The Docklands space renewed to accommodate snap-happy kindred spirits

Following the Renew Docklands program ending in late March, Chris Bowes and Jade Richards-Butler of Kindred Cameras, which opened in February, said they continued to be “optimistic” about their future in Docklands.

Situated at 454 Docklands Drive, the shopfront is a multi-use creative space geared towards the practice of photography, and contains two studios, a gallery, and a co-working room.

“Kindred Cameras is a lot of things, but I think of it as a mix between an artist studio, a photography studio, and a camera club,” Chris said.

“We have taken all the best bits from those worlds and put them together.”

While Kindred Cameras is a space to marvel at the creativity of other photographers’ works, which can be seen through the weekly exhibitions that the gallery holds, at its heart it remains a fun and uplifting educational space.

As a photography teacher at RMIT, with an artistic background, Chris finds enjoyment in teaching people at all stages, and is hopeful that Kindred Cameras will allow him to help teach more locals about the magic of photography.

“We deal with a lot of photographers in their early stages, so we really wanted this to be a place that was affordable and flexible for people in those early years and somewhere where they could grow their practices as part of a community,” he said.

We have a set program of workshops that we run here, and I teach everything from traditional photography to experimental and alternative photography, or I also offer one-on-one sessions where it is up to the person what they want to learn.

To help encourage locals to get more involved with the studio, Chris is currently in the process of creating a Docklands photo tour to take locals around to all the spectacular photo spots at their doorstep.

“I have been out scouting locations for a Docklands photo tour, and I cannot believe how photogenic Docklands is and how great the city space and landscape shots are,” he said.

“It is way better than the CBD because you get the whole city skyline but then also the boats on the harbour, the water, and the Bolte Bridge.”

In addition to the photo tour launching in June, a Docklands-themed exhibition will also take place within the Kindred Cameras’ gallery space, and will include all of Chris’s photo scouting shots. •

To stay on top of upcoming exhibitions at Kindred Cameras, or to get involved in any of the workshops, visit: kindredcameras.com and @kindredcameras on instagram.