Outdoor Photography Gear

When the owners of a high-flying online business took the decision to migrate their operations to Armadillo Self Storage, they did so for the same reason that wildlife photographers flock to snap up their products – to protect their possessions.

However, while the customers of Outdoor Photography Gear are focused on shielding their expensive equipment from environmental elements such as driving rain or scorching sun, the UK’s largest designer and manufacturer of waterproof camera and lens covers primarily chose to nest with Big Yellow to escape being preyed on by society’s magpies.

“Criminals tend to latch on to the names of businesses and when people see the word photography they think of high value items,” explained the company’s co-founder David Job. “A lot of lenses start from around the £1,000 mark and for those photographers shooting for magazines and TV programmes, the sky’s the limit and people can spend up to £10,000 to £20,000.

 “So even though we don’t hold any sort of expensive stuff and are predominantly manufacturing fabrics, it is inevitable that some people might think our business is worth having a look at, at nighttime when nobody’s working.”

Unfortunately, David’s security concerns are based on past experience rather than professional paranoia. 

“We were previously based in a standalone unit and got broken into twice,” added the eagle-eyed entrepreneur who, alongside his business partner, has turned a passion for photographing landscapes and motorsports into a 250-strong product range that is now sold across 12 countries. “To turn up to work of a morning and find half your stock has been taken is a horrible feeling – it hurts and costs money.”

Determined not to have to deal with the fallout of theft for a third time, the firm with a client base preoccupied with shutter speeds opted to occupy space behind steel shutters with Big Yellow and now rents multiple units at one of Big Yellow's many  store which it uses for production, administration and stocking raw materials and fabrics.  

 And at Big Yellow the aperture for Outdoor Photography Gear falling victim to crime has shrunk significantly. The self-storage company’s stores boast electronic gates and perimeter fencing, around-the-clock CCTV monitoring, are toured by mobile security patrols and feature individually alarmed units protected by PIN code access. Staff are also fully trained to spot – and react to – any suspicious behaviour or activity.  

Consequently, Outdoor Photography Gear, which also produces neoprene lens protection and camouflage that is tested around the world by professional and amateur photographers, tour companies and personnel involved in surveillance operations, is content with its ‘hide’ and there are no plans to relocate in the frame.

“We now have peace of mind and are very happy at Big Yellow,” concluded David. “Our main priority is security but there are plenty of other benefits from a business perspective.

There is flexibility when it comes to access hours and renting space comes with a degree of certainty – we don’t have to worry about rates or council tax going up.”

For more information, visit outdoorphotographygear.co.uk