LUMAS of Mayfair, London: the poshest photo gallery I’ve ever set foot in -

A German-based photo gallery and store with more than 40 outlets worldwide, LUMAS is an upmarket place that appeals to folks who want some kind of art on their wall and they’re not afraid to pay for it.

I stumbled across their gallery in London’s trendy Mayfair and took a look inside to see what was on offer.

Most of the work on display can be found in the basement which, unusually, is styled more like someone’s living room or office rather than an art gallery.

I guess the idea is that presenting it this way makes it easier for prospective buyers to get a feel for the work and perhaps be inspired to buy a job lot of images.

The work is mainly made up of limited edition prints, which can command a higher price and perhaps prove a worthwhile investment for collectors.

With the work on display more about providing a ‘pretty’ environment rather than furthering the boundaries of photography, there wasn’t much to excite me, although there was some attractive prints lining the walls.

The prices very much reflected the gallery’s location, with prints starting in the low hundreds and soaring upwards into the thousands of pounds.

Despite targeting more affluent customers, it has to be said that the staff were very friendly indeed, with none of that snobbishness you can encounter in some West End galleries.