Developing Photography Sales

While people take all their photos digitally these days, and old fashioned photo albums full of hand fixed prints are a thing of the past, a fantastic new market has emerged for framed photography.

Some people want to display their favourite photos in a digital photo frame – as well as on their social channels, of course J - but there is a growing demand for images of special family occasions, significant events, pets, children’s milestones and the like to be professionally framed, often on a considerable scale, and then given significant wall space.

Bedford-based The Picture Gallery, owned by Graham and Joy Brealey, is a business that is hugely benefitting from this trend with a combined printing and framing service available nationally online via picturegalleryuk.com. The process starts with the consumer uploading digital photos, choosing a mount and a frame, and then Joy and her team do the rest. Customers can alternatively select an image from a choice of over 11 million stock photos to then have printed and framed as wall art.

All photo printing and framing is done on site in the Bedford workshop by skilled craftspeople, using the best quality photographic paper and light-fast inks which are guaranteed for up to 100 years! Every image is then dry mounted so that it does not ripple in the frame over time. The photograph is then framed professionally, and a hanging cord attached, before being despatched.

Shop option

As an option, local customers can print their photos either via the Fuji App or by coming into the Bedford shop where the Brealeys have invested in three Fuji Photo Kiosk instant printing machines. Photos can be printed from a smartphone, memory stick, memory card, CD, or directly from Facebook, Instagram, Google Photos or Dropbox accounts.
There is then a selection of ready-made frames, canvas or gift formats: mug, cushion, keyring, fridge magnet, mouse mat, coaster, table mat and chopping board, to name a few!

The Picture Gallery offers passport and visa photos, and also has a large and very impressive studio which is used for all sorts of shoots from babies to family groups, and corporate work with models to formal portraits.
The final area of growth is around archive or ‘heirloom’ images that people want restoring, converting from negatives or slides, enhancing and/or preserving for future generations.

Joy told 4walls: “We are very pleased that all the different aspects of the business are proving so popular. The Fuji kiosks really completed the offer to make it full service. And having quality frames is a big part of it!”

picturegalleryuk.com
picturegallerybedford.co.uk
Facebook @thepicturegalleryandframingcentre
Twitter @picturegallery