An old 4×6 photo of my dad and me fell off my wall. I must have been three years old. I picked it up to stick it back, and on the back, in faded yellow lettering: Orms Print Room and Framing / 2003.
Walk down Roeland Street and you can trace a creative ecosystem almost thirty years in the making across a few city blocks. There is the Orms store, where first cameras become first commissions. Across the way, a print and framing hub where family photos become heirlooms. Next door, a repair bench that restores cameras and peace of mind. Around the corner, a school that compresses years of trial and error into focused weeks. A small city dedicated to image-making and creative expression, and it all began in a garage.
In the mid-90s, photographer and entrepreneur Mike Ormrod set up a small business at home, fixing and selling cameras and helping people however he could. Years later, the DNA of Orms remains: help first, sell second. ‘It’s a passion project born out of a home garage,’ says Mike’s son Jason, now Managing Director. ‘Eventually, the neighbours in Newlands complained there were too many cars, so we had to move.’ He laughs, telling the story, but the sentiment is serious. ‘My dad always taught me you never turn anyone away, even if they haven’t bought from you. You build a relationship based on trust.’
In a technical industry that can be incredibly closed off, an open-door principle was pretty revolutionary, and it remains a core part of the experience when you visit ORMS’ physical stores (rarities in the era of online shopping and next-day delivery). Jason and I got chatting about the importance of physical stores, and the conversation centred on people. ‘This industry is made up of professionals and hobbyists, and what links them is passion. Our stores give people the opportunity to explore a technical subject in a creative, tactile way.’
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This was a pertinent point to me, someone self-taught behind the lens, with much of the journey owing to ORMS. Jason recommended my first camera just over two years ago, and I have recently got hold of my second, at the same store off Roeland. I’ve since made use of their rental department extensively, too, often tapping into recommendations and insight from the staff when picking up a lens.
‘It’s about someone walking in, having a coffee, building a relationship with the person serving them, touching the models, and gaining confidence. That builds trust, and that happens best in person,’ Jason explained. Demand suggests customers agree. The Bellville store is 15 years old, and in early 2025, Orms opened a new branch in Somerset West.
‘We never want to be box movers,’ Jason says. ‘With technical, premium products, aftercare is non-negotiable.’ That thinking underpins what he calls the 360-degree approach: sell a camera, teach people to use it, service and repair it, and help turn the images into prints and framed works. ‘We can sell clients a camera, train them at our school, service their gear, and then print and frame their work. That is the Orms ecosystem.’
The 360 idea is visible on a map. The flagship Cape Town store anchors Roeland Square. The print and framing facility sits a short stroll away. Repairs are next door. The Cape Town School of Photography is down the road. Online operations are upstairs. ‘This is the hub,’ Jason says. While the Somerset West store is smaller, the services are the same. ‘We don’t have framing factories at each store, but we have daily deliveries and collections,’ Jason says. ‘You consult, we send it to the main factory, produce it, and send it back. Same with rentals and repairs.’
Education is central rather than supplementary, and the school has shifted with how people learn: shorter, targeted courses for busy creative professionals and beginners who want to upskill quickly. ‘People want answers fast. A year-long course is tough for someone working and wanting to expand creatively. So we offer intensive three-month programmes plus shorter workshops,’ says Jason. The practical focus has enabled collaborations, including a recent partnership with a chef academy teaching food styling and food photography together.
The Orms Print Room and Framing is where work becomes art. ‘This side of the business is incredibly creative,’ Jason says. ‘I walk through the factory and see unbelievable artworks every day.’ Seeing those pieces later on gallery walls or in private homes makes it tangible. ‘You know where it was made, who made it, the effort involved.’
A few doors down sits ORMS’ dedicated event and exhibition space, in a former church on Roeland Street, that was purchased just before COVID. It wasn’t in great shape, but when they pulled up the carpets, they found beautiful wooden floors that complemented a grand staircase. It now hosts product launches, workshops, reviews and exhibitions, with moveable walls and adaptable space.
Establishing headquarters around Roeland Street was a practical decision with an eye on the potential of the area too. ‘When we moved in, the area was rough. Lots of panel beaters. But Phillip Kgosana Drive made access easy,’ Jasone explained. Energy followed: Harrington Street’s revival, Wembley Square’s development, and a wave of creative businesses.
Orms shaped my own creative story. As a child, family photos were printed at Orms. Every digital camera I’ve owned came through them, and countless rolls of Kodak film for the little point-and-shoot my partner and I share have been developed at the store. Their roots are in printing and framing, but what they have built is much broader: a place that supports creativity from novice to professional.
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I asked Jason how he would define Orms. He laughed, recalling a business coach who once told him, ‘You are entertainment.’ It sounds light, but it makes sense. A weekend beginner course feels like a performance: a room of eager strangers, a shared language, a payoff. Launch nights are literal events. The factory floor has choreography. Even the retail space invites play: turning a camera in your hand, testing shutters, flipping through prints.
Entertainment at ORMS is immersive learning, rooted in community. It is a space where curiosity meets craft, and where creativity becomes physical: colour on paper, wood around glass, and the tools to make memories. From a Newlands garage to a city block of creative possibility, ORMS has built an ecosystem for belonging to your own ideas.
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Pictures: Lauren Fredericks & ORMS supplied
