PHOTO BY GL ENN TRIEST

usiness

Picture This

Hungarian-born photographer
Laszlo Regos has seen his dream
come true in America.

DEBBIE SKLAR SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

THE DETROIT J EWISH NEWS

Photography has always
been in Laszlo Regos'
blood.

40

aszlo Regos was 30 in 1979 when he
came to America from Hungary to
pursue his life-long ambition of open-
ing his own photography studio and
lab.
His dream finally became reality
in 1986, when Mr. Regos had saved
enough money from his job as a tech-
nician in a photo lab and from other
photography work to launch his busi-
ness in the basement of his
Ferndale home.
"I did much free-lance and
weekend work," Mr. Regos
said. "I did parties, weddings and bar mitz-
vahs. I built this business right from scratch.
I didn't have help from anyone."
Mr. Regos moved his business out of his

now because every day is different. But
sometimes photography can be a drag.
"It's not always glitz and glamour," he
said. "I work long hours and when I travel
home and into an of- on shoots, I do everything myself.
fice in Berkley in 1990.
"And there usually is a lot of pressure be-
That's where Spec- cause everyone wants it yesterday — but I
trum Photo and its do love it."
Spectrum Photo includes a stock-photo
parent company, Las-
zlo Regos Photogra- leasing service Mr. Regos began three years
phy, are located today. ago. Mr. Regos has a 300,000-photo library
From modest begin- of color and black-and-white images used
nings, Mr. Regos' by publishers and advertising agencies.
clients now include
"It's like a picture library," he said. "Most
prominent developers people find it fascinating. There's just about
Schostak Brothers and everything you could imagine. Historical
A.J. Etkin and Jon black and whites, people, places ... Photog-
Greenberg & Associ- raphers from all over the world submit their
ates, which creates in- work to be placed in my library."
Even though he has lived in America for
teriors for high-end
15 years, Mr. Regos still speaks with a Hun-
retail stores.
garian accent.
"I can get away with making
jokes," he said. "I call myself a
because it sounds close to
"I built this business honky
Hungarian. I have many Hun-
friends in Detroit. There
right from scratch." garian
are many Hungarian Jews here."
Laszlo Regos
Mr. Regos said the main rea-
son why he left Hungary was be-
cause "it was time for me to
leave. There were a lot of strange
"I've become basi- things going on and there was a lot of polit-
cally an architectural ical upheaval."
After visiting Israeli relatives in Califor-
photographer," said
Mr. Regos, who was nia, Mr. Regos came to Detroit to see an un-
born in Budapest. "I cle, and he's been living here ever since.
"When I was getting ready to go to Cali-
shoot the architecture
of places like banks, fornia, I knew in the back of my mind that
I would never go back to Budapest to live,"
buildings and hotels.
"What makes me he said. "I tell people I just forgot to go back
different is that I have my own lab on the there."
Mr. Regos returned to Hungary a few
premises. Many photographers send their
stuff out. I do everything from beginning to years ago to see his dying father.
"I got a call from my father's physician.
end."
Mr. Regos remembers having a fascina- He told me that if I wanted to see my father
tion for photography when he was a teenag- before he died, I would have to get there
right away," Mr. Regos said.
er.
"I went back, but it was very risky. I was
"I always walked around with a camera,"
he said. "I wanted a way to express myself able to see my dad. He died a week after I
and the camera seemed like the obvious left. Before I went back, I was very home-
choice because I have two left hands. I can't sick for the place. When I was there, I de-
cided I couldn't live there anymore. My
even draw a straight line."
In Hungary, Mr. Regos earned a photo- mother is still there, but I could not live
chemistry degree and he was a process man- there."
Mr. Regos is still dreaming. He says he
ager in Eastern Bloc photo labs. One of the
main reasons why he left his homeland was wants to open a gallery which would display
his photography work. El
he felt his career had stagnated.
Mr. Regos said he enjoys his profession