Jack White, the lead singer of the band The White Stripes, has opened a lab in his Nashville recording studio to process and print film. The building that houses Third Man Records, White's record label, now has the facilities to process black and white, color negative and transparency film, as well as hand-printing services.
According to the price list, Third Man Photo handles 35mm, 120 and 220 roll film as well as 110 cassettes. Photographic prints are also available in sizes up to 20x24in. The lab also makes negatives from digital files, scans film, and offers cross-processing.
Customers can drop off film in person or mail it to the lab. Workshops can be booked for customers who are feeling a little more adventurous and fancy processing their own film.
... in related news, my local drug store is now selling Jack Black's music.
(Darn, I went for humor. Part of me wanted to make a statement about the use of chemicals required to develop film. If you rely on a well for water you probably don't want to see more chemicals being used.)
Thank you for not going the chemical route, it’s pretty lame and tired. Ever been to a gold mine? It’s extracted from mountains of crushed tailings using cyanide. Aluminum is refined from bauxite and caustic soda. Imagine an enormous man made open pond with a PH of 12. Some diluted developer is pretty tame by comparison.
My first thought was: Is this for real? It seems an odd dichotomy mixing film processing with a recording studio. Then again, Jack White is anything but orthodox.
Still, I wonder if the talented Jack White is just gaming us with this announcement. :-)
This seems a bit odd. Does he need the money? Doubtful, is he a photo film enthusiast? If so, that makes more sense I suppose. Even though film use is on the rise, it’s still very much a niche market. Is he a hipster? He looks more Emo. Anyway what ever does it for you dude, and I hope it works out. Vinyl and film, millennials seem to be searching the past for inspiration. Understandable in this homogenized smartphone, social media, tech society we live in.
I think Jack likes the old stuff. There was an "American Pickers" episode where an associate evaluated some old tube amps and guitars, then bought some of them from Mike and Frank.
Jack also made an appearance on Ironman 3, but was not really referenced well in the credits. He played a henchman for bad guy Hammer. He was the guy who was trying to fit the drone helmet onto his head.
Jack's been involved in analog photography for a while. Third Man records collaborated with Impossible Project to create a limited edition instant film in 2015. In 2012, Jack and Meg worked with Lomography to produce the limited edition Jack Holga and Meg Diana cameras.
That is not much of a tour of the lab. A 4x5 Beseler enlarger and some small trays that are not even in a sink. I wonder if all their film processing will be done on a small Jobo or do they have dip and dunk?
White is keen on analogue processes. He's also a fan of making things difficult for himself during performances by doing things like placing microphones in awkward locations. The idea is that it keeps him on his toes, and forces some variation where there might not otherwise be some. His film lab is an extension of that ethos.
Good on him for beating his own path. Personally I'm a fan of achieving desired outcomes with the least amount of effort and frustration required to achieve them (efficiency). Digital photography does this for me.
Barth, interesting. See above - you and I agree on digital.
If he purposely does things to make his life difficult I sincerely hope he has not taken that to his darkroom. Simplicity and consistency is what you need there ... not unnecessary stuff that makes inconsistency more likely.
It would be nice if someone set up a facility like this in Toronto with a similar option for people who would like to process their own film. Many years ago I used to develop film and print, but it was always in the home studio (the family bathroom) and that route is no longer viable for me. Even though I am full time digital now, it would be a treat to develop and print a few rolls in a proper lab for old times sake. There always was something satisfying about the whole process of mixing chemicals, checking temperatures and then watching a photo appear in the developing tray that digital can't replicate.
"There always was something satisfying about the whole process of mixing chemicals, checking temperatures and then watching a photo appear in the developing tray that digital can't replicate."
True, but in the end it’s more satisfying to have much better image quality.
Hey Felix, you should look into getting a membership at gallery 44. They have darkroom facilities as well as an imacon scanner if you feel so inclined. https://gallery44.org/membership
Where does that say it's $5 only for a single 135 frame? And who would mail in a single frame of 135 film to develop and scan, and how would they do that without sending in at least a canister that had other frames attached to it? (Third Man clearly states they don't do scan-only jobs, so they would reject a single developed frame for a scan.)
Maybe read, research, and think for a moment before commenting?
Phil, are you having a bad day or are you always like this? The only person who has been a jerk here is you. . . pretty consistently throughout this discussion.
"Phil, are you having a bad day or are you always like this?"
How exactly does missing very tiny fineprint on a mobile display and my subsequent innocuous post equals having a bad day?
"The only person who has been a jerk here is you. . . pretty consistently throughout this discussion."
Those last three words point to the motivation behind your baseless and ridiculous accusation and your defense of that person’s jerk comment, that your just another film evangelist or zealot that can’t tolerate having his or her precious film criticized in any way.
Maybe it's 50 ASA 120 film, which would have as much or more resolution than any digital sensor. Maybe there's more to a quality image than merely image quality.
"To quote Phil above, 'True, but in the end it’s more satisfying to have much better image quality.' This is the first snarky trolling comment. It's low key, but this and his subsequent replies here is telling of who needs to grow up."
No, you are simply being cynical and overly sensitive.
"Maybe it's 50 ASA 120 film, which would have as much or more resolution than any digital sensor. Maybe there's more to a quality image than merely image quality."
Medium format film can not even begin to compete against medium format digital. In fact, it will even lose against the better 35mm digital cameras. I know, I used to shoot medium format film. They looked amazing for their time but then digicams came along.
