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Another photography giant fatality – Bowens International going into liquidation

by 34 Comments

Just over one year ago, Bowens along with Calumet were snapped up by investment company Aurelius. At that time, their press release waxed lyrical about the future of Calumet, but barely a mention for the Bowens brand.

An inside source has told DIYP that Bowens has now gone into liquidation. We’ve also had this confirmed by two other independent sources. Although we’ve yet to receive official confirmation from Bowens themselves, we believe the information to be quite solid. We’ll be following the situation closely as information comes in and updating this post as necessary.

 

Established 1928 as Bowens Camera Service Company, they started life as a London, England based camera repair company. Their began to produce their first flash bulbs in 1947, and from 1950 the company made its own electronic studio flash systems. In 1963, the name Bowens International Ltd. was registered.

Bowens seemed to be struggling last year when they pulled out The Photography Show at the last minute. When a major sponsor suddenly pulls out of a show, it raises a few eyebrows. Bowens claimed it was down to the fact that their Generation X lights weren’t quite ready yet, but that’s a lot of expense to throw down the drain.

Since adding Bowens and Calumet to their collection, Aurelius also recently acquired WEX Photographic, with whom Calumet will be merged. It appears, though, that Bowens is simply not a viable business. With pressure from brands like Godox, it’s not that surprising.

It seems Chris Burfoot, Broncolor Lighting Manager for Hasselblad UK has heard the same news.

It will be a sad loss to the global photographic community if this turns out to be true.

We have reached out to Bowens International Ltd. for comment. We will update this post as more news comes in.

Update: It’s official.

Related posts:

It’s official – Bowens is dead after 94 years German flash manufacturer Multiblitz goes into liquidation It’s deja vu all over again as UK retailer Jessops plans to call in the administrators US lighting manufacturer DynaLite goes bust – files Chapter 7 bankruptcy

About John Aldred

John Aldred is based in Scotland and photographs people in the wild and animals in the studio.

You can find out more about John on his website and follow his adventures on YouTube and Facebook.

  • Shame, but they cannot compete with Chinese companies. All my flashes are now Godox, and all my accessories are Chinese too

    • Same here. Doesnt pay enough to buy high end kit

  • Bowens Sales rep at the Digital Splash show in Liverpool last year was more or less non existent, couldn’t find them anywhere…

  • Roy Bridgewood

    A few years ago I was a Bowens user. I had a small studio shooting pack shots, products and clothing. one day whilst shooting clothing for a client, the unthinkable happend. A capacitor within one of the new lights exploded spraying hot oil over the garment, my camera and me. I was lucky that I was not badly burned as the camera shielded my face.

    It turned out Bowens were aware of the issue but would not back down not honouring the warranty. I felt that I had been misled by Bowens as I assumed they were a UK based company offering British made goods. It was that issue that caused me to look elswhere and just as I was about to invest in Pro photo I discovered Godox. I have not looked back

    • Miletarget

      I had a capacitor go in a “Traveller” pack a few years ago……….. scared the crap out of me.

  • It’s a shame but they were too expensive for a lot of photographers.

  • Will you still be able to buy spares if you need too as I am in the process of buying second hand Bowens 500R on ebay

    • Alex

      nothing is guaranteed when a company goes out, so if youre committed to buying them, i’d stock up on bulbs

    • Did Gary Spiers

  • Nearly bought a set this spring. Glad I didn’t

  • Problem is not that this company can’t compete with the Chinese companies…their product is among the best.

    The reason why this high end company close down is because photographer like us is not earning enough to purchase this sort of gears…

    Everyone is using our photo for free this days and nobody is really paying for photo , just copy paste or in exchange with publicity…

    Any tom, dick and harry call themselves​ a photographer this days, lowering down the price and killing us all…Lot of chap like this just take photography as a hobby and they do not know how to charge, thinking that charging too high, client will leave so they charge low..

    Udi Tirosh – should make a article on this….. Nobody seem to see the reality of photography this days..

    We always look at ourself as an artist , this is tge reason we are being exploited by company in exchange for publicity… I tell you this publicity don’t pay shit. Now Client always think they can get everything free out from us because this new beginner are flooding the market and they don’t know how charge the client.

    • Well said.

    • Keow, you have hit the nail on the head. Clients not prepared to pay for Professional Photography any more, and we can not afford to buy new kit. You only have to see all the second hand equipment for sale on Ebay !!

      • Mandy Donneky

        I have a spanner, a screwdriver, a drill, a saw and OH a degree in photography and 20 years experience working as a pro photographer…. surely that makes me a plummer, a electrician, a carpenter, oh and someone who’s photos are good because they own a good camera RIGHT???

        FFS

        • Miletarget

          It makes you a plummer to the client who does not know better……..

    • Adriano To’Agui

      You are damn right, Fellow. Right- you are!

    • Brackets

      Sorry I think you are incorrect in calling this as the reason that Bowens has failed. If you were correct that Bowens have failed because photographers don’t make enough money, then Profoto and Broncolor should be the lighting brands that have failed , based on cost alone. (as you say). Bowens failed because of OLD OLD OLD tech, they stopped innovating and the market left them behind. lets call this for what it is, bad decisions made by their management.

      • Paolo Catucci

        In this market, as in all the rest, the middle class is disappearing, which is then what determines the success of a sector and society. Profoto and Broncolor thrive because they are small companies with a top market, while Bowens was the classic good middle class product, the classy one that no longer exists! Today, the big ones work in the studio and use Profoto and Broncolor, others go to speedlight and arrange!

