This just goes to show how we feel about building a relationship with our photographers, which is why going to workshops and meeting with just a few photographers at a time is so important to us. It’s also why we go to WPPI each year, to meet some cool people and have dinner with a few photographers and friends. We ended up having to get a booth space just so we had something to do between meals and had somewhere to hang during the day!

We know that every new client could potentially be with us for a long time and we want to get to know them! We know that their business is important and this isn’t like dropping your film off at the convenience store down the road. We run a much more advanced operation here and part of that operation includes getting to know your style and preferences. We’re here to get to know YOU and the way you like your jobs done. And who knows.. maybe we’ll be close enough one day to become your “confidante.”

Sometimes we are lucky enough to go to these workshops (4 this year!) and share some of our insights too! We recently took the train down to San Diego for Film Is Not Dead hosted by Jonathan Canlas and met some of the coolest photographers! We got to introduce ourselves and talk a little bit about what we do here at Richard Photo Lab. We answered any and all kinds of questions regarding what happens AFTER you send your rolls in to a photo lab. A workshop environment allows for us to let you in on our side of the business. We’ll give you a better understanding of the machines we use, our production workflow and all the other technical stuff. But besides all that, we just want to have a good time and meet some cool people. We give out some of our sample prints, border samples and sometimes we throw in a coupon here and there

So if you haven’t already, check out some workshops and learn new tricks of the trade. Maybe we will see you there!

Film Is Not Dead workshop with Jonathan Canlas

Hey check out our latest shipment! Last year we bought a dozen steel bottles for the crew to help eliminate plastic water bottles in the lab. When we moved to the new location and added more team members, we wanted to make sure everyone was on board on being green! We bought some more for those who didn’t already have one, and made them pledge to ditch the plastic. Now we can safely say all employees at Richard Photo Lab are doing their part to help the environment in this small way!

For more information on the Klean Kanteens we supplied for everyone, visit their website here: www.kleankanteen.com. They are awesome!!

Enjoy!

This topic hits especially close to home here at Richard Photo Lab. Not only do we have three employees that ride their bike to work every day, we also have a few avid bike riders who love to ride in their free time. We appreciate the fact that organizations such as the Los Angeles Bicycle Coalition are educating others about the benefits of bike riding. Because LA is so congested with traffic, more people riding bikes would benefit the city in so many ways! We hope this exhibit will start a trend of bringing awareness to LA about all the great things bike riding has to offer.

The Annenberg Beach House is located off PCH in Santa Monica, CA. The Beach House hosts events and cultural programs all summer long along with classes, tours and concerts. Even better, “Paris: Women and Bicycles” is free and open to the public! The show begins Saturday, June 19th and will run until July 18th. The gallery is open seven days a week from 10am to 4pm. If you’re in the Los Angeles area, this exhibit is definitely worth checking out.

Photo Credit Gil Garcetti

It was a huge step forward in lab technology.  More consistent, less waste, more custom functions – it was so cool.  We were in love with all the tricks we could pull off with a Frontier. Until the new Noritsu came out and it was even more amazing! (that’s a post for another day) Basically, they are both great in their own way.  In fact, we keep both because they each have a little different look and we are super picky about everything!  And even though there is always a lot of talk about the Frontier, the Noritsu really carries the lion’s share of work, doing about 85% of the work here in the lab.  And remember, that’s after a few hundred side by side tests…..  But anyway, today is Frontier Super Geek Tech Day so let’s focus on that….

So we started out back in the day with a few Fuji Frontier 1500′s, swapped for some 2000′s, then bought a couple of 2500′s.  In fact, we have changed hundreds of things along the way from software and hardware updates to glass and bulb replacements and so on.  Most of the time they were things the customer would never see.  Today’s change is big. Big enough for those that prefer the Frontier to notice. The truth is though, the Frontier is really only now catching up to the Noritsu, but I am not picking sides. I am just sayin..…

We’ve waited for the longest time, but we’re finally happy to introduce to you the Frontier 3000 with Digital Ice now here at RPL. The funny thing is we even waited longer to launch it since we needed to do so much testing on it…  Digital Ice, or as I like to call it “wonderful magical scan cleaning” is so cool!  This film cleaning software gives you a perfectly clean scan and now is working great on our latest scanner, the Frontier 3000.

First question is of course: does it “look” the same?  Great question.  Short answer is yes.  Long answer:  We have done side by side testing and found that images are a dead on match.  When claiming a match you have to take into account a few things, such as the age of the light source, light tunnel, mood of operator, daily calibrations, and other maintenance. These all play a vital role and are happening all the time. We have to take it all into account everyday to make everything look right.  These all lead to slight variances in a blind style scan test.

How we do a  test:  After the operator scans the same image on each machine, we compare the actual scan and the print to check for differences. There will be a slight difference for all the reasons listed above.  But what happens next is super important..  The second step is to send the same operator back with the same film to have him try and match the scans to each other without machine modification.  Because while the variance is expected, the ability to immediately match is a critical part of the test.  You can’t compare it any other way.  You can’t look at a different image, from a different day, or different film.  It has to be the same frame. Anything else will lead you to the wrong answer.  In fact the biggest difference in the way we do things here at RPL is always the people.  And that’s another reminder that it’s just as much about our group in production than it is the machines. They work together to get what we want.

