Report from a photo lab

Changes are still afoot here at MCV MCV dot blogspot dot com incorporated, but I want to give a quick shoutout to San Francisco's own Photoworks, not just for being a friendly local lab. Dave, the owner, has had a blog going for a little while, and although it's not updated a whole lot, the posts that go up give a very honest perspective on the lab business. Are there any other blog-friendly photo labs? Anyway, check out his latest post about the end of the one-hour-photo place, and some good dirt on Ritz Camera. It's a good read.

Photoworks is also on Twitter now. And so am I actually.

Intense

Full respect to Dave from Photoworks, who writes on the Photoworks blog:

So I got this big deal event coming up. We’re having a baby, and among other things, one of my jobs is to capture the moment of truth. My wife says, “don’t blow it dude, bring the digital camera.” How boring, I mean how many times will be in a labor and delivery room again? I’m thinking this is a chance for some black and white documentary style action. So I’ll be packing my bessa rangefinder, my lomo smena, and maybe a holga. Some neopan 1600, portra 800, and a some expired slide film to cross process. I’m sure the midwife will appreciate my attempt to be artsy while my wife is screaming her lungs out pushing out the baby. Not sure what to say to everyone who wants a photo sent right away. Maybe that’s what camera phones are for. So we’re 2 days past due date and the bags are packed, the laundry is done, and the cameras are loaded.

Photoworks is my local lab in SF. They have a good Flickr group and will be putting on a one-night exhibition of group member photos in September. (There will be wine.)

As a side note, I love Neopan 1600; it's very friendly to toy cameras with flashes. (*COUGHCOUGH*GOLDENHALF) I shot a few rolls of Delta 3200 but I'm not going to make the switch. If anyone knows of a better high-speed black and white film, please speak up!