        • Brackets

          Middle class is alive and well and has more to offer than ever before, just now without Bowens. Middle class does not need to be old tech!! Now it has TTL, HSS. Battery, Fast recycle, 9 stops of adjustment, group control and even bluetooth! You are better served than ever before! Bowens was never classy, it was working class and I should know as I have worked with it for 20 years.

  • When I was looking to buy strobes it was them or PCB. I went with alien bees.

  • This is a shame – I love my Bowens Gemini lights

  • Terry Livesey

    • 😥 it was on the cards ages ago but glad I didn’t just invest in all their new kit, hope they can be salvaged or that the rumours are unfounded.

  • Mandy Donneky

    I have a spanner, a screwdriver, a drill, a saw and OH a degree in photography plus almost 20 years experience working as a pro photographer…. surely that makes me a plummer, a electrician, a carpenter, oh and someone who’s photos are good because they own a good camera RIGHT???

    Bowen’s gone in to liquidation because us pro’s struggling/unable to invest in kit to improve our product/service because surely with today’s cameras why does any one need to hire someone who has top end kit??

    I’m guessing these days your value washing up liquid dose the same job as quality liquid so whole bottle v’s one squirt which when translated to photography = 20 snaps (hoping one is ok) v’s one get it right first time photo.

    #Bowens

    • Mandy Donneky

      #Rant

    • Jaf Photo

      I think KW Loong got it right. The middle class of photographers is on the way out. You have a few photographers that can charge a lot and then a huge mass working for peanuts. Where I live photography is the lowest ranking profession for employment prospects. Most schools have stopped giving photography degrees. Photojournalists have gone from being heroes to giving classes to amateurs to pay the bills.

      Photography is dying as a preofession, a craft and an art form. In a generation, people will look back on the photography of the 20th century as a lost golden age.

  • Andrew

    Years ago photographers were photographers and people & companies respected their craft and were willing to pay for it because their craft came with years of education & skill and knowledge about lighting which is one of the most important factors in photography.Nowadays any rookie who thinks they have a nice camera and simply think they can take photos can instantly call themselves a photographer.The industry has been brought down to its knees by the sheer volume of these so called photographers who are blinded by by ignorance and with no creative skill so they instantly reduce prices to win jobs and on the other hand you have companies going abroad to China manufacturing cheaper tools & lighting for our industry taking quality companies like Bowens down and in the process feeding the Chinese with more manufacturing power while we are shutting our doors and lining up at the unemployment office or simply reduce prices to survive.So to my conclusion, companies are willing to pay for photography you just simply have to produce the quality they want with the best reliable equipment,along with not only creative skill but awesome lighting so they can physically see what they’re paying for and if that company decides to use one of these rookies in the future and these rookies show up to a shoot using a remote controlled speed light well guess who they’ll be hiring next time

    • Brackets

      Sorry….companies going to China taking down quality companies like Bowens????? Where do you think Bowens was made?? SO many people here blaming the chinese or blaming the fact that no one will pay enough for there work? If I had $1 for everytime I have heard someone say can I have a discount on that crazy low price lighting set up, as i have just spent 10K on some new lens I just had to have and have blown my budget. Sorry, the problem is that MANY photographers do not really understand lighting or even learn it correctly and so they value it at the bottom of their spend. Some will even put four C or N speedliits into a softbox just so they can continue to play strobists and fiddle with toy lights so they can live in the C or N techie environments.

  • Brackets

    Sorry, nothing to do with being too expensive, Profoto is not experiencing the same issues. Bowens dropped the ball years ago in an area that has been innovating, they were moving to chinese manufacture of heads with OLD tech. Recipe for the outcome achieved I would say.

  • Baron Bratby

    If true it is a dreadful shame. While the old Gemini heads were getting a little long in the tooth compared to say Elinchrom the new ones are brilliant. In fact I was considering more of them.

    As for all the carping about not being valued, not being paid enough. All I can say is grow some or get out of the industry. Their are plenty of us managing to make good sales. I know one studio that took £700,000 off one fairy promotion!! If you are not making money then its because you cannot market, have no idea how to carry out the sales or are a crap photographer. Wear the hat that suits then sort out the issue instead of joining a group sulk about how it is the fault of anyone but you

    • Jaf Photo

      So, Mr Brat. How much of the total marketing budget do you think goes to the photographer? How many top photographers, who can ask any price, do you think there are?

  • unDISQUS

    All you togs who complain about no-one being willing to pay the rates anymore: I asume you buy all your groceries at Fortnum & Mason?

  • Shoot2Thrill

    I don’t believe Aurelius, a German company (since 2016 owner of Bowens, Calumet and Wex Photographic) shameful statement in attempting to blame cheaper Chinese rivals for the closure of the company, as the Bowens brand was actually manufactured in China also. I’m curious as to why Aurelius then go on to advertise for free on their former Bowens website the leading Chinese brands that we should consider investing with as an alternative (maybe they own them too!)

    I think the closure of Bowens is more so as a consequence of Brexit; with Germany attempting industrial sabotage of the U.K. economy. What with the weak pound, a sign of things to come for more so-called ‘British’ companies maybe.

    As a consumer, I would like to know what consideration Aurelius had given to the many loyal photographers who have heavily invested for years in the Bowen’s brand, yet now being given no option but to throw all the Bowen equipment in the skip and reinvest in another brand.

    I think I’ll try and wait until the Brexit has progressed to see which companies are still standing thereafter.

    I will however avoid any company remotely associated with Aurelius.

    My sincere thoughts go more so to the many innocent employees who’s lives and families/children have been devastated by the disgraceful acts of Aurelius, Aurelius, Aurelius, Aurelius, Aurelius, Aurelius, Aurelius, Aurelius, NAME AND SHAME!

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