[polarbear]

Ben Franklin--I didn't know one existed around here. I'll have to check it out. A penny saved is a penny earned. Here is a interview with Art Wolfe. It doesn't mention what film/processes he uses. http://www.photosafaris.com/AConversationWithArtWolfe.asp According to this one he has used Velvia at least once... http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=000L1M

[MooseAndSquirrel]

Thanks for passing along the info. I'm just curious what specific lab(s) pros like he use to process slides/prints. Fuji Velvia seems to be the current film of choice for most pro's landscape/wildlife work. I know of at least two Ben Franklin stores in the Seattle area- downtown Redmond and Southcenter- both with frame shops, though I've only dealt with the Redmond store.

[Alan Bauer]

Virtually all "pros" have a similar method in film processing: they have a lab they trust locally to where they live for a bulk of their processing (or a lab that they trust that they even mail in bulk # of rolls to for processing), and they also live by trusting using mailers to Kodak/Fuji when on the road. I have talked to many and read of many more who, when traveling afar, will mail their film in from the field rather than deal with having to store it in extreme conditions, travel with it, etc.... Everyone from George Lepp to Boyd Norton to Dewitt Jones all do this, and I can only assume that the Art Wolfe fans out there can assume he does similarly. I've mailed stuff to Ivey S. in Seattle as well for processing---find the lab you love and they most likely will be happy to handle your work via mail if it's too far to drive. I never drive to Bellevue for my work unless I need 2 hr processing to get images that need to be handled "by tomorrow". Good luck!

[MCaver]

Or shoot digital.

[Newt]

If you use Mystic Color Lab you may be interested in this. Mystic Sale If it turns out like Clarks then stay away as I've heard nothing good about them NN

[mb]

I've had the best luck using the Cameras West downtown. Slightly expensive (but maybe not compared to pro places like Photobition) but somehow they have much better results than most other places. I've had decent but not quite as good luck with others in the mega-camera-store chain. I have friends who've had good luck with the Costco drop-off lab. The mail order places are questionable. I think I've tried signature color (skrudland) and Club Photo, and the results weren't very good at all, though the price was cheap. Next camera I get will be digital. Note that today I'm using all print film on a point-and-shoot camera (Nikon LiteTouch 120 ED); the camera itself can take excellent pictures but you don't always know what it will do, plus I have shaky hands. I also always get CDs made, don't always get prints.

[MooseAndSquirrel]

Wow, I feel blind-sided by the news about Mystic Photo Lab! I truly was very satisfied with their work over a 3-4 yr period and the "family" feeling mentioned in that article was evident during my association with them. Great customer service. I was hesitant at first sending my film across the country to them for processing as well as not expecting to get prints back any better than a drugstore's, but they exceeded my expectations. What a shame. I had no idea about all the stuff going on over time with them- I thought they were a USA company based in Mystic, Conn. Back to the find-a-print-processor blackboard....