About us

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65 years of service to professional and amateur photography.
Ffordes Photographic Ltd opened for business in May 1960 in Southernhay, Basildon, Essex, by Reg Byford.

Reg was a keen amateur photographer and member of the Rayleigh Camera Club. After an accident at the family's house building firm, he had to consider a new career. Photography had long been a hobby; it was a natural choice to pursue his passion further and open a photography business.

Ffordes quickly became one of the largest retailers and main dealers for cine and camera equipment by Bolex, Nikon, Canon, Hasselblad, Leica, Linhof, Topcon, Mamiya, Zenza Bronica and many others.

The business grew over the years, and in the early 1980s, a second shop was opened at Elmer Approach, Southend-on-Sea, Essex. A few years later, the Basildon shop was forced to close as a new supermarket was built on its site, and the business was then run solely from the Southend location.
At the time of the Southend branch opening, Reg's second son, Stephen, started working for Ffordes, between his time attending college during the week and at the weekends. Initially, Steve began in the camera repair department, repairing and servicing camera equipment. Gradually, he began working in the shop selling equipment to customers.
A sudden farewell.
Unfortunately, in 1995, the founder of Ffordes, Reg, passed away after a brief illness, compelling Steve to step up into the role of managing director of Ffordes. Steve decided to continue along the same path that his father had laid out over the years. Customers liked the high level of service and staff knowledge they received, and he saw no reason to alter this

A new century dawns in a land, far, far away.
The turn of a new century promised another change for Ffordes. For a number of years, Steve and his wife had spent holidays in the Highlands of Scotland and fallen in love with its wide-open spaces, landscapes and the way of life of the Highland people. The seed had been sown, and in 2001, Ffordes moved to Beauly, twelve miles west of Inverness.

Steve had anticipated a quieter pace of life, and many of his customers commented that this may be the case, but this was a misguided assumption. The business went from strength to strength, soon outgrowing its premises tucked away in the hills above Beauly, and new premises were sought. An old, derelict church building caught Steve's attention; it was perfect, it just needed a little work (and anyone who knows Steve is aware of his interest in renovation).

A year later, Ffordes opened for business on the first floor at The Kirk, Wester Balblair, Beauly, with Steve's Daughter, Cherry, opening a gallery and coffee shop on the floor below. Ffordes again, outgrew this space, eventually taking over both floors at the Kirk. It introduced a shiny new showroom and extended its range to deliver a wider selection of Leica, Swarovski, Sony, Olympus, to name just a few, alongside an extensive selection of photographic accessories, including filters, camera bags and battery chargers, along with Hawke scopes, Swarovski, Leica and Hawke binoculars and every brand imaginable of used camera equipment. This is how you will find Ffordes Photographic to this very day, just off the Cannich Road heading towards scenic Glen Affric, a veritable toy shop for the professional and amateur photographer alike.

A new generation.
Two decades on, and as Steve nears retirement, his thoughts turn to handing the business over to the next generation, his son and daughter, Ross and Cherry. Both have worked in various roles within the company and have, over the years, accumulated a good knowledge of the inner workings of the photography trade. As they step up to the challenge in an ever-changing industry, Steve is looking to enjoy life a little more, concentrate on other projects, charity work, and perhaps pick up that camera again.

Lots of things have changed in the sixty-five years that Ffordes have been trading, we have seen great changes in the equipment being sold, we have seen the rise and fall of cine equipment, the introduction of camcorders and the most recent changes with the advent of digital photography, all of which we have embraced and supported.

Some things have not changed, though, and Ffordes still prides itself in offering high levels of service, advice and knowledge to amateur and professional photographers. The owners and hard-working staff are all enthusiastic photographers who are encouraged to share their photographic knowledge and experience with every customer.

We hope that you enjoy the experience of dealing with Ffordes Photographic.
Please spread the word, and we look forward to welcoming you again in the future.