Fujifilm House of Photography opens in Albany as flagship creative hub

Peter Bonisch, general manager of imaging solutions at Fujifilm New Zealand, stands in front of a historical photograph gallery featuring photos from the New Zealand Herald. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

Fujifilm New Zealand’s general manager of imaging solutions, Peter Bonisch, said sales of the company’s Instax product – which includes a camera that produces instant photos – had more than doubled in the last five years.

“That’s been driven by new people coming into photography, particularly different generations wanting to get in connection with photography more now than ever,” Bonisch said.

“It’s not just for professionals, it’s for hobbyists, content creators and so many more. So that’s really driven a lot of it, and more recently that analogue surge that we’ve seen in the last 12 months.”

He said that five years ago, the company had thought sales of Instax had reached their peak, so the growth had come as a surprise.

That local growth was also part of the reason Fujifilm’s parent chose to invest, with New Zealand managing director Stephen Hodson candidly sharing how a 15-minute meeting with the company’s second in command, Masato “Mark” Yamamoto, was enough to get approval for the project.

Japanese Ambassador to New Zealand Makato Osawa (left), Peter Bonisch of Fujifilm NZ and Masato “Mark” Yamamoto at the opening of Fujifilm’s House of Photography. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

Yamamoto was in attendance for the site’s opening, travelling from Japan for his second visit to New Zealand within two years.

Also in attendance for the launch was the Japanese Ambassador to New Zealand Makato Osawa, who had flown from Wellington for the event.

Their presence was not lost on Bonisch, who highlighted the important connection between New Zealand and Japan, while acknowledging the “huge support” that had been offered by the company’s leadership.

A traditional Japanese sake ceremony at the opening of Fujifilm House of Photography, an interactive space for visual storytellers at Fujifilm. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

Construction started on the site around nine months ago, with the company’s roughly 50 staff relocated upstairs into dedicated office space.

Bonisch was upfront as to why the company chose to develop the site at Albany, and said if the company had done it anywhere else, the price would have been much higher.

“We’ve been very fortunate to do it in a corporate building, and that makes things a lot easier than otherwise, but it’s been a significant investment, unseen in any other project we’ve done of this nature.

“I guess the way we look at it is it’s not an investment in now, it’s an investment in the next 10 years, and I suppose that’s the payoff for us that we’re saying this is here for the long term.”

He said he wanted to make it clear the space was not designed to be a retail environment, but instead as a hub for the photographic community to gather.

Part of encouraging that community will be the hosting of events and classes at the site, with a focus on encouraging young photographers to lean into the experience.

Fujifilm New Zealand’s House of Photography gives enthusiasts access to the company’s wide range of cameras and technology, as well as a look at a 1982 Ducati motorcycle loaned by the company’s landlord. Photo / Supplied

Having been with Fujifilm New Zealand for 21 years, Bonisch has experienced the rise and fall of various trends throughout his career, but said the business was confident current trends would persist.

“What we’re seeing now is a real move back to photography because it’s so authentic in terms of what it provides people. People are looking for time away from their devices, and photography is one of those hobbies that they want to invest in.

“We have questioned it along the way, but the surge we’ve seen in the last two years in particular gives us real confidence that it’s going to continue to grow and that’s why making the investment into something like the House of Photography is to help grow that and inspire more people into it.”

Tom Raynel is a multimedia business journalist for the Herald, covering small business, retail and tourism.

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