Premium Film Processing
Develop and scan for 35mm and medium format film, with every frame corrected by hand against a color profile we build with you. Made for working photographers who would rather be delivering to clients than sitting in Lightroom.
What Premium actually is
Premium is our standard develop and scan with two things added: extra large scans, and every frame corrected by hand in Photoshop against a color profile we build with you in person.
The developing is identical: same chemistry, same line, same daily runs. The scanners are identical too; the same Noritsu and Frontier machines scan every roll that comes through the lab. Nothing about how your film is treated in the tank or on the scanner changes when you pay for Premium.
What you are paying for is time and consistency. Ten to fifteen minutes of hand editing per roll, done by Stephen Swett, who owns the lab, and a profile on file that makes that editing land the same way on an order you send us next spring as it did on the one you sent last month.
How Premium works
Premium starts with a conversation, not a checkout. Once your profile exists, ordering is as quick as any other service we run.
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Book your color profile consult
A one-time session, $300.00, in person at the Tampa lab or over video. This is required before your first Premium order: it is the only way we learn what your work is supposed to look like.
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Bring examples of what you like
Images you would be happy to hand a client, and ideally a few you would not. Vague direction produces a vague profile, so the more specific you can be about what you mean by warm, flat, punchy, or clean, the closer your first order lands.
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We build and keep your profile
We write up your color, contrast and file-naming preferences and keep them on file at the lab. There is nothing for you to store or send us again. Every future Premium order is matched against it automatically.
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Send film in, get finished scans back
Same drop-off and shipping as every other order. Your scans come back extra large, corrected frame by frame, dust and scratches cleaned, named your way, and your negatives cut and sleeved — ready to deliver without opening Lightroom.
What Premium includes
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Post processing
Frame by frame color correction by hand in Photoshop, so files arrive ready to share, print or deliver.
Consistent across a whole shoot, and across shoots months apart, because it is all matched to your client profile. Manual dust and scratch removal is included on every roll.
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Scanning & handling
Extra large scans on our Noritsu and Frontier scanners: 18 to 30 megapixels depending on format.
Negatives cut and sleeved in Print File archival sleeves, included. Custom file naming to your convention, and a year of scan storage in Google Drive.
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Client profile
A one-time session, in person or over video, where we work out your preferences for color, contrast and file naming.
We keep the profile on file and apply it to every order you send us afterward, so your lab work fits your delivery workflow instead of fighting it.
Who Premium is for
It is a narrow service and we would rather talk you out of it than take your money for something you do not need.
Premium is for you if
- You shoot professionally and hand the results to a paying client.
- You want post-editing out of your workflow so you can spend that time shooting or booking work.
- You need color that matches across orders sent months apart.
- You shoot 35mm or medium format.
- You are willing to sit down with us once before your first order.
Stick with standard if
- You are shooting personal work, or you enjoy editing your own scans.
- Price per roll is what matters most. Standard is a good deal less.
- You shoot 110, APS, disposables or large format. Premium does not cover those.
- You need your scans as fast as possible. Premium adds about two business days.
- You would rather not book a consult. It is required, not an upsell.
Order Premium
Premium orders need a color profile on file.
If you have not sat down with us yet, start with the consult: without a profile there is nothing for us to match your scans to. Book your color profile consult.
Not sure whether yours is on file? Ask us before you order.
Pick your film type
Premium covers 35mm and medium format. Prices are per roll.
What makes Premium different from Develop & Scan?
Three things. Your scans come off the machine extra large rather than at standard resolution. Every frame is then corrected by hand in Photoshop against your color profile, including dust and scratch removal. And your negatives come back cut and sleeved in Print File archival sleeves at no extra charge.
The developing itself is exactly the same, on the same line, with the same chemistry.
Do I have to book the color profile consult?
Yes. Premium is editing your film to match a profile, and until we have sat down together that profile does not exist. There is nothing for us to match your scans to. The consult is a one-time requirement before your first Premium order, not something we add on afterward.
What happens in the consult?
You meet with us either in person at the Tampa lab or over video. We go through what you want your work to look like — color, contrast, how you like skin tones handled, how you want your files named — and we write it up as a profile that stays on file at the lab.
What should I bring?
Examples. Images you would be happy to hand a client, and ideally a few you would not, so we can hear the difference in your own words. “Warm”, “flat” and “clean” mean different things to different photographers, and pictures settle it faster than adjectives.
Is the consult a recurring charge?
No. It is one time. Your profile stays on file and is used for every order you send us afterward, with nothing further to pay and nothing to renew.
Can I change my profile later?
Yes. If your work changes direction and you want the profile rebuilt, book another session. Otherwise the one on file carries on indefinitely.
Do I get anything to take away from the consult?
No document goes to you: the profile is a working file we keep at the lab and apply to your orders. If you want to talk through what is in it, just ask.
What formats can I send for Premium?
35mm and medium format only. That covers 120 and 220, which are the same format in different lengths.
110, APS, disposables and large format are standard service only. If you shoot those, send them through film development instead.
How large are the scans?
Between 18 and 30 megapixels depending on the format. Medium format lands at the upper end of that range, 35mm at the lower.
What file format do I get?
High-resolution JPEGs, the same as our standard service. 16-bit TIFF files are available as an add-on if you need them.
Do I also get the uncorrected scans?
No. Premium delivers the finished, hand-edited files. If you want flat scans to edit yourself, that is what our standard develop and scan is for — and it costs less.
Is dust and scratch removal included?
Yes, on every Premium roll, done by hand alongside the color work.
Do my negatives come back cut and sleeved?
Yes, in Print File archival sleeves, included in the Premium price. On our standard service that is an add-on.
Can I control how my files are named?
Yes. We name them to whatever convention you set in your profile, or to what you put in your order notes. If you shot a wedding, the files can come back named after the wedding rather than a roll number.
How long does Premium take?
About two business days longer than our standard turnaround, which is posted in the banner at the top of this page. The hand editing runs ten to fifteen minutes a roll and it is done by one person, so it is not something we can rush by adding staff.
Can I rush a Premium order?
Yes. Our 1-Day and 3-Day rush options both apply to Premium, and you can add them at checkout.
How do I get my film to you?
Exactly as you would for any other order. Drop it off at our Tampa location or in the drop box in the back parking lot, or mail it to 1704 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, FL 33602 in a box or bubble mailer — not a paper envelope. Include your name and order number with the film.
How do you deliver my photos?
We upload your finished scans to Google Drive and email you a link to an order folder containing your rolls.
How long do you keep my scans?
Your scans stay in Google Drive for 1 year from the day we deliver them. That is the same on every order and every service we offer. Download your files and keep your own backup well before the year is up.
Who does the editing?
Stephen Swett, who owns the lab. Premium is deliberately kept small so that stays true.