Today we’d like to introduce you to Rob Cowan.
Hi Rob, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Back in 2018, I recognized that there was a need for some sort of community darkroom, a place where people could print their film photos in a traditional setting, develop their own film, shoot in an affordable studio, and showcase their work. The idea of Safelight Labs was born out of my house. I started by hosting “Darkroom Days” with my friends coming over, having some beers, and learning how to make their own black and white prints in my bathroom. This was very successful, and a lot of people really enjoyed the print-making process. After I quit my corporate job, I dedicated all my time to starting Safelight Labs. We signed a lease on a space in the Cortez Hill area of downtown in February 2019, and construction started right away. In April of 2019, we had our grand opening, and it was definitely a packed house. Our first year was full of growth and experimentation up until May 2020, when we had to officially close our doors to the public because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A few months prior to the shutdown, I started to take more requests from customers to develop their film for them. With the doors shut to the public, the decision was made to focus solely on film development for our customers. We had a 24/7 drop-off through the mail slot on our front door and an online form for everyone to fill out so we knew what to do with their order. That became a really popular option for everyone because they could still go out and shoot film while on walks or inside their house during the stay-at-home orders. In the months preceding the shutdown, I started to develop some of the customer orders from Camera Exposure, which was owned by someone else at the time. One day, when dropping off a few orders and sticking around to chat with the former proprietor of Camera Exposure, he mentioned wanting to sell the business and retire. I quickly decided to jump on that, and we came to an agreement for him to sell me the business. We took over the business on September 1st, 2020. The union of Safelight Labs and Camera Exposure was a match made in heaven. We had a film lab, that was just getting busier and busier, and then to add a camera shop on top of that was exactly what we needed to survive the pandemic. We quickly grew in staff, relocated our film development lab from downtown to North Park, and the two businesses moved in together. Ever since then, we have been attempting to bring back all of the services that Safelight Labs originally had downtown to our new location: the darkroom, DIY development, photography studio, and gallery space.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Any small business, especially one as niche as ours, will definitely face struggles. But one of the things that always astonishes me is how resilient we can be. Every day brings its own challenges, and we just need to roll with the punches. A good problem that we’ve had to deal with in the last few years is the rise in the amount of film that has been dropped off to us for developing and scanning. With the increase in numbers, comes an increase in everything from turnaround times, to labor, to time needed in the lab by myself and my business partner. But when the increases happen, the team definitely comes together, and we get it done.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Everyone here has their own type of photography that they’re good at. Personally, I’m known for my portrait photography. My business partner is really good at street photography/everyday life. One of my other employees is really good with engagement and wedding shoots. Everyone here has their own strengths. I’m very proud of the team that we have assembled with various backgrounds because different perspectives can bring different inspiration to everyone.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Everything takes longer than you think it will. And with that, patience is way more important than you might think.
Pricing:
- Film Development + Scans – $12/roll
- Photography Studio – $35/hr
Contact Info:
- Website: www.safelightlabs.com
- Instagram: safelightlabs
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-45476311
Image Credits
Stephanie Rosie
Caitie Boreliz
Starla Little
