By Mike Rowley
This year marks 45 years of The Flash Centre, a milestone that feels both surreal and deeply personal.
Anyone who knows TFC knows this: we’ve never been just a camera store. It’s a place built on passion, for photography, for people, and for helping creatives do what they love. It's also a business that’s been shaped by family, forged through challenges, and grown with the support of a truly incredible community of photographers.
Community has always been at the heart of TFC. Workshops, like this one at our old Mount Street store in Birmingham, help us share knowledge with the next generation of photographers
So, as we celebrate this sapphire anniversary, I wanted to take a moment to look back, not just on TFC’s history, but on what it means, and more importantly, to invite you to share your story with us too.
From a Family Business to a Creative Community
TFC’s story actually begins before the name “The Flash Centre” ever existed.
Malcolm Whittle started our story in 1980
In 1973, my grandfather Malcolm Whittle opened Leeds Camera Centre in London. Yes, you read that right. It was called Leeds Camera Centre, despite being nowhere near Leeds. But knowing my grandad, a proud Yorkshireman through and through, I’m not at all surprised that’s the name he chose. Fast forward to 1980, and he, alongside my uncle, Chris Whittle, launched a new company specialising in Elinchrom studio flash. It was called Photographic Studio Consultants Ltd, though most knew it simply as The Flash Centre, based in The Brunswick Centre in London.
That family legacy grew into something much bigger. Malcolm went on to buy Elinchrom in 1989, cementing our deep connection with the brand. Over time, TFC became known not just as a distributor and rental company, but as a trusted hub for working photographers, many of whom are still popping into our stores today.
Who remembers our London Brunswick Centre store? We were located inside the centre for nearly three decades, before moving to the outside in (I think) 2005 or 2006.
This image was sent to me after posting the blog. So happy to have a copy of this again! The team outside the original Brunswick Centre store, circa 2000 or 2001.
The Realities of Running a Business
Like many of our customers, freelancers, studio owners, working professionals, I know the highs and lows that come with running a business. It’s both a blessing and a challenge, and the passion keeps you going.
There were times when it felt like we were navigating storm after storm: economic uncertainty, political curveballs, wars and even a global pandemic all have profound impacts on supply chains. These are things that keep you up at night. They’re also the things that force you to adapt, to grow, to learn about what matters most (spoiler, it's you, our customers!).
Five years ago, Lumesca acquired TFC, and I stepped away from ownership. But I didn’t step away from the heart of what we do. The team and I are still here, still driven by the same mission: to support our community, to keep that passion alive, and to help you do the best work you can.
Chris Whittle (right) passed the baton to Geoffrey Clements (left) and the Lumesca team in 2020.
Why We're Still Here After 45 Years
To be honest, the most rewarding part of the job is seeing what you create with the kit we sell. Watching your work grow, evolve, and succeed is a reminder of why we do this. It makes everything real and drives us to keep this business alive. Every image, every project, every moment you capture helps bring our mission full circle.
That mission is more important now than ever. Back in 1980, when The Flash Centre first opened its doors, there were over 2,500 photographic retailers across the UK. Today, it's estimated that fewer than 250 shops remain, and only around 50 of those stores account for most of the industry’s sales. Sadly we had to make the very difficult decision to say goodbye to our Leeds store only last month. A hugely difficult decision, shaped by changing shopping habits and the rising cost of running a physical store, but a decision that helps us to grow in other areas and plan for the next 45 years!
We sadly said goodbye to TFC Leeds in August 2025
And yet, here we are, still proudly independent, still passionate about photography, and still committed to serving our community. We’ve survived and evolved thanks to the relationships we’ve built with photographers like you. That connection, that shared passion, is what keeps us going.
So, as we mark this milestone, we want to shine a light on your stories, too.
Over the coming months, we’ll be featuring stories from our team and our customers. sharing the journeys that brought us all into photography, how we use the tools we supply, and where we're headed next. If you'd like to be featured, please get in touch, you can email me on mrowley@theflashcentre.com, I’d love to hear from you.
Our Future
Our future is shaped by you, our customers, our partnership. Who would have thought that ‘Analogue’ photography would become ‘cool’ again? We spotted this last year and acquired another long-standing business Firstcall Photographic the leading UK analogue specialist with over 4000 products. In August we announced that we were launching the top selling products in branch, and we have already seen many of you in store buying your analogue supplies, even some wedding photographers who are charging for a few vintage ‘film’ packages to top up the digital fees. We also saw the rise in video or hybrid work, so expanded our Lighting brands to have the best of Godox and Nanlite in store.
HOT NEWS, we will shortly be offering Camera and Lens trade-ins, with some additional perks for our working professionals and many more exciting plans for 2026…
Nowadays, our London store has a much better space for hosting workshops, filming videos, and sharing what we've learnt over the years.
Our Birmingham store is a fair bit shinier too!
Coming Up Next: My Journey in Photography
To kick things off, I’ll be sharing a bit more about my own journey with photography, from growing up around the family business to how my creative path has evolved over the years. Keep an eye on the blog for that post next.
Here’s to another 45 years of stories, of shared experiences, and of doing what we love.
Thanks for being part of it.
- Mike Rowley