One more additional step is review in Photoshop to look how the color all comes together.  As an example, we can’t adjust the color of a Frontier scan to look like a Noritsu scan or vice / versa.  We can easily spot the difference between our Frontier and our Noritsu.  The difference is the magenta.  Basically the magenta works differently on each machine under certain lighting conditions.  Each have a great look, they’re just a little different.  I would go so far as to claim that you would see more difference in a lab to lab comparison then you would in a Frontier to Noritsu comparison.  If anybody wants to do a print super battle showdown then I will bet you a doughnut that I win….  And I am on a bit of a winning streak.  I think I have won the last 50 or so challenges, that’s 50 in a row my film loving friends!!!  Bring it on!

But seriously, I can’t stress enough the value of the real comparison.  It has to be print to print, not your screen, not our screen, not a shot from last year or even last week.  You have got to go to a print from scans intended on being compared.  This is the best equalizer.  It’s what scans are really intended for since no monitor out there is really the same.  Paper, like film, has a much more critical tolerance and control then all of the other things involved.  Even though you may not print that much, testing should always include it.  If you were testing in a restaurant you would taste everything, not just look at it on a plate, right?

Just to finish up all the Frontier fun, while all the stuff above may inspire you to try the Frontier, there are a few things you should take into account.  First is the scan quality and structure is very different compared to the Noritsu.  For example the scan size you order is about the max size print you can get.  Most people are not used to a restriction like this, especially those that use the Noritsu or are recently switching to film from digital.  Many people enjoy the flexibility of the Noritsu scan and will not rescan to make a album.  The pattern on the Frontier scan is very distracting when the scan is upsized (see photo example).  Second, and I hope you are sitting down, the turnaround time is double for the Frontier, and at peak season its sometimes longer.  Third, the “large” scan option, although not the most popular, is not offered on the Frontier at all.

Here is some more little known info for you..  Giant labs that still scan film do not allow for client to client color profiles and eliminate most of the operators influence by running all images scanned or submitted for color correction through a special software.  This software does not necessarily make the lab good, or bad for that matter, it makes them consistent.  In most cases, consistent as a bag of McDonalds’ fries, same at every store, any time of day.  They are not interested in what you are looking for, they are going for what they consider the “average” to be.  And don’t forget that if you are reading this, you are not in the photo masses. You would be the exception (hey you’ve read through this novel, right?) You are the client that a giant lab does not want to deal with because you care about every image, not just the average of most images.

Like a fine restaurant, it’s not about the pots and pans or even the organic tomatoes.. It’s about the chef, thats who really makes the food an amazing experience.

Close up of scan structure - Test A

Close up of scan structure - Test B

Old Frontier vs. New Frontier Photo Credit Jose Villa

]]> http://www.richardphotolab.com/wordpress/?feed=rss2&p=1021 0 http://www.richardphotolab.com/wordpress/?p=956 http://www.richardphotolab.com/wordpress/?p=956#comments Fri, 07 May 2010 16:05:29 +0000 admin http://www.richardphotolab.com/wordpress/?p=956 Hey everyone! So we recently got this email from Chris Waters of Jac Shoot Photography and we just HAD to share it with you. This is proof right here that providing proof prints to your clients is such an awesome idea. One of Chris’ clients sent him this message shortly after they received their prints, beautifully delivered  in an authentic cigar box:

“Hi Jamie and Chris,

We got them!! We got home late today, but were so excited to see them. They are AMAZING….and the box is ridiculously cute, and so appropo. They look soooo much better than the film proofs we saw online, is that normal? And I love the border on the pictures, just love love love.

We definitely want film for the wedding. Will these pictures be included in the proof book, and also, will we be able to get the proof prints too?

Not sure if you can tell, but I’m SUPER EXCITED! =) Thanks for cheering up my day. “

This is why we’ve been raving about proof prints! The joy that comes from holding the prints in your hand is such an unparalleled feeling! Sure, making the photos available via the web is quick and convenient. But do you want your clients and their family gathering around a computer monitor to view the wedding you put so much effort into shooting? Nothing compares to the way a client reacts when they actually hold the print in their hand. The colors, the feeling of having a tangible piece of your work, a memory in the palm of their hand! It’s like an instant present. Plus, when it’s delivered in a nifty proof box? Your clients are sure to be impressed.

Photos by Jac Shoot Photography

Made exclusively for Richard Photo Lab by Cypress Albums, this has the quality you expect from Cypress books, but with a special lower price only available from us! Great for an engagement, family portrait or a maternity/newborn session. One photographer even came in today looking to  make one as her professional portfolio, which we thought was a cool idea.  Prices start at just $190.00 for an 8×8, 20 sided album. They come in four colors: camel, black, Stonehenge gray and green mist. Cover images are available, various window sizes and blind embossing as well. Sizes are 8×8, 8×10, 10×10 and 12×12. Check out the price list here. Email info@richardphotolab.com for more information or call us to set up your RPL book today!

Wedding Images by Jose Villa and A Bryan Photo