Services of interest while traveling?

[bthphoto]

Not sure it this fits in this forum or not. If it's not appropriate, feel free to move or delete.

I occasionally get e-mails or messages through various forums from people who plan to vacation in Interior Alaska asking if there is any place to rent large format gear in Fairbanks. There is not. However I've got enough that I could put together a few kits suitable for landscape work, or fill an equipment or accessory gap for someone bringing their own gear. In addition I've occasionally let photographers have a box or two of film shipped to me so they don't have to mess with carrying it through the airport, and one photographer shipped his whole camera kit up to me rather than fly with it. I'm not interested in starting a full time business, but I think it would be worth my time to provide a service that covered costs and equipment upkeep while making it easier for LF photographers to shoot in Interior Alaska. Before investing the time and energy to set that up and get the word out, I'm interested in finding out how much interest there might be. I know Interior Alaska wouldn't be everyone's vacation location of choice, but if you're willing to answer these questions in the context of vacationing in general it would be helpful.

1. Would you consider renting LF gear while traveling?
2. Would you consider using a shipping/receiving service for LF film and/or LF gear?
3. Would you be willing to pay (at least enough to cover the cost of production) for a guide to locations suitable/interesting for LF photography that are not otherwise easily found or discovered?
4. Are there other LF-related services you would like to have available when vacationing?

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

[Michael Clark]

I think the services you mentioned would work out well for travelers from a foreign country, and add maybe film development services or darkroom rental for self film development would be good. The traveler would not be burden with carrying around a bunch of film and equipment on airplanes, tripods rental might be big.

[RSalles]

As a foreign person I would consider using a tripod rental and eventually a guide services for LF photo. I see Alaska as a fantastic destination for LF photo landscape, a logistic support including lodging, car/plane rental also would be great.

Cheers,

Renato

[bthphoto]

Thanks for the feedback. I was really just thinking of facilitating things specific to large format photography, as there are plenty of travel agents who do the logistics support thing. I can see how it would be helpful to deal with one person for all of it, though, so I'll give it some thought.

Tripod rental is definitely within the scope of what I'm considering.

It's not really feasible for me to do darkroom rental. My darkroom is in my home and making it a commercial facility would have all kinds of insurance, waste disposal, and spousal ramifications. I doubt there are going to be more than a handful of LF photographers traveling and shooting in the area each year thought, so I might consider doing some limited quantity of film development then shipping the negs for them or something along those lines.

As I said, I'm not really interested in making this a business, just in covering costs while helping LF photographers have a better experience in the area. Things that depend on economies of scale, like maintaining a commercial darkroom, are probably beyond the scope of what I could offer.

[RSalles]

bthphoto,

Please send me your email address in PVT,

Thanks,

Renato Salles

[bthphoto]

PM sent.

[RSalles]

PM received, replied, thanks!

Renato