Photographer exposes 'unfair edge' library studio offers rivals

A commercial photographer fears Whangarei District Council is indirectly subsidising his competition.
 Colin Probst paid about $100,000 to establish a Finlayson St studio and has invested about $500,000 in cameras, lights and other equipment. But other commercial photographers can sidestep set-up costs by using a studio at the former Whangarei public library, he says.
Mr Probst's concerns over the commercial advantage this gives his opposition has led to the council promising to investigate how the studio will operate.
 The council  supports the Arts Promotion Trust, which has set up the Te Studio photographic studio in the former library in Rust Ave. It opened on December 10 and is available for hire by community or artistic photographers for $20 an hour or $100 a day, or by commercial snappers for $50 an hour or $150 a day.
The trust, which does not have to pay the council for use of the library until 2010/11, last month formed a company, Old Library Ltd, which includes Crs Phil Halse and Sharon Morgan among its seven directors. Last week it obtained charitable status and is expected to  appoint a part-time manager whose duties will include securing other business opportunities in the former library.
Mr Probst has complained that commercial photographer Megan Bowers is now using Te Studio for her business  - taking bookings from commercial and other photographers wanting to hire the studio.
Ms Bowers told the Northern Advocate she would charge up to $1000 for family portraits she photographed in the library studio.
However, council property and community services team leader Alan Adcock described Ms Bowers as a volunteer "who has offered to manage bookings and therefore base herself in the old library to deliver that volunteer role."
Mr Adcock said this arrangement should be reviewed in the New Year for its "appropriateness".
"We support the trust's approach in terms of subsidising its income by making premises available for commercial purposes provided first priority is given to community and arts use, and that commercial activity is at a non-subsidised rate so other commercial operators are not disadvantaged," he said.
"We believe the trust is operating Te Studio on this basis, but Mr Probst has raised some matters we want to investigate further, and we will be working with the trust to reach a solution which is fair for everyone."
Arts Promotion Trust CEO Mary Britton said she was dissapointed Mr Probst had not raised his concerns with them directly.
She said there was not competitive advantage for commercial photographers using Te Studio because they were charged market rates.
The studio was available to artists, the community, those wanting to learn photography and commercial photographers, she said.
A lot of research had gone into the project and there was a definite need for the studio in Whangarei. Previously photographers had to travel to Auckland to hire expensive studio space and Te Studio meant that money would now remain in Whangarei, she said.
Te Studio did not have exclusive use of the Old Library building, which was used by a range of other groups, she said.