One of the largest photography studios in the south has opened as a collaborative venture between the Brighton Media Centre (BMC) and a new company called Photomedia.

Studio manager Jerry Lebens said: "We have made an investment of more than £50,000 to combine the best aspects of digital and traditional photography production.

"We are offering the place for hire to photographers of all levels and planning training courses to help people learn to use the top equipment on the market."

The BMC supplied the space in Middle Street, Brighton, and Photomedia put in the equipment.

Mr Lebens said: "The studio has a huge workshop area with additional space for set-building, a six-person dark room, a film processing area and a digital production computer suite.

"The central studio covers 2,500sqft, of which 1,500sqft is taken up by an infinity cove which allows photographers to take pictures of people or things in a completely seamless background.

"It's a way of presenting content that is unsurpassed in clarity and avoids naff backgrounds. The cove can accommodate groups of people or large objects, such as furniture, without any problem.

"We have added every lighting option imaginable and there's no limit to the types of images we can produce, from advertising and fashion, portraits or pack shots to full videos for pop bands."

The BMC gallery is hosting an exhibition of photographs taken by Mr Lebens and fellow Brighton-based photographers Maurice Smith and Wendy Pye.

Mr Lebens said: "The photos are of people who work in and near to Middle Street, including a group of waitresses from The Coachhouse bar and the Choccywoccydoodah team sculpting chocolate."

BMC director Ian Elwick said: "We have wanted to set up a studio of this calibre from the start of our operations back in 1992. It wasn't until we acquired a new building in Middle Street last year we had suitable space to work with."

The free exhibition will run until October 28. For more information on hiring the studio, email photomedia@fastnet.co.uk www.mediacentre.org