Kudos Cameras, an esteemed Australian photographic wholesaler and retailer based in Sydney, has recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. At the helm is Peter Giannakis, regarded as one of the most seasoned professionals in Australia’s photographic retail sector.
Tim Levy from Capture recently paid a visit to their Sydney headquarters for an engaging conversation with Peter – delving into his impressive career journey; the interesting range of products Kudos supplies across Australia; and exploring both current and emerging trends shaping the photography industry.
Weighing in at 14.8kg, this beast is the ultimate in large format cameras.
TL: It seems you've been quite the industry stalwart, with a career in the retail business dating back to 1980! Could you tell us which photography stores you've been a part of since then?
PG: I started at 17 and worked at numerous stores such as Georges (not the current Georges) who specialised in industrial photography equipment, who then morphed into what now is Ted’s. Then I worked at Baltronics – which became Sun Studio, which is now Lunar. Then I worked at Kayell, CR Kennedy, L&P in Artarmon, then Foto Reisel in Kent St.
For loading bulk 35-mm film into cartridges in daylight. For bulk film material up to 30 m (98 ft.). With frame counter and remaining-film meter.
So through this, I experienced dealing with all different brands and types of equipment from cheap amateur cameras and gadgets, to incredibly expensive industrial film processors and lighting.
During my early years, I also studied the Certificate of Photography at TAFE Ultimo which helped me understand economics and business side of the industry.
While working in retail, I shot weddings as a second shooter under photographer David Mane and Alan Khan, and later moved into shooting commercial and industrial work under my own business – Envyme Graphics.
TL: And this leads us to your current venture – Kudos Cameras which you have now been running for 10 years – CONGRATULATIONS on your 10th anniversary!
PG: Thank you! Yes, like many in the industry, we've experienced our share of highs and lows, but it's our passion for this incredible profession that keeps us going. Currently we are managing 10 brands with more to follow.
TL: We’ve seen a renewed interest in all things film in the past 5-10 years. I noticed that quite a few of your managed brands such as JOBO, Chamonix, Kaiser Fototechnik and Print File are film products. Has this resurgence of film impacted your business?
PG: There is definitely a renewed love of shooting on film. People are drawn to the tactile nature of film and appreciate its uniqueness as a product. There has also been a bit of a fightback against the endless scroll of the internet, and I feel that the film process is part of the ‘slow movement', where you get to enjoy the process, and the art form as a whole.
Black and white prints are truly works of art, and each photo you take is usually more considered. This contrasts with digital photography, where you can shoot at 30 frames per second and sift through hundreds of images afterward to find the perfect one.
It's a matter of finding the right tool for the job and on the far end of the film spectrum, we have our Chamonix brand, known for its range of large-format bellows cameras. These include wet plate 24x32" models priced over $22,000, as well as smaller options like 10x12", 8x10", and down to 4x5", ranging from $2,355 to $10,000.
TL: So how do photographers get their film for these large format cameras?
PG: You have to pre-order your film from Ilford and get them cut the film to the size of your 'dark slide' (the gadget that holds your sheet film in the back of the camera). As for wet-plates, you can order them from Harmon and Ilford (Japan). With wet-plates you can use a UV printer do contact prints.
There are a lot of art photographers out there that love shooting large format and getting beautiful unique results that only this format can deliver. For these large format cameras, you’ll also need to find a lens for it, so people scour the web and eBay to find the perfect lens.
Shooting on wet-plate harks back to techniques used in the 1860's. If anyone is interested in learning the craft, Gold Street Studios in Victoria actually have a class in shooting on wet-plate.
If you want to witness the results of large format photography, you can currently see the Hiroshi Sugimoto: Time Machine exhibition at the MCA Sydney.
TL: What about slightly more modern film cameras?
PG: Pentax has just released the half-frame film camera – the Pentax 17, so you can get 72 photos from a 36 roll of film. And now there are quite a few places that have C41, B&W and APS film processing. (See list of film developers in Australia here).
So there is definitely a resurgence in the wonderful world of film photography!
by an expert technician at Kudos HQ. Photo: Tim Levy
TL: Talking about film, I can see your co-worker fixing a customer's JOBO ATL-1000 B&W film processor.
PG: Yes, being the main supplier of JOBO products, we also arrange repairs to all JOBO units.
TL: I love those Billingham bags – they are like the Louis Vuitton of camera bags – a bit expensive, but so stylish and will last a lifetime.
PG: Billingham camera bags are a big seller and what I call 'diehards' – love them. They are built to last and when they patina, the bags look even nicer with age. They are made of 3 layers with a waterproof membrane between the leather to enable the bag to brave the elements.
TL: So you also have a lot of products that involve archiving, copying and storage.
PG: Film photography needs archiving and we have sleeves, copy-stands, and storage such as the Wonderful cabinets.
The Wonderful MD-080i, 88 Litre Double Steel Theft-Proof Dry Cabinet.But we also have cleaning products such as the Japanese brand Cura which are alcohol free. Their latest product Cura WB is made of Wasabi oil, which helps kill any mould.
Mould is the enemy of camera gear – especially lenses and film. In Australia we have a humid environment. This is also why we have Eirmai moisture absorbents.
People think that Pelican cases block out moisture, though they also let in air through the 'air' ports so to enable them to breath when used for air travel – then the moisture actually stays in the case!
The Wonderful brand cabinets are not only for cameras, people use them for artwork, valuable archives, records and antiques. They ensure that anything precious is kept in optimal condition in any environment.
TL: Finally – what are some of the current and upcoming trends you have noticed in the retail realm?
PG: Stores are looking to diversify and are incorporating labs into their business – they are always looking for something different to sell or have multiple revenue streams from different products such as film and even 'instant film'.
I think the film trend is here to stay for the foreseeable future. A number of high schools are offering B&W film photography which is good for Kudos, as we sell the Kaiser Brand enlargers.
But even trends are cyclic. We also supply H&Y grad filters and we sell more of them in summer as landscape photographers like to get out more in the nice weather.
Photography isn't just a commercial industry, it is one of the greatest hobbies and art forms – and I don't see that love abating anytime soon.
Thanks for the conversation Peter. And congratulations again on the 10th anniversary.
You can find out more about Kudos Cameras and their products, on the Kudos website.