When we first met with the owners of Safelight Labs and Camera Exposure, we instantly hit it off. After all, this is a used camera store and photo lab and we've been working for decades as photojournalists. We had a few things to chat about ...
We pitched overhauling Safelight's website and adding an important feature: a news section that would tell stories about the San Diego community through the eyes of the photographers who develop their film at Safelight Labs. Thousands of people every year bring film to be processed, making Safelight a veritable story factory.
First, we had to do a revamp of Safelight's site, and also integrate the Camera Exposure and Safelight Labs brands into one. Camera Exposure has served the community as a camera shop for nearly 40 years, and Safelight was reintroducing itself to San Diego after shutting the doors to its prior space in Cortez Hill during the depths of the pandemic.
We named the news section "Developing Stories," and instantly photographers were thrilled to have their work featured. It became the centerpiece of a community-building effort that also involved the opening of Safelight's community darkroom in early 2025.
