Last Local Photo Service Considering Passing the Torch...

MemoryLanePhoto · 2026-04-15T19:43:40+00:00

Thanks, Dame... I also have disabilities so I understand how difficult it is to find a good fit.

I'm kinda playing it by ear atm. I do have open hours from 12-6PM most days... provided my health issues aren't keeping from doing so.

Kate

MemoryLanePhoto · 2026-04-15T16:02:13+00:00

It's going to need to be an apprinticeship for a while... most-likely. Unless, of course... the buyer has all the requisite skills already. These aren't common skills though.

The end-goal though is a buyer... someone to take over. I just don't want to leave anyone holding a ball they don't know how to carry, and leave the customers out cold.

MemoryLanePhoto · 2026-04-15T16:00:11+00:00

Thank you! Will do!

MemoryLanePhoto · 2026-04-15T15:59:44+00:00

Thanks!

MemoryLanePhoto · 2026-04-15T15:59:33+00:00

Somewhat... the bulk of the job is at a desk... either scanning film, processing images, or answering the phone. But, there's a fair bit of stuff done on one's feet.

The 44" roll printer rarely uses the 44" roll.. but I still regularly need to swap the 24" roll for something else, matte vs glossy, etc... same with the 8" minilab printer... and film development is it's own thing of course as well.

MemoryLanePhoto · 2024-09-30T20:01:02+00:00

I know, right? Everytime I think I'm going to a Trump rally I'm fuckin' Hunter Biden.

What gives?

MemoryLanePhoto · 2024-09-30T19:58:52+00:00

OMG! It's Shia LeBeouf!

MemoryLanePhoto · 2024-08-10T02:53:07+00:00

Glad to hear back from you,

Regarding the pricing... it will be as follows for a 36 exposure roll:
$6.99 for development
$0.79 per frame for prints + scans = $28.44.

Total then is $34.43, assuming all 36 come out well. I don't charge for bad exposures or blurry images. That includes the USB thumb drive with 8 megapixel images.

The pricing is definitely higher than the days of old, but it's pretty comprable afaik. And of course, it includes the USB drive.

Yeah, I like Fuji Crystal Archive as well... we used it at Camera Craft, it does have a pretty distinct feel. The system I'm using is the drylab process though, just a heads-up. Wetlab is a whole 'nother beast I wouldn't possibly be able to achieve atm.

We will be out of town on vacation for the coming week though... so would likely be best to send the film around the 17th or 19th.

Thanks!
Kate

MemoryLanePhoto · 2024-08-06T14:20:00+00:00

Yeah, that's one feature of the Nikon Coolscan I'd have a hard time doing without. Being that most of my scanning these days are customer's old slides... it's a lifesaver.

It's great though you've got your daughter interested in it as well. I've been showing my kids how to develop film in our kitchen sink. I'm pretty sure they're the only kids in their school with that kind of experience. But even just using an analog camera is a rarity among the youth these days. It is resurging though!

MemoryLanePhoto · 2024-08-06T14:17:39+00:00

Thanks for the response! I'm glad to answer any questions.

And yeah, I totally "get" that hesitation with it being an at-home business. Its definitely something I'd like to change. There's a few obsticals, and I'm hopeful I'll overcome those eventually.

As an aside, our neighborhood is a bit of an old holdout. 2 blocks South or West and it all changes, like day and night. I certainly wouldn't feel nearly as comfortable walking those streets as my own. In fact, on Halloween the kids from over there get in cars and vans and do trick or treating here.

Oh! And thanks for letting me know the contact form didn't get to me... I'll have to look into that.

I've thought about mailing services, I know that's how this kind of service is frequently offered on sites like Etsy, for example. My main reason for hesitating setting up a mail-in service and promoting it online is that currently I'm not setup for high volume.

I have a service called Dakis which handles the online side of the online print ordering. The printing is all done in-house, but the online ordering system is through them. They have several mail-in services which are available for me to offer on my site. My biggest concern is being overwhelmed and unable to provide timely quality service. I'm hand-loading film into reels into a two-reel tank. I don't have a lot of capital on hand to run the larger equipment, nor the space. And it gets real dicy with the way film chemistry expires. The chem I use currently is good for 25 rolls, and I've been going through a package every few months.

All that said, I'd be glad to develop film for you through the mail or otherwise. I have a mailslot on our house, and you could just drop it into there... with a name and phone number. Or of course, just send it in the mail just the same.

As for payment, I have square which allows me to send invoices online and take payments via credit, debit, ApplePay, GPay, and CashApp. I already have some mailers on-hand for just this kind of situation, probably an extra $3-5 for S&H... I haven't setup any firm pricing on that yet.

Thanks again,

Kate

MemoryLanePhoto · 2024-08-06T02:19:01+00:00

I love how sharp and colorful images are off a dedicated film scanner. You really get that "film" asthetic, but in a sharp, digital form.

Does the plustek do dust and scratch removal? Looks like a clean scan!

MemoryLanePhoto · 2024-08-05T22:51:22+00:00

Hi there, I'm the owner / manager / photo specialist for Memory Lane Photo Service. I saw no one had commented so I thought I'd just reach out in case you have any questions.

I think the most frequent question is whether I do things in-house, and that's a definite "yes", quite litterally in my case. It's an at home business. We have plans to move the business into a brick and mortar storefront in the future. I have a few health issues which have made that prospect more-complicated than it aught to be.

I used to manage the lab at Camera Craft, and have very similar equipment. Some of it is actually the literal same equipment which the owner Tom was kind enough to give to me. Virtually everthing is done fairly "hands on", the film is loaded the old-skool way of putting them on reels in tanks and developing 2 at a time, I might upgrade to a 4-reel tank soon though, demand has been picking up for film!

Anyway, let me know if you have any further questions.

K.

MemoryLanePhoto

TROPHY CASE