Ever wondered what and who goes into the development of processing your films? Well, we thought it was about time we introduced you to some of the amazing, and super talented team that work tirelessly behind the scenes at Filmprocessing.co.uk.
We caught up with the team to get the low down on their all time favourite rolls of film, and how they got into film photography.
Meet The FilmProcessing Team
Sarah - Co-founder & Lab Queen
Sarah has been a cornerstone in the photo processing industry since 1983. If you need proof, take a look at the snapshot below of Sarah captured on Ilford FP4 in the 80's!
As the co-founder of FilmProcessing, Sarah's expertise in film is unparalleled. Her story, detailed below, about how she ventured into the world of film is organic and inspiring.
Over the years, Sarah's preference for film has remained steadfast. If she had to choose her all-time favourite analogue film, it would undoubtedly be Ilford FP4. We asked Sarah to share more about why this film holds a special place in her heart.
"I love Black and White, as a young child my grandfather would take me on photo walks and would talk me through the whole photo shooting process from his perspective, the subject, the composition, the exposure – why he had chosen it, the relationship between the aperture and shutter speed.
He had a darkroom set up in all the houses he lived in, in one such house there was a row of old outside buildings which had plumbing and electric and he converted one of them into a mini darkroom/ studio where he would experiment with taking photos and developing his own film.
The majority of his work in the days when I was following him around, he would be shooting in Black and White, it was easier and cheaper to process and print than colour so a more viable option for a hobbyist.
For me there is a greater tonal range in Black and white which can lead to a more thought-provoking image. By using the light to either emphasise the shadows or highlights you can create different moods for your image, which is not so easy to do when using Colour.
When I like to look at images I like to imagine a story behind the photo, why did it come to be, and I think black and White photography has a sense of nostalgia which can add to the mystery of the image.
Black and White photography also makes me feel at home a link to my grandfather who was my inspiration to loving film photography and to studying it at Art college in the early eighties.
Ilford FP4 was one of the first films I ever used and processed myself, it has a beautiful tonal range and a very fine grain and is therefore a versatile film to use for all kinds ofphotography, the only downside is that as a 125 iso if using outdoors in the depths of winter it may not have enough latitude for a good exposure. If I find myself in this situation, then I would use a higher ISO film such as Ilford HP5, (tends to be slightly more contrasty with increased grain), which gives me better latitude for an accurate exposure without resorting to slower shutter speeds or wider apertures, unless of course I wanted a reduced depth of field to create a particular mood for my photo, in which case I would just get out the tripod and use a shutter release".
Here are some example shots from Sarah on the Ilford FP4 from the 80s, all the way through to today, a film that's definitely stood the test of time.
Rosie - Lab Technician
Rosie is one of our very talented lab technicians at FilmProcessing, and whether she's responding to your emails, or processing your images, there's not much that Rosie can't do!
Rosie loves life behind the lens too and her favourite film to shoot with is Kodak Ektar 100 35mm film, here's what she had to say about the film,
"It has bold, saturated colours which look natural and realistic, and the 'low grain' 100ISO makes the photos sharp and crisp, especially at medium format size.
I love to use it for environmental portraits or landscapes where there are lots of contrasting colours and bright natural light.
This film makes green/blue tones look AMAZING, and its great exposure latitude means it captures a lot more details in the highlights and shadows giving beautiful, balanced photos. And it really shines at golden hour!".
Phoebe - Lab Technician
Phoebe is also one of our amazing lab technicians at FilmProcessing, and studied media at uni, specialising in photography. A couple of years later she found a love of film after her Grampy passed away and was given his old vintage cameras.
Her favourite film stock is Kodak Gold 200. Phoebe said, "it's a good budget film, reliable and features my favourite colour palettes in a film. It's vibrant, versatile and vibey, and is great as long as you have a flash".
Take a look at some of Phoebe's shots on Kodak Gold 200 below.
Arran - Lab Technician
Arran originally started at FilmProcessing as a Christmas temp, and well, he loved it so much that he's been back with us for 3 years now and is also one of our lab technicians!
Arran got into film photography when he was 16 and started with photographing his friends skateboarding. Arran loves the tactile process that comes with analogue photography.
He has lots of 35mm cameras to call upon, but he does have a favourite film which is Kodak Tri-X 400 35mm. Arran said, "I love the look of T grain, and the style of film. I like the history surrounding the film as it has been manufactured for 80 years and not changed. It's older than other films, and I'm inspired by the film photographers that use it".
Take a look at a couple of his shots on this much loved, and timeless film.
Toni - Lab & Shop Support
Toni has been with the FilmProcessing team for 5 years now, she might also be referred to as the lab queen and provides support across the shop floor, and behind the scenes in the lab.
Toni doesn't regularly shoot on film, but she loves the tactile aspect to film photography and being able to get physical copies in your hands. But when she does, she loves that you can shoot with a vintage or modern look, depending on the film you choose.
Take a look at some of her shots below, taken on a photo walk before work with Sarah on the Plymouth Hoe. She used Ilford XP2 here, and got the shots processed back in the lab within an hour, all in the time they enjoyed some coffee and cake. How is that for speedy film processing?!
Adam - Lab Manager
Adam has been in the film industry for over 20 years, with 16 years spent in our lab! There's literally nothing that Adam doesn't know about film processing, and if there is, it's not worth knowing about!
His involvement with film started with a part time Saturday job and it evolved from that. Adam doesn’t shoot film, but loves cinestill 400D for its cinematic characteristics.
Michelle - Lab & Shop Support
Michelle shares a similar role to Toni and provides support across the lab and shop as well as creating gifts for our sister site, MyPhoto.
She has been working with us for 14 years and has recently found a love of film from picking up some great vintage cameras at car boot sales, she says the Stuart Road car boot on a Sunday in Plymouth is a good one, if you're in the area!
Michelle is another fan of Kodak Gold 200, as it's versatile, easy and demonstrates vibrant colours. Here's a couple of her shots of her gorgeous dog Bella.
Chris - Lab Specialist
Chris has been in the lab the longest, with over 20 years experience in the photo lab, and he's otherwise known as the lab guru and lego master builder. If you've ever had your photos processed with us, it's likely Chris has processed them for you!
Having spent so many years in the lab, naturally, Chris also loves to shoot on film in his spare time.
This is just some of the amazing team at FilmProcessing who help the lab, shop and processing to run smoothly each, and every day.
Having such a talented team helps us to get your films dispatched quickly and your shots processed with a quality, quick turnaround.
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