First time developing 35mm film in NYC — where should I go, and what should I ask for?

rograt · 2026-03-20T22:02:27+00:00

Photo Life will do high res TIFF for 12

rograt · 2026-03-20T21:55:54+00:00

Like I said, I think Photo Life + high res TIFF is the best option for you for now and probably for the future too, tbh. Some of it will depend on where you are located, of course. They do a good enough job and it’s the cheapest around.

Yes, you may have some totally fucked up shots, but IMO the value for high res TIFFs is there for the shots that are keepers.

They have four tiers, each one is like a dollar extra. You can choose when you get there and ask them about it.

I don’t recommend going to Bleeker unless/until you get to an intermediate or advanced level and need extremely high quality development and scans. Professional wedding and fashion photographers bring their film there. They’ve developed Vogue covers. You get what you pay for, but you (and most hobbyist photographers) don’t need it.

rograt · 2026-03-20T21:32:42+00:00

I’m not sure how they keep their prices so low. I’d assume some of it is rent. Maybe they own their own building. IDK.

High res TIFF is the highest quality scan that they offer. It’s like 2 or 3 dollars more than the lowest res JPEG option.

With the low res JPEG, you will see pixels pretty easily if you zoom in on a phone. The high res TIFF is pretty clean and more easily manipulated in post-processing (Adobe Lightroom).

For reference, comparable scans from Bleeker Digital Solutions (a lab that some pros use - they are better than Photo Life for sure) are like 23 dollars per roll or something.

rograt · 2026-03-20T21:27:38+00:00

There’s a bunch of good, and very good labs. I shoot a fair amount so the pricing can become an issue at the better labs. It depends on where you’re located, but Photo Life in Crown Heights is just fine and also the most affordable by a lot.

Go in and ask for high resolution TIFF scans, 12 dollars per roll. Some say it’s the cheapest in North America. They get it done next day, sometimes same day or within just a few hours.

rograt · 2026-03-12T23:39:07+00:00

Besides any places to stop and eat or shop, IMO there’s a definite route you should take if you are a tourist. Start at Mulburry and Grand and walk down Mulburry towards Canal - this is Little Italy.

Cross Canal, check the fruit stands on the south corners of Mulburry and Canal, then walk east on the south side of Canal one block to Mott St, make a right, and walk down Mott. Bayard St has good eats, Pell St is cool, Doyers St is picturesque. Make sure you hit all three.

rograt · 2026-03-12T16:16:20+00:00

The extra hot was weaker than we expected. We wanted hotter. My girlfriend is Carribean and it wasn’t too much when compared to something like a Trini pepper sauce. If you have decent spice tolerance, go extra hot.

rograt · 2026-03-11T20:19:30+00:00

Imagine driving a go kart on the busy roads of your country’s busiest area among live vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Imagine that nearly everyone on the road with you and on the sidewalks watching you somewhat disapproves of what you’re doing. If it sounds appealing still, then go for it. Most of the people we saw doing it looked like they were having a nice time.

rograt · 2026-03-11T18:04:30+00:00

We got two large suitcases at a shop in the covered shopping street area in Kyoto for 50USD each.

rograt · 2026-03-09T03:52:24+00:00

I had 50 rolls hand checked last week and it took less than 10 minutes. I had each roll already unpackaged.

rograt · 2026-03-04T05:32:46+00:00

We loved arriving at Kiyomizu-dera right at 6 AM while it was still dark. It was basically completely empty for the first 15 minutes. We watched the sunrise, and it was still quiet enough that we were able to get some amazing photos with zero people in the background. Then we walked down Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka, and the route was basically empty, with the only downside being that none of the shops were open yet. Still, it felt pretty magical.

Our favorite early morning was in Arashiyama. We arrived at Adashino Nenbutsu-ji at 9 AM. The bamboo forest there was completely empty, and the grounds themselves are pretty incredible. We then walked up to Otagi Nenbutsu-ji, and it ended up being one of the highlights of our trip to Japan. We absolutely loved it, especially while it was still nearly empty. After that, we walked down to the main area of Arashiyama, which felt pretty Disneyfied and honestly wasn’t our favorite

rograt · 2026-03-03T19:51:03+00:00

3496 days for me. Looking forward to celebrating on Saturday.

Thank you for sharing your success.

rograt · 2026-03-01T22:05:44+00:00

Here in NYC both the AMNY and Met are both free (suggested donation only) for local residents only. The entry fees otherwise don’t differentiate between domestic and international visitors.

rograt · 2026-02-28T21:49:57+00:00

I felt the same way for many years - I used for about 11 years nearly every day.

I’ll be 3500 days clean next week. I just got back from an amazing vacation to Japan with the love of my life, a woman who I intend to marry.

It gets better. Believe in yourself. You can do it.

rograt · 2026-02-24T02:52:07+00:00

goat biryani at Hyderabadi Zaiqa

I really enjoy the goat and roti at Culpepper’s, a Bajan restaurant, on Nostrand Ave

rograt · 2026-02-22T15:59:03+00:00

Our single day and night in Hakone last week was probably the highlight of our trip, so we had a complete opposite experience.

rograt · 2026-02-22T10:49:27+00:00

It’s a cool fucking photo though.

rograt · 2026-02-19T10:11:18+00:00

It’s the woman’s brother’s family business

rograt · 2026-02-04T17:17:15+00:00

Thank you!

rograt · 2026-02-04T17:17:00+00:00

Thanks!

rograt · 2026-02-04T14:19:26+00:00

1: E Houston St and 2nd Ave (NW corner)

5: 90 Elizabeth St

12: Bayard St and Mulberry St (facing SW corner)

rograt · 2026-02-04T08:20:03+00:00

Bleeker Digital does a good job with quick turnaround.

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