Where to Develop Film in Richmond in 2023.
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If you’re an analog photographer in Richmond, you’re going to be hard pressed to find many photo labs that still process film.
While plenty of folks send their film to labs across the country, there’s some situations where you really just want a lab nearby that you can visit in person.
We’d certainly prefer having more options but we’re just pleased that there are still places to develop film without leaving Richmond.
Check out the list below, including which types of film are accepted at each lab and a map of their locations.
PHOTOTECH
If you’re looking for the best place to develop film in Richmond, your search is going to be extremely short. It’s Phototech.
The only business in Richmond that develops film in-house, Phototech accepts 35mm, 120, and large format film in C-41 color or black and white. Generally, you can expect to get your photos back in a few days.
Founded in 1992, this is a pretty low-key, mom and pop type shop. They offer printing, scanning, photo restoration, and probably most other things you could ever need from a photo lab.
RICHMOND CAMERA
Here, we mourn the loss of another photo lab discontinuing their film processing services. Richmond Camera has officially pulled the plug.
You can bring your film to Richmond Camera, but they’ll send it to be developed elsewhere. And the wait time to get your photos back can be… less than ideal.
On the plus side, it’s a perfectly fine camera shop that has all sorts of gear, a good selection of film, and other lab services like scanning and printing.
Map of Where to Develop Film in Richmond
More Options
When you don’t have a ton of options, you may consider going for the easiest route possible: dropping your film off at the drugstore. While we’re not here to tell you what you should and shouldn’t do, there’s a lot to know first.
Just for starters, some of the most popular drugstores don’t even offer film processing anymore. Costco, Sam’s Club, and Target have all discontinued the service, company-wide.
The few chains that still accept film have some pretty big issues that may be deal-breakers for a lot of photographers.
If we had to develop our film somewhere other than Phototech, we’d much rather drop it in the mail and have it developed by a lab that fit our needs.
This practice is becoming almost as popular as dropping your film off IRL. With some labs even providing prepaid mailers, it’s hard to beat that level of convenience. Just make sure to take a few precautions to ensure that your film arrives at its destination safe and sound.
Anywhere Else?
Things are always changing, and maybe there’s somewhere else to develop film in Richmond that we don’t know about. If you have any leads, or want to share your experience at any of the labs above, drop a comment below.
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