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Colorcraft Lab + Scan is Wilmington's only analog film developing and scanning laboratory. As the photographic and photofinishing industry migrated to digital imaging after 2012, analog film services began to disappear. The industry had a resurgence in 2016 with new film stocks coming on the market and a new generation of photographer wanting to explore analog film photography. I have been a film shooter for over 30 years. I started my photography journey with film in 1990 and continue to marvel in the magic of film. Having worked in the photofinishing industry from 1993 to 2007, I bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the lab industry. Dismayed by the lackluster and often mediocre color correction I see from most labs, I decided it's time to grow and open a small lab of my own. Much of the equipment used in the photo lab has not been updated in the last 20 years, therefore I am taking a different approach. I have always been a fan of both Noritsu and Fuji equipment, however, the scarcity of parts, circuitry and technicians makes investing in this equipment a tremendous risk. I develop all of my film by hand in small batches to ensure consistent error free processing. I have an array of scanning equipment that yields incredible results on par with the lab standards Noritus 1800 and Fuji Frontier 3000. Color correction is my specialty and I offer 25 years of color printing and scanning experience to the industy. I look forward growing my lab, adding more equipment and staff and offering the best film developing and scanning.
My interest in photography started when I was 16. I took a photography class in high school and was immediately hooked. It was the one science I understood. Photography is one part art and another part science. After 30 years it's still magical to think about the science of exposing film to light and then converting that latent silver halide to silver metal and dye couplers during the developing process.
The defining moment came shortly after I started shooting 35mm with a Pentax K1000. My parents saw my burgeoning interest and surprised me with a Kodak Hobby Pac film developing kit. It was a home process Ektachrome chemical kit for E-6. Before I would commandeer a small corner of the backyard tool shed for my darkroom, I was developing film in the kitchen sink and used the stove top burners to heat the E-6 chemicals. I had never processed film before and while most start with B&W, my first attempt was color. I will never forget opening the tank at the end of the steps and pulling out beautiful color positive images; and I instantly knew - "I'll be doing this for the rest of my life."
I was fortunate to secure a job at my local camera store and photo lab. I was 20 years old and not only worked the retail counter with some incredibly knowledgeable and talented people, I eventually worked my way into the lab. Turns out I had a penchant for color printing and fell in love with C-41 and RA-4 optical printing. I learned to print color without a computer monitor, analyzing the color negatives as the carrier advanced them across the lamp. 1993 was an analog world. It was an amazing time to be a part of the digital revolution that was on the horizon.
I acquired a HP Photosmart S20 in 1998 that scanned 35mm negatives and transparencies. The resolution was quite impressive for the time and I was beginning to learn Photoshop 4.
Our lab added a Noritsu 2901 and 3201 digital minilabs around 2003. I was able to spend a week at "Noritsu School" in New Jersey learning to operate and customize the printer to grow the lab with specialty print products and high resolution scanning. I did have an opportunity to use a Fuji Frontier minilab. I can say without a doubt, I am a Noritsu fanboy.
I started scanning at home with an Epson V550 flatbed around 2013, upgrading to the V600 and finally the V850. Using Silverfast Studio AI 9 I can get lab quality scans from the flatbed. The color negative conversion in Silverfast is first rate and I can get extraordinarily accurate color. I have a Plustek 8300i that makes incredible scans. I 3-D printed carriers for 110 and APS film to use in the Plustek.
I built a DSLR scanning station to my home lab in 2024. I took a different approach, building my own copy stand and using a Canon Speedlite in a modified dental x-ray lightbox as the light source. I use the Essential Film Holder and masks and shoot tethered to Canon capture software in RAW format, taking the scans into Negative Lab Pro and Negmaster for conversion.
I continue to shoot film for all of my personal projects and family photos. I currently shoot with a Canon EOS 1NHS, Canon F1N, Nikon F3HP and a Mamiya 645E. Most of my time is now spent scanning film from my personal and family archive.
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