There are better options in LA now, phew! Never followed up with me. Don't ever buy bulk dark room use hours he doesn't honor them, even though they didn't have an expiration date. read more

Chris is running the helm at Contact Photo Lab. Some of the coolest people that I met here at this studio, amazing space to make all your dream photo projects come to life. Contact is the only place I know of in LA where you can get Museum quality prints for your personal and passion projects whether you are a professional and or amateur! read more

Best place ever. Chris, Josh, Brandy and Marc are all professionals at the highest level. Darkroom perfection. Custom print perfection. read more

Worst experience I have had at any business, ever. I ordered prints, scheduled a pick-up time and went to get them. When I arrived, on time, they had clearly forgotten that I was coming. The prints had not been prepared as I had asked. When I complained about the mistakes, the owner rudely exclaimed, "You haven't even paid for these." I reminded him that he had never sent me an invoice. I told him that I was prepared to pay now, but he didn't even seem to hear me. He called me rude. Apparently, it is rude to point out mistakes and express dissatisfaction. Finally, he told me to get out and not come back. All this in under two minutes time! He even followed me out the door in a threatening manner and yelled, "Kiss my ..." I NEVER called him a name nor did I use a vulgarity. VERY UNPROFESSIONAL!!! read more

I was so exited to use this place because I am dying to go back into the darkroom I called and they say I can walk it just to see the place , then I drive 30 minutes to find out I cannot even get in I feel Very disappointed because I was so exited to do this . I am so glad I didn't purchase the workshop and the Lab times online I just was hopping to start working in the dark room very soon Huge sad dissatisfaction and disappointment read more

The prints that i've have done at Contact surpass my experience at other photo labs. I really appreciate their attention to detail, quality and customer service. Chris, the head printer, really knows what he's doing. Love these guys! read more

Came here a few times and always have a great experience. The c-prints I had them run for me are beautiful and the service is incredible. Today I went in to run a print by myself on their large format Epson and, because I'm a total idiot, kept messing it up. Sal was super helpful in showing me the ropes of the machine and giving me tips about loading and storing my paper for future use. He even stayed open 15 minutes late on a Saturday to make sure I got my job done, which again, was delayed solely by user error on my part. Anyway, labs like this are super hard to find in LA and they don't mess around with quality or customer service. It's the only spot I'll go. read more

Definitely a good place to get all your photo printing needs done. I'm just getting into printing my own things, and I felt a little intimidated about it at first- so I'm really happy to have found this place! They helped me figure out all the right dimensions and details of it all. The staff definitely knows what they're doing, and are so helpful and friendly on top of that, which is a huge plus. The space itself is even so nicely done with plants all around! Clean, organized, and overall nicely designed :-) read more

Very soon, Translight is going to be the VERY LAST independent darkroom in Los Angeles. If you're ever in a crunch and the photo lab at school is closed, THIS is the place to go. You need to make B&W prints? No problem. Color prints? No problem. Digital scanning and digital prints? No problem. This place is great for all that. Yes, it's a little out of the way, but well worth the drive. The black and white dark room has 4 scanners and the color print area has individual rooms. You can make pretty large prints on either side (please visit web site for specifics) and the entire studio is kept very clean. Christine, the resident helper on site, is very knowledgeable and kind. I was lucky enough to speak to the owner Michael and he's a really great guy. This place isn't really profitable for him but he keeps it open for the love of the arts and especially photography. He's a great guy and you can tell that he genuinely does it out of passion rather than profit. If you are a photography student, please come and support this studio! read more

Contact is such a treasure - super chill darkroom rentals with attentive staff and quality equipment. I don't get in here nearly as much as I'd like to, but when I do Evan always hooks me up and lets me do my thing. I've also had a great time meeting other photogs and seeing their work as we share the space. Lots of folks at the top of their craft come here and make amazing prints. Don't be intimidated. Just grab some negatives and get in here! read more

When I went back to school a couple of years ago and took a basic photography class, I said, "No darkroom." Well, after I realized how much I loved photography, I decided to go bold into the darkroom, but I really didn't want to deal with math and science stuff. Ho hum. You live and learn. I discovered Translight Colors when I needed a darkroom to complete one of my final assignments, but I wanted something relatively close to home. Located in the Brewery, it's a quiet place with 4 enlargers in the B&W room. It's $11.25 for non-members, but the membership is only $30 a month, so the hourly rate is much cheaper. (Around $9) The staff is pretty chill. It's never crowded, but when there are people there, everyone seems to be pretty respectful of each other. read more