I've read some of PhilDunn's comments in other threads and I discovered that he wasn't just having a bad day. . . His negative tone is consistent throughout. It's not about forum members being "overly sensitive." Calling others ignorant when they don't agree with you doesn't help your argument, it just makes you look immature and argumentative.
I went to look at some of Phil's posting history in film related topics. Same pattern each time. He repeats fabricated misinformation, and despite numerous posters in the thread disagreeing with him and providing proof he is wrong, he moves on to another film threads and repeats all the misinformation again. A number of people have pointed out that this is just another User ID in a long list of IDs he has used to troll. Thanks for pointing him out. I will add him to my ignore list.
He also founded Third Man Pressing, a vinyl records pressing plant in Detroit. Smart move actually since vinyl revival has the few pressing plants in existence booked beyond capability and delays are common.
"I suspect a large portion of the population has never held a "record" in their hand let alone know what they are made of."
I doubt they would care what they are made of, if they are interested in the first place. Most people would handle one, never seeing one before, shrug their shoulders and say it's a piece of plastic. Saying vinyl is pretentious, hipster talk.
"There's more to it than 'pretentious hipster talk' as the original phonograph records weren't made of vinyl, but of bakelite."
The point is it doesn’t matter what they are made of, and when some people simply say vinyl it is even more silly. Records alone is not perfect either but it makes more sense than simply saying things like "I’m into vinyl." Phonograph record would of course be the most correct term, but records is what they were always called. Saying vinyl records or vinyl is modern day hipster talk.
"Phonograph record would of course be the most correct term" Actually, not so. A "phonograph" refers to Edison's invention of the wax cylinder. The "record" as it came to be generally known, was the invention of Emile Berliner with his "gramophone". Initially, his early experiments did involve using a cylinder, but he finally ended up using a disc format.
I agree re the modern day use "vinyl", I do find its use slightly elitist. When I started buying records in the late 1950's, they would be referred to as 45's (single or EP) and LP's. Even to this day, I will refer to my record collection as LP's e.g. "I've got the LP", but generally if conversing with others I'm more likely to ask "Do you have a record of that".
"Definition of phonograph : an instrument for reproducing sounds by means of the vibration of a stylus or needle following a spiral groove on a revolving disc or cylinder"
He should focus on music. His latest album is an incredible piece of art. But last week's concert in Munich had the worst sound I heard in a long time. I have never been that frustrated after a concert.
Because as soon as an older format is used, "nostalgia" is cited as the reason, because why on earth would somebody use older technology when new is available? But of course, some of us still have analogue equipment that still works good enough, and do not have the money to duplicate everything into digital.
I say hipsterism is the reason for most people using older formats of things. Some may see that as being dismissive, and they would be correct. Doing something just to be hip is worthy of dismissal.
"But of course, some of us still have analogue equipment that still works good enough, and do not have the money to duplicate everything into digital."
Low on cash but spend more money continuing to use analog equipment??
A real technological future woud be one where there’s a multitude of technologies to choose from, based entirely on personal choice and not on the latest invention.
It is nothing wrong using what you love even if it is nostalgia or not. We are not to judge others. Economics is important for most of us but not for all.
@PhilDunn We have no way of knowing why "most people" who use older technology do it. But from what I have seen and read, many people appear to use older tech simply because they enjoy it. In interviews Jack White has been quite articulate about why he prefers analog recording technology. Photographers who use film talk about how they enjoy using older cameras, the hands-on process of printing and the "look" of film and darkroom prints. Music-lovers who love vinyl records talk about the inherent "warmth" of analog recordings played on turntables played through tube amplifiers.
Maybe you don't see or hear what they do. . . Why do you care so much what other people choose to do with their time and money? Using a dismissive term such as "hipsterism" to try to explain the myriad motivations behind the behavior of a large group of people does nothing to support your argument. It just makes you look petty.
"A real technological future woud be one where there’s a multitude of technologies to choose from, based entirely on personal choice and not on the latest invention."
That's not how technology and people work. The old, inferior and inefficient gets replaced by the newer, the better and the more efficient.
"We have no way of knowing why "most people" who use older technology do it.."
Buying trends and the reasons for them are not rocket science. The resurgence of film is due mostly to trendy and fleeting curiosity by the young. The same young people I see looking at and buying records at Barnes and Noble.
"In interviews Jack White has been quite articulate about why he prefers.."
Yep, heard it all before. Most of the reasons are based on BS. If someone were to simply come out and say I like the process then one could not argue against that. That's a preference, the subjective. But that's not all you hear. False claims are also made.
"Maybe you don't see or hear what they do.."
Been there and done that a long time ago, the whole film and darkroom thing.
"Why do you care so much what other people choose to do with their time and money?"
I don’t, but I do care about the rampant misinformation spread by film zealots regarding the so-called superiority of film over digital.
i'm sort of old and I still shoot film sometimes. I won't say it's better than digital but I will say it's different and an art form in its own right. I still listen to vinyl on older stereo equipment because most of the new Bluetooth crap sounds like a rusty buzz saw when you turn it up past three. I'm aware of digital's superior dynamic range and low noise floor-but I'm also aware that I still own the Rolling Stones album that my father carefully removed from its sleeve to show three year old me how to properly handle and clean an LP. That's nostalgic-but also, that album still plays as opposed to a whole bunch of '80s CDs that I bought which no longer do.
Oftentimes, older tech has its good points and it's still worthwhile. I'll poke a little fun at the hipster crowd for their silly things, but there's a good side too.
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