Dupli is an Authorised Distributor of Harman Photographic Film, Cameras and Chemistry

HARMAN PHOTO new beginnings after the break up

ARE YOU SITTING COMFORTABLY?

The story of Harman Photo is fairly straightforward. How it rose, like a Phoenix following a family break up is a little more complex but we’ll try to keep it as simple as we can.

Most of the origin story of Harman Photo can be understood by reading the history of ILFORD which you can find here.

Essentially, when the original ILFORD company went into receivership back in 2004, it resulted in two new companies, both able to use the brand name ILFORD! Ilford Imaging Europe is what remains of the original company and concentrates mainly on its Ilford Galerie inkjet paper products.

We can pick up the story of Harman Photo from its birth in 2004.

A RESPECTFUL NOD TO THE PAST

2004 was a sad year for what was one of the world's oldest and most respected photographic businesses. Market forces had led to receivership and fragmentation of the original company.

From the ashes in 2005 came 6 shining knights in the form of former managers of Ilford Imaging UK Limited who formed Harman Technology Ltd, taking their name from the originator of the Ilford company way 1879.

Trading under the name ILFORD Photo, the business concentrated on the Black & White photographic products in the existing film and chemistry portfolios as well as announcing that they would aim to bring back some old discontinued classics and introduce new products as soon as possible.

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT, THE FUTURE IS MONOCHROME

Following a strong start to their new venture, the owners looked towards growth. In 2007 Harman Technology announced the acquisition of Kentmere Photographic, itself a company with a long history in the production of photographic paper and film stretching back to 1919. Kentmere products can still be found in the ILFORD Photo portfolio and purchased through Dupli.

10 years after the original buy out, Harman Technology were purchased by a venture capital firm who gave the business fresh impetus. 2018 saw a complete brand refresh of Ilford film packaging whilst Kentmere film stock also had a packaging update.

Harman, under the ILFORD Photo brand have continued to add products across the paper, chemistry and film categories as well as new film cameras. Their portfolio remained solely entrenched in the Black & White products on which the ILFORD name was forged. Adding colour products would seem to be impossible unless they started thinking outside the ILFORD film box.

LIKE A PHOENIX FROM THE FLAMES

The rise in popularity of film and in particular colour film over the past decade saw Harman at a distinct disadvantage as they had no colour film in their extensive portfolio. Adding a colour film to the traditional range of ILFORD Photo films would seem sacrilegious.

But in 2022, a new project was launched with the aim of manufacturing a new colour reversal film. The result was PHOENIX, a 200 ISO C41 processed film characterised by its visible grain and bright colours. Hopefully just the first of a range of new colour film variants to be produced under the HARMAN Photo brand.

You can take a look at PHOENIX and the rest of the ILFORD Photo range via the links below.

Dupli is an Authorised Distributor of Harman Photographic Film, Cameras and Chemistry

HARMAN PHOTO new beginnings after the break up

ARE YOU SITTING COMFORTABLY?

The story of Harman Photo is fairly straightforward. How it rose, like a Phoenix following a family break up is a little more complex but we’ll try to keep it as simple as we can.

Most of the origin story of Harman Photo can be understood by reading the history of ILFORD which you can find here.

Essentially, when the original ILFORD company went into receivership back in 2004, it resulted in two new companies, both able to use the brand name ILFORD! Ilford Imaging Europe is what remains of the original company and concentrates mainly on its Ilford Galerie inkjet paper products.

We can pick up the story of Harman Photo from its birth in 2004.

A RESPECTFUL NOD TO THE PAST

2004 was a sad year for what was one of the world's oldest and most respected photographic businesses. Market forces had led to receivership and fragmentation of the original company.

From the ashes in 2005 came 6 shining knights in the form of former managers of Ilford Imaging UK Limited who formed Harman Technology Ltd, taking their name from the originator of the Ilford company way 1879.

Trading under the name ILFORD Photo, the business concentrated on the Black & White photographic products in the existing film and chemistry portfolios as well as announcing that they would aim to bring back some old discontinued classics and introduce new products as soon as possible.

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT, THE FUTURE IS MONOCHROME

Following a strong start to their new venture, the owners looked towards growth. In 2007 Harman Technology announced the acquisition of Kentmere Photographic, itself a company with a long history in the production of photographic paper and film stretching back to 1919. Kentmere products can still be found in the ILFORD Photo portfolio and purchased through Dupli.

10 years after the original buy out, Harman Technology were purchased by a venture capital firm who gave the business fresh impetus. 2018 saw a complete brand refresh of Ilford film packaging whilst Kentmere film stock also had a packaging update.

Harman, under the ILFORD Photo brand have continued to add products across the paper, chemistry and film categories as well as new film cameras. Their portfolio remained solely entrenched in the Black & White products on which the ILFORD name was forged. Adding colour products would seem to be impossible unless they started thinking outside the ILFORD film box.

LIKE A PHOENIX FROM THE FLAMES

The rise in popularity of film and in particular colour film over the past decade saw Harman at a distinct disadvantage as they had no colour film in their extensive portfolio. Adding a colour film to the traditional range of ILFORD Photo films would seem sacrilegious.

But in 2022, a new project was launched with the aim of manufacturing a new colour reversal film. The result was PHOENIX, a 200 ISO C41 processed film characterised by its visible grain and bright colours. Hopefully just the first of a range of new colour film variants to be produced under the HARMAN Photo brand.

You can take a look at PHOENIX and the rest of the ILFORD Photo range via the links below.