do most pro photographers that use film develop their own film?

Question

or do they take it somewhere to get developed?

Answer 1

It's pretty much a known fact that professional photographers send their stuff out. They don't print or develop their own stuff.

I was pretty disappointed the first time I heard this in school, because I see printing as part of the art. I really enjoy spending my time in the darkroom. I don't develop my own film though. It's a waste of time and not necessarily fulfulling. Fine art photographers might develop or print themselves...depending on how they feel about it. Some of them also see the darkroom as part of the artistic process. For example Jerry Uelsmann's work is all about the how he prints.

Answer 2

I don't know if there are any, relaible stats, out there, but I doubt most pros do that, except as a hobby, or sideline to thier paid work.

And, by pro, I mean to include studio photographers, commercial photographers in the field, doing school class shots, advertising work, newspaper and magazine photojournalists, etc. Their skills are in capturing the best image possible, IN the camera. In any working system or process, the purpose of any, one, phase of the operation is NOT to create more, unnecessary work for the next step. I used to be a test engineer, and a truism used, that applies, here, is that one can't inspect and fix for a quality product.

Processing the photos, whether digitally or in a darkroom is an entirely different specialty, and I consider that end an art unto itself.

For a working pro, time spent in the darkroom is time NOT spent behind the camera.

Add to that, like the difference between a fine artist and a commercial artist, a fine art photographer may insist on control over the entire process. But, I'm a designer, when it comes time to produce a final product, I do what I can to make the image as ready as I can make it before it goes to the commercial printer. I let his pros make the plates and produce the prints

Answer 3

A working pro in a production environment doesn't have the time. You send the film off to the commercial lab that will handle any special processing instruction you have.

While the film is being processed you are shooting the next job, trying to get the next job, dealing with the books (especially accounts recievables), working on promotion, or doing something else related to running a business.

Easily 80% of a freelancer's time, and that's what most of us are, is taken up by something other than photography. For a film shooter, competing with digital photographers probably makes it even more attractive to have the film done outside.

Vance

Answer 4

My experience as photo assistant and production assistant in various places in new york city mostly for magazines and advertisements including magazine cover shoots back in 1999- 2000, i've seen no pro photographers develop their own film for commercial purposes. they do have favorite labs and technicians they talk to for the maximum desired result and trust. even in photography schools, they won't teach photography students how to develop colour films anymore. they may still teach history and techniques in books but they won't let them do the film processing at the school's facility's any more. there's almost no point in risking the consistency of the development results. Black and white film development is less complicated than colour process and with practice you can achieve pretty good consistency in results. special chemical recipe can be created to gain certain tonal effects and contrasts and things.

after film is developed, making the print out of the negative or positive is a different story. i've met pros who does most of their fine art printing on their own in the lab, sometimes with assistants. you can rent lab dark rooms and you would make enlargements on your own and stick the print in to the development machine.

you would often hear, "he or she is so and so's printer." the person does the manual enlargement, colour corrections, burning and dodging often exclusively for a photographer.

in the USA, is is less likely that they still do it on their own. I can confidently say NO in fashion / magazine / editorial industry. I hope this helps.

Answer 5

Since you don't say where you are we can't possibly search for a local lab. You could do a yellow pages search, either in the book or online for a local lab that handles medium format film. If you find a local lab, just call them up and tell them exactly what kind of film you have and ask if they can process it for you.

Answer 6

At one time, when black and white film was more common, most pros would do their own lab work, such as newspaper or magazine work.

The color, if not done in house, was most often sent off to a lab

Answer 7

i like to develop my own film but then again i'm not pro.

Answer 8

i dont have the time, skill or patience to DIY,

its sent to the lab by courier and comes back the next day with a cd or 2 of the tiffs at the size requested, mostly the trannies uncut and the CDs go straight to the client -

a

Answer 9

This can only be accurately answered by someone who has conducted a reliable survey.

A quick google suggests that nobody has.