Photography Enthusiast Survey (Opinions Wanted)

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richardp110701

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Richard
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I am looking to have a venue in my local area for photography enthusiast and would like to know if there were such a place in your area; what events, experiences, attractions, items would bring a photographer enthusiast to a venue, repeat visits, and attract new photography enthusiasts.

Here are some examples that has crossed my mind:

-Coffee shop where like minded people can mingle and share their own work (Like a book club but a photography club)

-Workshop events like photography processes using processes like caffenol or selenium toning for example.

-Workshops events on photography itself, basic 101 of photography or advanced photography

-State of the art picture printers for digital photos

-Dark rooms for self development of film

-Photography store of items from equipment to picture frames and everything in between

If a venue had 1 or more of these examples would you come and continue to come?

What other events, items, experiences would you recommend or what would compel you to visit a venue tailored to photography enthusiasts?

Thank you for your feedback and is greatly appreciated.
 
richardp110701 said:
I am looking to have a venue in my local area for photography enthusiast and would like to know if there were such a place in your area; what events, experiences, attractions, items would bring a photographer enthusiast to a venue, repeat visits, and attract new photography enthusiasts.

Here are some examples that has crossed my mind:

-Coffee shop where like minded people can mingle and share their own work (Like a book club but a photography club)

-Workshop events like photography processes using processes like caffenol or selenium toning for example.

-Workshops events on photography itself, basic 101 of photography or advanced photography

-State of the art picture printers for digital photos

-Dark rooms for self development of film

-Photography store of items from equipment to picture frames and everything in between

If a venue had 1 or more of these examples would you come and continue to come?

What other events, items, experiences would you recommend or what would compel you to visit a venue tailored to photography enthusiasts?

Thank you for your feedback and is greatly appreciated.
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A local camera club may offer what you are looking for.
 
richardp110701 said:
I am looking to have a venue in my local area for photography enthusiast
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Over five and a half decades I've seen several businesses of this sort come and, very swiftly, go. The only reasonably successful commercial operations I've come across were the "glamour" studios that were rife in several cities during the 1960s and into the mid 1970s, when increased legislation and police interest put a damper on them.

Every business needs a Unique Selling Point and you don't seem to have any idea what yours will be. On top of that, you need a bag of cash big enough to keep your business going, without any other income, for at least two years. Above all else, you need a site that will attract enough customers but not cost you your entire income.

Some community darkroom operations, supported by local authorities from their education budgets, have lasted for a few years but generally succumb to the pressures of other "more deserving" projects. In the current climate, you can forget that as a source of finance.
 
I think any venture of this nature is very much going to be driven by the location and prospective clientele...

A fair amount of what you're prospectively offering is targeted to the "film" market, and picking up "passing trade" it's going to help if you're located in a affluent, trendy, hipster-rich area... Not sure how that pans out in Kuwait of course - you'll find that this forum is largely UK centric, and most of our expertise is equally localised.



(Incidentally, we don't normally allow "market research" posts like this without at least the common courtesy of asking prior to posting. However, we've had a discussion on this already, and staff are actually interested to see where this thread may go, and how you're also going to contribute to the forum in other ways...)
 
richardp110701 said:
If a venue had 1 or more of these examples would you come and continue to come?

What other events, items, experiences would you recommend or what would compel you to visit a venue tailored to photography enthusiasts?

Thank you for your feedback and is greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

Yes I'd come. I can't guarantee I'd spend much but I'd certainly visit.

Events, I suppose an organised photography related walk / ramble would be nice and maybe some talks by people who've been somewhere unusual or interesting.

Maybe a book / DVD exchange might be nice, where you can drop off one and pick up another and so on.
 
Venues like this work on either two ways, either becasue of the facilities or because of the people, with the people being significantly more important than the facilities. You may find expanding it to a visual arts centre may end up working better as there is a wider range of interests and more opportunities for collaboration between different artists.
 
richardp110701 said:
Here are some examples that has crossed my mind:

-Coffee shop where like minded people can mingle and share their own work (Like a book club but a photography club)

-Workshop events like photography processes using processes like caffenol or selenium toning for example.

-Workshops events on photography itself, basic 101 of photography or advanced photography

-State of the art picture printers for digital photos

-Dark rooms for self development of film

-Photography store of items from equipment to picture frames and everything in between

If a venue had 1 or more of these examples would you come and continue to come?
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Coffee and prints don't mix - unless the prints are on the wall (in a changing exhibition)!

There's got to be funding model / business plan for the premises / staffing / equipment.

It's easy already to print photos from digital - at home or by upload / post - so hard maybe to justify a printer investment. But there could be scope for Lightroom / Photoshop tuition - which would need several workstations.

There could be a demand for darkroom resources (develop & wet printing) since many would-be users don't have the space at home to start. Annual subscription users might be preferable here to on-demand ones. Tuition / mentoring could be a useful service, since the facility would need hands-on monitoring anyway.

A sales outlet? There's such a wide choice of everything on-line that I'm dubious about that altogether. Film could be sold, I guess.
 
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benc98 said:
I’ve not visited but I need to, the photographers gallery in London… coffee shop, book store, exhibitions, talks and workshops? Perhaps that’s a blue print of what could be done
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Even in the early days TPG was not commercial and depended on grants I think and now I think it’s principal backer is The Arts Council so I don’t see it a a viable model for a small business :(.
 
sphexx said:
Even in the early days TPG was not commercial and depended on grants I think and now I think it’s principal backer is The Arts Council so I don’t see it a a viable model for a small business :(.
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When the RPS was based in Bath they had a large restaurant area that was often busy and presumably subsidised the other facilities. Reading between the lines, even this facility was uneconomic. Eventually they had to abandon the Bath site and move to Bristol's Paintworks, which I assume was both less expensive and gave more footfall.
 
Hmmm. Not a easy question
For wildlife a constant supply of rare birds would attract crowds .
Or wild animals in photo friendly enclosures ( that’s already been done down south) but might work elswhere
Naked or semi naked models is always a big pull

A lot would also depend on local rules and regs either here or in another country
 
I already attend a camera club where we do all of these things and more except the darkroom (no interest now).

Dave
 
richardp110701 said:
I am looking to have a venue in my local area for photography enthusiast and would like to know if there were such a place in your area; what events, experiences, attractions, items would bring a photographer enthusiast to a venue, repeat visits, and attract new photography enthusiasts.

Here are some examples that has crossed my mind:

-Coffee shop where like minded people can mingle and share their own work (Like a book club but a photography club)

-Workshop events like photography processes using processes like caffenol or selenium toning for example.

-Workshops events on photography itself, basic 101 of photography or advanced photography

-State of the art picture printers for digital photos

-Dark rooms for self development of film

-Photography store of items from equipment to picture frames and everything in between

If a venue had 1 or more of these examples would you come and continue to come?

What other events, items, experiences would you recommend or what would compel you to visit a venue tailored to photography enthusiasts?

Thank you for your feedback and is greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Sounds like a photography club. What else? Around here competitions run as periodic exhibitions seem popular. All the entrants come along and bring their friends and family to vote ;)
 
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