’We will use the same approach with bron as we have with the new-look Hasselblad UK’ – Chris Russell-Fish, Hasselblad UK MD and Global Sales and Marketing Director

Chris Russell-Fish, Hasselblad UK MD and global sales and marketing director, announced the move following months of negotiation with the Swiss-based lighting manufacturer.

Hasselblad will take over from JP Distribution on July 1st and promises ‘a dynamic array of new ideas and solutions‘ for bron customers nationwide in coming months.

Said Russell-Fish: “I believe we can do a great job for bron users in the UK. Like Hasselblad products, bron equipment sits at the top end of the market. We plan to make a great deal of noise in coming weeks and months around this excellent lighting range.”

Russell-Fish has appointed photo-lighting expert Chris Burfoot as the new broncolor UK manager.

Burfoot, who first started ‘working with light’ in the Eighties said: “Our objective is to create far more awareness around the award-winning bron brand and focus hard on customer service and support for existing users. We also plan a programme of ‘hands-on’ open days with broncolor partners in a non-selling environment – mirroring the success of the popular ‘Hasselblad Studiodays’ programme, and under the name of ‘The beauty of broncolor’.

This premium lighting brand has been built on a rock solid foundation of quality, consistency and reliability. The new-look bron customer care programme will work in exactly the same way as Hasselblad’s renowned ‘Hasselbuddy’ customer care support.”

Hasselblad UK owns the London-based Pro Centre, the photo-equipment rental company, but Russell-Fish insists the bron distribution deal will be no threat to any other brand they work with.

He said: “The Pro Centre acts completely independently as a rental centre. This will simply be an additional line. Bron will be a completely separate entity for us in the same way as our new Hasselblad studio and Didgeridoo services. And just as we have developed energetic new programmes for Hasselblad customers in the UK, we will do the same with bron over time. There will be a separate bron customer care and maintenance team in place in the near future.”

Hasselblad is currently in talks with broncolor with a view to new product launches.

A new website is to go live from the 1st July 2011 at www.ukbroncolor.com, with links to and from the Hasselblad (www.hasselblad.co.uk) website.

The tour will also take in the MPA’s Induction Day and Cherubs Partners Day, April 12/13th 2010, at the Hilton Hotel, Coventry, where a full working studio and a team of Hasselblad staff will be on hand for demonstrations.

Hasselblad is also holding evening sessions after each student day event – and these are open to all professional photographers. More details on www.handsonahasselblad.com.

In a two month-long, twelve venue tour stretching from Portsmouth to Edinburgh, a team of Hasselblad imaging experts will demonstrate the new H4D cameras and the company’s world-acclaimed Phocus software.

UCA Farnham – 2nd March 2010
Wiltshire College – 4th March 2010
University of Portsmouth – 9th March 2010
UCA Rochester – 11th March 2010
University of Westminster – 16th March 2010
Thames Valley University – 18th March 2010
Northampton University – 22nd March 2010
De Montford University – 24th March 2010
University of Wales – 14th April 2010
University of Gloucestershire – 16th April 2010
Edinburgh College of Art – 20th April 2010

Chris Russell-Fish, Hasselblad UK MD explained: “Students are the future of the imaging business so we decided to plan  a completely free of charge, nationwide educational roadshow to enable them to get some real hands-on experience with the  40 megapixel medium format H4D-40, which offers ultimate image quality and is as easy to use as any 35mm camera.

“We are using the roadshows to increase awareness and dispel any previous misconceptions about Hasselblad pricing and service. This is about winning hearts and minds – and there’s nowhere better to start than with students – tomorrow’s professional photographers.

“We want young photographers to engage with Hasselblad quality solutions from the very earliest opportunity.”

He added: “It’s the first event of its kind where students and tutors at leading educational institutions can work with all our latest H4D equipment within their own environment.”

David Summerfield, Hasselblad’s Roadshow manager said: “Reaction has been outstanding. We’re not hard-selling anything.  We are just giving students and tutors the chance to play with and test-drive this amazing camera in real time on real shoots. The later courses are really filling up too after students use Twitter to tell friends and colleagues to register for one of these events”.