Hasselblad is set to launch its own drive-in studio

Press Release:
In what is believed to be a ‘world first’ initiative for a camera manufacturer, Hasselblad is set to launch its own drive-in 2,000 sq ft blackout photographic studio in central London.

The fully equipped Fanshaw Street, Hoxton Square -based studio will be available for hire by Hasselblad owners at a fraction of the cost of similar commercial studio facilities in the city.

The Hasselblad Studio concept is the brainchild of the company’s Global Marketing Director and UK MD Chris Russell-Fish, and forms a key element of the group’s ongoing proactive strategy to ‘reconnect’ with its customers.

Explained Russell-Fish: “The new studio will be available from mid August to any registered Hasselblad owner; photographers hiring a Hasselblad camera, or even those using a Hasselblad body with a third party digital back.

They can hire it in full day segments for up to a week at a time from £260 a day (ex VAT). That’s a saving of hundreds of pounds a day against the rates of other London studios.”

He added: “I believe that if you buy a camera from us you should expect more than just a fantastic piece of equipment. These are difficult times for photographers. Costs are rising and work opportunities have seen a decline. This new initiative will give professional photographers, serious amateurs and students a seriously viable, fully equipped studio option right in the middle of London”.

Already well over 300 photographers have registered on the company’s new www.hasselbladstudio.com website and new studio manager Natasha Cheek is expecting an avalanche of enquiries in coming weeks.

“It’s a seriously compelling proposition” she said. “We have every facility you would expect in a top studio, including model changing rooms, a dedicated styling and hairdressing area, kitchen and parking space.
Photographers can book on a ‘first come, first served’ basis – the key criterion is that they must be Hasselblad owners or customers hiring Hasselblad equipment.”

Eizo, onOne Software, Broncolor, Profoto, SanDisk, Wacom and Epson and The Printspace are all supporting the project – which also promises (later this year) exclusive week-long exhibition space for Hasselblad shooters for a minimal charge – probably to be set at £200 for the week.

Added Russell-Fish: “The new studio enables us to fulfil our pledge to go the extra mile for our customers on all fronts - and it also gives us key space of our own in London to run seminar programmes, studio days, Phocus software training days and other events.”