Where do pro's send their film for development?

[ted_smith]

15 years ago, when I was 15 years old, I spent a week at a professional studio photographers.

One day he took me to a development lab in Lincoln, here in the UK. I cannot remember it's name (maybe it's still there?), but he took me round and I actually saw one of his portraits being worked on by a member of staff.

But I don't actually know what a lab like that is called, and in what context they are used? I use 35mm Jessops film mostly, and I buy some Fujifilm for better expeditions, and I then post it all off to the Jessops labs in Hinkley, Leicester, UK and it comes back about a week later.

But I am curious - if I were to ever become a pro photographer, where would I send my film to be processed? Presumebly, only medium or large format is used by pro's on the whole (by those who are not 100% digital), so I guess they have to use special labs as opposed to places like Jessops?

Can anyone recommend such a lab here in the UK, ideally in the Midlands (I live in Derby, Derbyshire).

Cheers

Ted

 

[ThomThomsk]

Can anyone recommend such a lab here in the UK, ideally in the Midlands (I live in Derby, Derbyshire).

Cheers

Ted

Peak Imaging, in Sheffield:

http://www.peak-imaging.com/

I mostly develop and print my own b&w, but I use them for 35mm and 120 transparencies and colour negs and they are very good. Of course the printing is digital these days, but that's typical unless you pay an indecent amount of money for hand printing.

They have a 120 archiving service, where they keep your images on their server for 6 months (longer if you pay), so you don't have to send back the negatives or slides when you want reprints. I'd imagine this would be just the job if you were doing weddings (although how many weddings are still shot on film, IDK...).

Thom

 

[kevin_c]

Like Thom said ^^^ I use peak imaging or transpacolour - depends on the service I require.

 

[markc]

If you want some general advice, search the forum for choosing a lab threads. There have been several. There's some good advice in there beyond specific labs.

 

[ksmattfish]

I do my own. There's nothing like in-house processing.

 

[j_mcquillen]

As in a couple of posts above, I use Peak Imaging - quick turn-around times, good customer service, and (in my experience at least) consistently good results.

Or as Matt says, you could process and / or print your own work if you have the space to set up.

 

[clairerb]

I use Primary Colour in London for my developing, they might do mail order... I'm not sure.