During the quiet months of the 2020–21 lockdowns, a curious sight appeared in Brighton’s Open Market: a socially distanced queue snaking past greengrocers and street-food stalls, all leading to a tiny Kodak Express lab. In the stillness of those days, people reopened dusty family albums, rediscovered the tactile spell of negatives—and decided film was worth saving.

One passer-by learned the lab was closing and, on a hunch he still can’t quite explain, bought the business before the shutters fell. The Open Market Film Lab was born. With growing support from Brighton’s film community, we soon outgrew the market’s arches and relocated to a brighter, better-equipped home on Trafalgar Street, convenient for commuters, students, and every corner of Brighton & Hove.

The truth many have now embraced: film photographs are deeply satisfying, demand minimal editing, and, properly stored, outlive us all. Colour from film has a richness digital still chases; black-and-white negatives offer tonal depth and grain no software can fake.

Entry to this world is delightfully low-key: a hand-me-down camera, a car-boot treasure, or a bargain 35 mm point-and-shoot, plus a roll of Kodak ColorPlus or Tri-X. Drop it with us, and we’ll show you why film endures.

Come say hello, browse the cameras, and let’s make something timeless together.