The days of waiting for your film to be developed are over! This local favorite J & F Photo Lab Inc. based in Koreatown has now implemented a new pick-up service located at Cafe Dulce in the USC Village. In four quick steps, USC students will be able to have their film developed and then sent right back to them within the same day! This allows for a more convenient and easy-going process for students.
We spoke with Ashley Fuentes, one of the co-owners of J & F Photo Lab Inc., who explained what this means for USC students interested in film and photography.
Ashley Fuentes: The response on campus has been fantastic. When we first announced the USC village Dropbox on her Instagram, the support and excitement from the USC community was overwhelming. They were incredibly thankful, and it was heartwarming to see how our service was appreciated. Currently, we’re picking up about 5 to 6 packets every morning and we’re just getting started. We hope to see even more drop offs as we continue to grow.
For some students, developing film on campus is more convenient, especially for those who rely on public transportation. Anusha Vadlamani, a senior studying business administration, says.
Anusha Vadlamani I will say in terms of like accessibility, it’s a lot easier. I don’t really have a car or anything on campus, so I was going to have to, like, catch a ride from a friend to go drop my film off.
Fuentes emphasizes how accessibility is one of the main benefits for students in opening their store in the Village.
Fuentes: J & F decided to implement a film development pickup service at USC Village because we’ve all been students and we know the challenges of not having a car. Our goal is to make film more accessible and convenient for the USC community, since many of our customers are USC students we wanted to make it easier for them to drop off their film. We now offer morning pickups and same day delivery, eliminating the need for them to drive out. Although they’re welcome to visit our shop where we also do sell film.
It’s pretty rare for your film to get developed the same day, with film developing services through CVS or Walgreens potentially taking up to a month.
Vadlamani: It was pretty easy. I just dropped my film off. I’ve been looking to take it elsewhere, but it’s been very convenient just having it right here.
Fuentes believes that being a small business allows them to have an edge over bigger competitors. They can work intimately with their customers and build community through their service developing films.
Fuentes: What sets us apart from the film development at CVS or Walgreens is the quality and service we provide. We’re a small family business with 31 years of experience. Unlike CVS and Walgreens, who send them out to other labs, we handle everything in-house, ensuring higher quality and a quicker turnaround. Same day, in fact, we also return the negatives, which many chain stores don’t do. We’re not just a service, we’re a resource for our customers. We’re also a community always available to answer questions and help them understand the world of film photography.
Head over to USC’s Village and walk into Dulce to get a look for yourself at the new J &F Pick-Up Service that sits right in front of the cash registers! The drop off box is right there, and instructions are provided for you to be in and out of Dulce in no time, unless you wait in line for a cup of coffee.
For Annenberg Media, I’m Erick Trevino