Launching Liquid Light Lab: A Boutique Film Development Service for the UK
Film photography deserves more than a production line. That’s why I started Liquid Light Lab — a hand-crafted film processing and scanning service built by a photographer, for photographers. The Lab is now open, and it’s already been trusted with rolls that mean the world to people across the UK.
Freshly developed 35mm negatives, carefully sleeved and archived at Liquid Light Lab. Every roll is processed and returned with the same attention to detail we give our own work.
A launch built on trust
In the very first weeks, film has arrived carrying intimate, irreplaceable moments:
Newborn portraits — the very first images of life.
Candid family frames — moments that would otherwise be forgotten.
The quiet stillness of children sleeping.
This isn’t casual work. These are once-in-a-lifetime photographs, and the responsibility to handle them with care is something I take seriously. Every roll that comes into Liquid Light Lab is developed and scanned at the highest level possible.
Adding new services by listening to customers
One early customer sent me a disposable camera by mistake. Instead of rejecting it, I processed it — and the results were a reminder of what film is really about: memory, permanence, story. That moment led me to officially add disposable camera development to the Lab’s services. It’s a small but important example of how customer needs shape what we do.
Now, alongside C-41 colour negative, black & white, and ECN-2 cinema film processing, we can also handle disposables — giving people a boutique alternative to high-street labs.
Why choose a boutique film lab?
A candid black & white shot developed and scanned at Liquid Light Lab — preserving natural tones and timeless atmosphere, used with kind permission.
Across the UK, there are many options for film development. But most labs rely on batch processing and standard-resolution scanners from the early 2000’s like Noritsu or Frontier. While these are fine for casual use, they often max out at around 8–9 stops of dynamic range and roughly 24MP scans.
At Liquid Light Lab, I use the same methods I developed for my own professional work:
Hand development with precise control of chemistry (C-41, B&W, ECN-2, and specialist developers like 510 Pyro).
High-resolution scanning producing files equivalent to 60MP+ with 13–14 stops of dynamic range.
Archival care — negatives sleeved, labelled, and returned safely.
This means that whether you’re shooting Kodak Portra, Ilford HP5, CineStill, or any other stock, you’ll receive a scan that brings out its full character — from cinematic colour to timeless black & white tones.
National reach, boutique service
Liquid Light Lab is based in Leamington Spa, but serves photographers nationwide. Film can be posted in from anywhere in the UK. Orders so far have come from across the country, and the aim is simple: to be the UK’s trusted boutique film lab.
This is not volume processing. It’s a carefully run service where every roll is treated as if it were my own. That difference shows in the results.
A natural black & white portrait developed and scanned at Liquid Light Lab, shared here with permission. The fine tonal detail shows the care that goes into every roll we handle.
Beyond processing: The Cinematic Notebook
Alongside the Lab, I write the Cinematic Notebook — articles exploring film photography, scanning, lighting, and the philosophy behind cinematic craft. For subscribers and customers, it’s a way to go deeper: to see the thinking behind the process and to understand why film deserves this level of care.
Join the growing number of photographers trusting the Lab
The launch of Liquid Light Lab is only the beginning. Already, customers have trusted me with irreplaceable rolls, and I’m proud to deliver results that honour their work.
If you’re ready to see your film treated with the same care and craft I use for my own photography, try the Lab today.