As I stood on the corner of a street I wasn’t familiar with in Los Angeles…my phone died. I was on my way to Propel 2014 , but since I was early I had intentions of checking in and then taking a cab to visit Richard Photo Lab! What I didn’t know was that the location for Propel was actually a home (not a hotel)..and it wouldn’t be open for another SIX hours!!! So, I walked around the corner and strongly considered walking (with my luggage) to the nearest shop/gas station…ANYTHING so that I could charge my phone!
And then, something AMAZING happened! Amy, one of the other propellers drove by in her rental car! She must have seen me standing there looking lost because that was about the time that she made a U-turn and asked me if I was attending the workshop! She had the same idea as I did to roam around the city, the only difference was that she was MUCH more prepared!
Kindly, she offered me a ride and came along for my visit to Richard (RPL)! RPL is my film lab, based on Hollywood, CA. They also offer a variety of products for their photography clients and truly excel in customer service. After working with them for about a year and a half now, I was stoked for the opportunity to see the “behind-the-scenes” of their lab!
I work most closely with Albany and Cohen on my film and product orders but the entire lab is like a family! They care so much about their clients and make sure to remind them in small gestures throughout the year.
What made RPL unique for me is that when I first started shooting film no question was too small. I can remember Cohen even walking me through a few conversations on what I could do to improve my images! He helped me figure out what I liked and didn’t like about my scans and really helped me take my business from 100% digital into that transition toward film.
Below are some of the images that I took inside the lab. If you have any questions about my experience with Richard I would be happy to help…and I know they would too! So, if you haven’t already check them out!
