Developing Professional Negatives

stephaniem3 · Jun 8, 2005

I got married in October and still haven't ordered all the professional photos for my family. The photographer just sold his business and called offering to sell me the negatives so I can get copies made myself. These are not digital. The negatives are not traditional 35 mm, rather they are 3x5 or something like that. Can someone tell me how hard it is to get photos from these negatives? Can a camera shop do it? Do I need to use a professional photographer? I'd like to have the negatives, but not if I can't get pictures made from them.
Thanks.
Stephanie

KevinR · Jun 8, 2005

He probably shot medium format. I don't where your located, but if there are some decent photo processers around you, they would be able to print them for you. I have only seen a handful of smaller one hour labs that had the set-up for medium format. I would get the negs if I where you. You could even send them out for printing if there isn't anybody around you.

selmerdave · Jun 8, 2005

They are probably medium format, meaning the negatives are likely either 6x4.5cm, 6x6cm or 6x7cm. All three are standards in professional photography and any printing place that handles professional stuff will deal with it more often than 35mm I would think.

In other words, it should be no problem to get prints made, although it might be a bit expensive but then you're getting great quality for that cost. Considering the cost if it's a lot of negatives you might look through them and choose some of them to be printed rather than pay for a print of every single one. Take them to a good lab, it will be well worth it. Don't take them to a photographer as you will likely just be paying for their time to take it to a lab and then the cost of the lab.

Dave

Christie Photo · Jun 8, 2005

Tell us where you are and I'm sure someone will reccomend a source.

fadingaway1986 · Jun 8, 2005

Maybe you could ask the photographer you are purchasing them from, where he got them printed originally? If he did it himself - ask him if he knows of somewhere local that would be able to do it...

stephaniem3 · Jun 9, 2005

I'm located in New Orleans. The photographer was in Mississippi. He said he used to send the photos to a developer, but they recently told him they were no longer processing this type of negative... I'm sorry for the vagueness of the information, but I've different information at different times. I have the proof book. I got that as part of the package, but I know that getting those small pictures blown up to 8x10 would sacrifice quality.
Thanks.

photo1 · Jun 9, 2005

Buying the negs from the photographer is cheeper than buying the enlargments in the long run. Your print sizes will be 5x5 5x7 8x10 and larger, but then better than what you get from 35mm. When I stop doing weddings I sold my customers the negs, usualy for 100 dollars per wedding. There are at least ten good labs here in Dallas that will do your work I use bwc.
Go on line and type in pro labs for your area you should find one.

Christie Photo · Jun 9, 2005

Hmmm... you have the proofs, but you can get the negatives... is this correct?

I did find a lab in New Orleans, but have no first-hand experience with them.

http://www.primarycolorlab.com/index.html

Good luck!

-Pete

stephaniem3 · Jun 9, 2005

That's right. I have the proofs but can buy the negatives. Thanks for the name of the shop. I'm probably going to go ahead and buy them so that I can get the copies made.