Sad to see but it's the reality

Labs are dropping like flys.

http://www.petapixel.com/2013/01/28/...to-in-seattle/
:(

A sad story but interesting reading none-the-less. Thanks. Change is inexorable and it will happen whether or not we are willing to accept it. I do not believe that film will ever actually disappear, but it will certainly look a lot different.

I guess some will go away, but I can only say that in the past year, two new labs have opened in the UK that I know of. I've used them both, and one (AG Photo Lab) has become my regular.

Companies which adapt to change can thrive, those who stick to the old ways will perish. In London, you see little record shops all over the place, but HMV and Virgin Megastore are gone (or almost gone).

Film is of course now a niche, but so are vinyl EPs and mechanical watches, but each survive as they have adapted to their new market, and not attempted to compete against commodity markets.

Now that sounds hopeful. Personally, there will always be film.

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Originally Posted by Pioneer

Change is inexorable and it will happen whether or not we are willing to accept it.

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Not so, no. Change is driven. By individuals or altered conditions. It's never inexorable. Only the passage of time is inexorable.

Ken

Not all doom and gloom, my friend works at this Denver based store and says their lab is doing really good numbers:

http://englewoodcamera.com/

Remember folks, quality, not quantity...

Sad story, but that tired photo essay was even sadder, driven as it was by the current philosophy of "photograph everything and say nothing." Without the words you would have absolutely no reason to look at those photographs.

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Originally Posted by ParkerSmithPhoto

Sad story, but that tired photo essay was even sadder, driven as it was by the current philosophy of "photograph everything and say nothing." Without the words you would have absolutely no reason to look at those photographs.

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I didn't think it was so bad. Some images better than others, much less interesting without the words, but I thought it was OK.

It sounds as though they were getting along until circumstances would have forced them to move. I'm just guessing, but that might be the situation of a lot of labs---enough business to sustain themselves, but not enough money in hand to cushion them in case of crisis.

-NT

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PKM-25

Not all doom and gloom, my friend works at this Denver based store and says their lab is doing really good numbers:

http://englewoodcamera.com/

Remember folks, quality, not quantity...

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A few weeks ago they told me that, too. I also hear pretty good news on increased film sales and processing business from the people at Denver ProPhoto.

Sorry to hear. In my area one lab closes but another one opens up.

Jeff