One lab closes, one refrigerator opens

[Gordon Coale]

The digital onslaught takes another photo lab. I've been taking my 120 roll film to a small lab here on the south end of Whidbey Island. This little lab has been in Langley for maybe 10 years. The daughter of the original owner runs it. She couldn't print 120 but I only needed C-41 processing and she could do that. I went there this afternoon to drop off film and there is a note on the door that it is closing. It's not quite as bad as it sounds. She has struck a deal with the local drugstore to do all their film processing. She is moving her processor to her home and will operate it there. The drugstore is currently sending their film off Island so this will better for her and for the drugstore. But I won't be dealing with anyone at the drugstore that has a clue and my turnaround went from a few hours to a few days so it's time to bite the bullet and send my film to Seattle.

On the way out of Langley I stopped at Mike Stadler's photography studio. Mike is a friend of my son's and is doing well as a professional photographer on the Island. I needed to find out some info on stock photo prices since I had an inquiry on my dead bug pictures. As I was leaving he asked if I shot 120 black and white and then got 10 rolls of Ilford FP4 and 8 rolls of Tri-X 320 out of his refrigerator and gave them to me. Woo hoo! Doesn't use it since he went digital. It expired in 2000 but it's been refigerated all this time. I don't have facilities for developing film (yet) but since I will now have to send my C-41 out I will send my real black and white out to the same lab.

Bad news tempered with good fortune.

 

[nwcanonman]

Gordon,
Too bad about losing your local lab. Where in Seattle will you now use? There's been no real lab here is the Olympia area for awhile and I send mine to Photo-Vision in Salem, Oregon - C41 and E-6, great customer service AND no sales tax - ~ ; - )

 

[Gordon Coale]

10 years ago I used Moon Photo in Seattle for black and white. Most excellent. Last fall, when I started my Speed Graphic project, I called them up to find out they don't do black and white sheet film anymore. However, they recommended Panda Photographic Laboratories, which is located on the south end of Lake Union in Seattle. I've not tried them yet but will soon. I did have a nice chat with someone there and he was most willing to try my 3.25x4.25 film. They also do C-41. You can give them a call at 206-285-7091 to get a price list. I know I will tomorrow.

 

[tajart]

c-41 processing in the nw-
i've been using the fred meyer store in bellingham for all my c-41, just get 4x6 prints and treat them as proofs.
i have friends in seattle who get good results from walgrens.
for professional lab work in seattle its Ivey Seright.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Buy a CPE-2 and a changing bag and you can do your own C41 and mono without a darkroom.

Cheers,

Roger