What is Dark Room Lab
When I first began my film photography hobby, I had to do a lot of research on how and where do I go get my pictures developed out of my cameras. My first initial thought was to go to CVS because that's where I have heard from the past that they develop disposable cameras. Unfortunately when I went to three local CVS's they all told me that they no longer work with the Kodak developer company and no longer develop film. I was left hopeless because that was the only place I could link of that had access to these old school cameras. Knowing film is an outdated type of photography, I had to search on the internet to find another company that dedicates themselves to developing film. That is when I found the website Dark Room Lab. Dark Room lab has different types of services such as film development through mail and online purchasing options for different cameras , 35mm film and photo printing. This website is so convenient especially living somewhere where film isn't as common. The process is made very easy too. All you have to do is state how films or disposable cameras you want to develop, click if you want to print photos or not, then print out a shipping label to send to your local post office. The website makes the instructions very clear and the shipping and handling is very easy to follow.
image from DarkRoom Lab google page
Customer Support and Reliability
I had nothing but great experiences with the services they provide. I had a couple of questions before first sending my film through the mail for the first time like how long will it take; will they send my negative back; etc. I was worried that sending an email to them would take a while because other companies that I have emailed in the past took more than a week to reach back. Luckily those worries were incorrect because customer service responded to my email in less than a day. Considering that they are a smaller company and they constantly receive messages throughout the week, it was greatly appreciated when they responded so quick and showed that they value the questions that their customers may have. The message they sent back to me seemed very genuine and like an automated message. Considering that I had to mail my film, it felt like I had a one on one interaction with the employee.
Image from Dark Room Lab customer service page
Photo quality
With my journey with film photography, I have now learned that different sites or shops have their own distinct style with their technical quality such as the tones, contrasts, and the colors of the images. I have now ordered with this website about seven times now because of the quality in the photos they have provided me. The scans were high resolution, and true with the film. For example, my favorite film to use
Cinestill 800T, is great for low light setting because its fine grain renders details beautifully adding a glow to bright sources of light. The Dark Room lab successfully preserve these highlights showing the beautiful precision of this image.
NYC trip using Cinestill 800T
Over all Review
Dark Room Lab is a trustworthy company to send your disposable cameras and your film rolls to. This site has a special place in my heart because it was one of the first sites that I have been able to rely one when I first started this journey with film photography. They have exceeded my expectations, especially with their consistency , professionalism and their great attention to detail. I feel confident recommending this site to other photographers for some high quality images. This website is very convenient to many people all over the world who do not access to a local film developing shop. I will definitely continue to keep sending more rolls their way in the future.
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