After years of putting it off, I finally decided to jump back into Photography. I love film and developing my own prints, it's a wonderful intimate experience. I am so damn happy I found this gem. Along with darkroom time they offer classes. I took a Sunday class with Megan. She is the absolute bomb! She's thorough, approachable and such a pro. I'm looking forward to working with her again. The darkrooms are clean ( they could use another fan). Although the stuffiness of the darkroom was a bit nostalgic for me. Anyway, the studio even smelled good. What? Yeah dude! Also, they provide paper, whatever supplies you may need. Did I mention how clean this place is? I'm blown away. Why did it take me so long to find this place!? I'm so pumped to go back! read more

Translight is the bomb. It's basically the last for rent darkroom in Los Angeles so please give them business. Aside from full darkroom facilities, they have a Nikon scanner for rent and an Epson 9800 for rent. I use the latter for big exhibition prints. I proof at home and then just bring my file in, saving I'd say over $100 per print vs. taking it to a lab and I have control over the process. Truly a gem for the LA photo community. Also, Christine will treat you right. read more

It's been years since I've been back to an actual darkroom. I really did not have a need for a darkroom since college but during my recent project, I needed to do a few digital scan of my 35mm and 120: 67 and 645 color and b/w negs, Translight was the obvious choice because they have a great new Nikon scanner and you can either pay $20 per hour for self serve on the scanner or have them scan it for you on a full service basis at $10 per scan. Either way, you can't loose compared to the average pro lab hi res scan fee of $30 per frame. I didn't have a chance to use the private darkroom but I know a handful of fine art and professional photographers that frequent this place and they absolutely loves it there. They only have one scanning station and 4 darkrooms so make sure to call and book your spot in advance. I reserve mine the same day so it's fairly easy. So the next time you need to feel nostalgic with your old school negs and is in the mood to make your own print, check out Translight. You'll have a blast. read more

The lab tech was very friendly and gave me a quick tour of the photo lab and printing stations. This place is very artsy and next to the brewery and other art studios. If I ever need to print something after college I know where to go. Inside there are large photo prints framed on the walls from different photographers. It's a really cool place to check out. read more

Contact Photo Lab - Outside entrance on overcast day. - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Have made inkjet prints and scanned here multiple times, easy and no fuss. Don't expect a ton of customer service, you need to be able to troubleshoot yourself and know how to identify basic issues like banding yourself. In-person customer service is not always knowledgeable but for major issues, the tech is on top of it and very communicative via email. read more

the folx at contact were great!! The space is so peaceful and everyone is incredible helpful! I cant wait to come back to this space.

5-4-2017 Update to Review. I would like to thank Contact La Photo Lab for the turn-around in customer service today. That is all. Sometimes we have bad days and I understand. Thank you guys for being awesome today. read more

I needed a large format photo printed and I needed better quality than a regular kinkos print shop. I've never used a real photo lab, but they were super easy to deal with, had totally reasonable prices and accommodated an insane rush very graciously. The print came out beautifully, gallery- quality to my mind. So happy! read more

I had few photographs printed by them so far and I will continue to do so when I need large format photographs printed. Great lab, very good selection of papers and good value. read more

As a working artist and photographer it's imperative that my prints are of the highest quality and for that I completely trust Contact. The staff are knowledgable, personable, good humored, and helpful with everything from choosing paper types to their expert packing skills, and their facilities and offered services are top class. Highly recommended on all fronts. read more

Contact Lab is a fantastic place for photographers to rent out space to scan and print both analog and digital. I have been using their Imacon and beautiful new Epson 9900 to get ready for an MFA Program and I have been thrilled with the space. Alexandra and Rob are both wonderful and have great technical knowledge. The space is beautiful, and the rental equipment is beautifully maintained and top of the line. I highly recommend Contact, and would happily send work to their custom lab too. read more

This place is hands down the best photo lab in LA. The service is friendly and knowledgeable. The work they do is excellent Gallery/Museum quality and for that the prices are totally fair. The space is beautiful, clean and well organized. I cannot wait until I have time to spend full days here printing! read more

