Great Interview with Freestyle Photographic Supplies

[Rollie Dan]

Great Interview with Freestyle Photographic Supplies

 

[Sirius Glass]

Thank you. One of the most enjoyable and informative interviews I have seen here on APUG PHOTRIO.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

Re: their bet on film. I feel like APUG should have done the same thing. Analog only. The internet is full of digital resources. Differentiation is a big deal.

Complete separation of analog & digital is no longer possible for simple reasons of web presence and need to digitize that analog print or negative with required at least some basic editing. So hybrid forum is by all means kind of required, although that could simply blend into analog section.

But how do you "disenfranchise" digital forum at this stage? Is it really realistic without giving it a classic boot, forget about it?

 

[Deleted member 88956]

There was no need to do anything, that's my point. I was just reading the older "Photrio Related" posts, including APUG rebranding. And it appears that adding Analog/Digital/Hybrid switches everywhere took some time & effort. Rebranding & migrating also took some time, I imagine. This time & effort could have been saved or spent elsewhere.

Yes, but that is like wise man afterwards.

Now the only sensible move to "remove" would be a chopping block approach. I don't mind digital section because I never go there and unlike some threads making it really hard not to comment on, that section is easy to avoid if one has not interest in it.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

@Old Gregg Film caskets were sold for cheap some time back. I never bought one and somehow survived the tasking times. I just wish some of my beer money went after historically important photographic pieces when there was so much cheap stuff, it was hard to chose where to spend. But could have saved on digestive intakes and buy more

 

[alanrockwood]

Great Interview with Freestyle Photographic Supplies

I noticed that early in the interview they said that Freestyle made a big push to supply schools with supplies, and that it was a big factor in their growth.

Back in the 1970s I took a photography class, and many of the students (including me) bought an inexpensive brand of black and white film from the college bookstore. I don't remember what the brand name was, but I do remember it was made somewhere in Eastern Europe, i.e. behind the so-called iron curtain. I also have a vague recollection that the box might have been green, but the box color is a very unreliable recollection. I have often wondered what the brand of film was, and who made it. I wonder if our college bookstore might have sourced it from Freestyle.

Any thoughts on this?

 

[cerber0s]

I noticed that early in the interview they said that Freestyle made a big push to supply schools with supplies, and that it was a big factor in their growth.

Back in the 1970s I took a photography class, and many of the students (including me) bought an inexpensive brand of black and white film from the college bookstore. I don't remember what the brand name was, but I do remember it was made somewhere in Eastern Europe, i.e. behind the so-called iron curtain. I also have a vague recollection that the box might have been green, but the box color is a very unreliable recollection. I have often wondered what the brand of film was, and who made it. I wonder if our college bookstore might have sourced it from Freestyle.

Any thoughts on this?

I can only make a guess on Foma (Fomapan) in former Czechoslovakia, they've been in business since 1921.

 

[removed account4]

Analog only

just un-click hybrid + digital checkboxes at top left. you will have analog only...

 

[bdial]

The “old” Freestyle was a fascinating place to visit, full of surplus aerial cameras and all manner of other exotic photographic bits and bobs. But they had re-branded Ilford film at great prices, and, as now, films and paper that were hard to find anywhere else.
Their modern store is nice, but quite sterile in comparison.

 

[Peter Schrager]

The “old” Freestyle was a fascinating place to visit, full of surplus aerial cameras and all manner of other exotic photographic bits and bobs. But they had re-branded Ilford film at great prices, and, as now, films and paper that were hard to find anywhere else.
Their modern store is nice, but quite sterile in comparison.

Barry that rebranded Ilford is what almost put them out of biz!!

 

[bdial]

Barry that rebranded Ilford is what almost put them out of biz!!

Do tell...

 

[MattKing]

Barry that rebranded Ilford is what almost put them out of biz!!

For clarity, I think Peter is referring to Ilford being put out of business.
Technically speaking, Ilford were in fact put out of business. Some of their employees then got together, incorporated Harman Technology Ltd., and that entity bought from the receiver the black and white related assets and a license to use the Ilford name on black and white related products, and then proceeded from there.

 

[Tom Kershaw]

A good interview, and actually informative.

 

[Hubigpielover]

I noticed that early in the interview they said that Freestyle made a big push to supply schools with supplies, and that it was a big factor in their growth.

Back in the 1970s I took a photography class, and many of the students (including me) bought an inexpensive brand of black and white film from the college bookstore. I don't remember what the brand name was, but I do remember it was made somewhere in Eastern Europe, i.e. behind the so-called iron curtain. I also have a vague recollection that the box might have been green, but the box color is a very unreliable recollection. I have often wondered what the brand of film was, and who made it. I wonder if our college bookstore might have sourced it from Freestyle.

Any thoughts on this?

Maybe Efke? Made in former Yugoslavia.

 

[Renato Tonelli]

Very informative interview - thank you for posting the link.

And to think that they started out in NY and then moved to CA - drats! and double drats!