, Chrys will take care of it for you.

Chrys is the used equipment expert at Milford Photo. Her award winning photographic skills are key to the proper presentation of items being offered for sale online.

Chrys has worked as a professional photographer, shooting weddings, and portraits. This long time Milford resident has a second career in restaurant management that keeps her very busy.

ANASTASIA FASNAKIS is a Greek-American photographer from Connecticut. She discovered a passion for photography at a very young age, and went on to receive a BFA in Photography from Paier College of Art in 2016.

After working in a portrait studio for nearly 8 years, Anastasia joined the Milford Photo crew and is here to assist you with camera/lens sales, analog photography, fine art printing, & more!

Her personal portfolio demonstrates her love for travel and the landscape, while commercially she specializes in portraiture, lifestyle, & product photography.

To learn more about Anastasia and her work, check out her website at FasnakisPhoto.com  or follow her on Instagram @anastasiafasnakis.

IVAN MIRANDA is a true camera enthusiast. He owns nearly every brand on the market! When he isn't at Milford Photo taking care of stock, inventory, and staff, Ivan is usually spending time with his family.

MERDARDO "GOYO" MORANCHEL

Lo que es un buen tipo! Merdardo, "Goyo" to his friends - which apparently includes everyone, started his US adventure as a professional soccer player. A jack of all important trades he works primarily in our processing kiosk area and minilab. He possesses the patience of a saint and works like a demon at his job. 

Hablamos Espanol con Goyo aqui.

DORY NEILSON started making pictures when they were done in a darkroom with smelly chemicals! Today, digital requires a different set of skills to produce pictures.

Dory has used her vast photographic knowledge and has learned the new skills required to operate the latest lab production equipment. Her expertise was gained upon her graduation from the Rhode Island School of Photography. She immediately started working for photo developing labs applying her newly learned trade. She is a big reason why Milford Photo is recognized as the area’s leading photo processing lab.

When not at the store, Dory can be found at the Milford Yacht Club, where she is a member, or out on Long Island Sound with her partner, Nell. When she is out on her boat she loves to take coastal pictures and be with friends. Let Dory help you make lasting memories! 

PHU NGUYEN

When Phu isn't helping Milford Photo customers with camera gear or printing in the lab, he is working toward becoming a firefighter. Phu has a passion for portrait and street photography. More from Phu: @phutography.ct, The Phutography Podcast on Spotify.

ANTHONY ONOFRIO

Preserving memories is what Anthony is all about. Anthony manages Milford Photo's video production department which specializes in the transferring of many different video formats to DVD. These include 8mm and 16mm movie film, 8mm video, VHS, VHS-C, Sony Beta, ¾" tape, mini DV and DVC video.

Movies have played a big role in his professional career. After graduating from Southern Connecticut University with a Business degree in Economics he joined his family's business James Camera in New Haven. As the supervising videographer he was responsible for filming of both the Yale and UCONN football games and other sporting events. In the film days it required not only shooting the games but then rushing to develop the game films for the coaches. When video replaced film Anthony spearheaded the transition and developed new procedures and services that made the store successful for many years.

With the closing of his business in 2010 he moved his equipment and many talents to Milford Photo. Today he not only does traditional video editing and duplication but also has taken over the bulk scanning print department. He has quickly become an important member of the production and services team. If it's a movie of any kind, Anthony can help you make sure that it is archived safely and your precious memories will be around for many years to come.

Anthony and his wife Elaine live in North Haven and are the proud parents of two girls.

PJ PANE is Milford Photo's resident "film guy!" He is truly a jack of all trades- sales, repairs, and all things film. When Pj isn’t assisting customers at Milford Photo, he’s out shooting black & white film and spending time with his fiancé, and his cat, Momo.

EMILY PELELLA has been framing artwork since March of 2024. She has framed a variety of things from original Picassos to game worn jerseys from the New York Yankees.

Before starting her framing career, Emily got her BFA in Art/Photography with a minor in technical theatre and design from Western Connecticut State University.  She actually received an award from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival for her artiste. Not only does her art degree come in handy when framing, but her knowledge of fabrication plays an important role when customizing a frame for a customer. 

Outside of work you'll find Emily photographing animals or at home taking care of her pet Pacman frog, Boris the Boulder. Emily recently won a collection of awards at the Durham Fair photography competition, including Best in Show!