I went in to rent the Epson 9800 for some large digital prints. Having much experience printing on A3+ printers but none on the large format roll printer, I asked for the printer settings to use in Photoshop--what I thought was a simple question. The attendant didn't know and said it was a DIY setup and they were not supposed to "walk people through" the process. Again, I was not asking for a "walk through," just a simple answer. I would have used my time there to google the answer myself but the computer had no internet access so I just bailed. I am a long time filmmaker and an educator so, even though I do not know the Epson 9800, I do know tech and also know how to ask specific questions. Hence my disappointment with my experience. Bottom line: do not expect any help on the self serve digital printers. Come prepared for that particular printer with the settings you need. Basically this is a one-star review of the digital rental service but the place was clean and friendly--even if frustrating-- so I give them 2 stars. read more

The saying "there's no school like the old school" couldn't be any truer as far as darkroom facilities go. I don't know of any other self-service photo lab in LA, if there are any left standing. Translight has b&w and color darkrooms, a Nikon film scanner, and an Epson 9800 printer - all for a ridiculously reasonable fee (make sure you call to reserve your rental). The facility is well maintained, and the manager, Christine, is very knowledgeable and really cool. It's located at the Brewery - which itself is a great place - so it's an effort (coming from the Westside) to drive through downtown to Lincoln Heights. That said, it's still worth it. read more

Contact is THE BEST. This is pretty much my favorite place in LA. Their facilities are incredible, such a wonderful place for the photo community. I've used both the custom and direct-to-print options and found their work to be top notch. Chris & Evan are incredibly gifted printers. Extra bonus: everyone who works here is super sweet and helpful not to mention hot (no joking they are cuties). Check it out- you won't be sorry. read more

Took an intro to black and white printing class and it was great. Very nice didn't make me feel like a fool because I knew nothing about making my own prints. Lovely place. Highly recommend. read more

I waited weeks for a response to my two emails sent so that I would not have to write a review, but never received one response, so... here it goes. I made a reservation for a particular time (I was under a deadline) when I got there the tech, Gary, informed me that there was someone who was going to only take 10 more minutes on the epson that ended up to be an hour then either the printer software was not up to date or the printer was broken, it was not making black and white prints, so I spent the whole day trying different things and I am an extremely experienced printer, so I knew something was wrong. I informed Gary, who had only said that I probably was doing it wrong (I was not), finally at 5:00pm (I got there at 11am) he got someone from the front to do a test on the printer for black and white. Low and behold, I was correct that the printer was not working correctly. I had spent all day waiting. Then Gary told me to come in on Saturday because I was unable to get anything done, I show up and he says that someone else will be there during that time and that he had never said for me to come in and I should "know better" so I am very very upset. He then gets very defensive about the fact that he had said not once but three times the day before that I could come in (he even said don't worry I got your back thank you for being patient). He calls me a very rude person for stating these facts. I also spoke with someone else that works in the front (who i mentioned earlier) who was going to fix the printer for me by Saturday so there were at least 2 people that knew I was coming in. I'm sorry but who treats people this way? I drove 45 minutes to get there and for nothing. This has been the worst experience I have ever had with a printing lab. Luckily I have friends with printers who are now allowing me to use them until I get my own Epson printer so I will never have to deal with the customer service at this lab again. read more

I spent several hours on a Friday afternoon printing my large format illustrations on the Epson 9800 at Translight or CMG Photo Lab. They are in the midst of changing both their name & facilities, but they are open for business during construction. I had never used an Epson 9800 & their website says it is a self-service station. Lucky for me Chris was very willing to help me get set up and later I was assisted by Robert, as well. The staff was helpful & friendly, my prints came out great and ,since I was a first time customer, they gave me a break on the price, too! You should check them out. read more

They quite literally have everything you would need for a darkroom. I go to school at PCC and the darkroom there gets packed and the chemicals start to wear after hundreds of students use them within an hour. The prices are pretty standard, nothing to fuss about. The guys that work there are also helpful and know a thing or two. I only wish they had a dryer for my prints. It would make things a whole lot easier. They do have a hair dryer though. It kinda works. read more

Love this Lab! Finally back in a color darkroom! I know what I am doing and the staff lets me be. I also love the smell! Chemicals!