london drugs photolab Archives - Page 11 of 13

3 Summer Essentials to Celebrate Canada Day Long Weekend

As a Canadian company, we can’t help but burst with national pride when Canada Day comes around. We have the honour of calling this amazing and beautiful country home, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. What’s more, the Canada Day long weekend also usually feels like the true kick off of summer. And aren’t Canadian summers just the best?

If you’re planning to spend the Canada Day long weekend pool-side, lake-side or beach-side (really, any excuse to enjoy the sun), then you’ll first want to make a stop by our London Drugs Photolab to order your custom-made summer essentials. We’ve just launched brand new beach blankets, beach bags and water bottles: all of which you can add your own personal touch to with your summer photos.

As a special Canada Day offer, you’ll save $19.98 when you purchase all 3 personalized summer essentials together – just $179.99 for the whole package!

Photo Beach Blankets

As you hit the beach (or outdoor pool) for possibly the first time this season, you’ll be all the more excited to roll out your brand new personalized 60″ x 70″ beach blanket. Use some of your favourite summer photos from over the years to decorate it with the help of our Photolab; choose from either a horizontal photo beach blanket, or a vertical photo beach blanket. Even better: toss it over your poolside chair, and everyone will know exactly which spot is yours!

Photo Elegant Water Bottles

If you plan on soaking in the sun over the long weekend, you’ll not only want to be lathering on the sunscreen, but also making sure you and your family stay hydrated. Our new photo elegant water bottle can be personalized with a summer snapshot, and are a perfect addition to your beach bag. Personalize one for each member of your family, and you’ll never fight over whose bottle is whose again.

Photo Beach Bags

Your long weekend summer fun wouldn’t be complete without a beach bag to carry all your essentials, from towels to sunscreen. We’re very excited to now offer quality beach bags which can be customized with a photo of your choice. This also makes a great gift for friends and family who have summer birthdays.

To complete your long weekend packing list, don’t forget your floatie! We have giant swan floats, donut floats, fun pretzel floats, and even the coveted giant unicorn floats that will be the star of all your Instagram pics. And don’t forget – you can order prints of all your Canada Day fun straight from your smartphone with our FREE London Drugs Photolab App for iOS and Android.

Of course, in true Canadian fashion, our incredibly polite (and knowledgeable) Photolab Experts are available in-store to help you with crafting your custom summer beach blankets, water bottles, and beach bags. Just visit us at your local London Drugs!

Here’s Why Countless Canadians Trust Us with Their Photos

Welcome to the London Drugs Photolab!

With over 35 years of photofinishing experience, the London Drugs Photolab can help you to preserve your memories and bring your photos to life. Our Photolab provides a wide variety of prints and personalized gifting products to creatively share your best photos, from photo books and mugs, to fine art prints and so much more.

Our experienced Photolab Technicians are dedicated to producing the highest quality photofinishing products, as well as offering Photolab services including film processing, scanning, and digital restoration: all using state-of-the-art equipment.

Why trust us with your photos? Watch the video to see how our LDExperts Nikki and Dave have built trusting relationships with their Photolab customers. Or just ask the countless Canadians – families and photographers alike – who already trust us with their photos!

Visit the London Drugs Photolab online or in-store to start creating something unique with your photos, or download our London Drugs Photolab App for iOS and Android. We can ship to your local London Drugs for pick-up, or deliver anywhere in Canada.

Become a Featured Photographer in the London Drugs Photolab’s Local Inspirations Artist Gallery

At London Drugs, we are committed to being involved in the communities we serve. Our London Drugs Photolab Experts have a true passion for photography, and enjoy any opportunity to celebrate artists in our local photography community. From the Capture Photography Festival to the Local Inspirations Artist Gallery program, we aim to support photographers in many ways, in an effort to share the joy of photography.

Local Inspirations Artist Gallery, featuring local photographer Yuji S.

The Local Inspirations Artist Gallery program is an ongoing company-wide celebration of photography at the community level. The photographer’s work is featured in a gallery at the artist’s local London Drugs, professionally printed by our London Drugs Photolab Technicians, using state-of-the-art printing equipment. The gallery is a platform for local photographers and artists to showcase their work to others in the community, while also helping them gain new clients and grow their business.

Yuji S. is one of our Local Inspirations-featured photographers, whose images are currently on display at our Broadway & Vine store. Yuji is a stock photography contributor for Getty Images, and enjoys taking photos of animals, people and nature. He uses our London Drugs Photolab for all of his printing and custom created photo gifts, so naturally Yuji knew the Photolab would be a great place to showcase his favourite prints! For those interested in purchasing one of Yuji’s prints, they can contact him at: yuji@ysphotography.ca.

If you wish to be featured in an upcoming gallery, visit your local London Drugs Photolab for details about showcasing your work and becoming a local inspiration to others.

London Drugs Photolab Prints the Best in Canadian Photojournalism for Capture Photography Festival Exhibit

We’re used to seeing photos accompanying online news articles and newspapers, but you may be surprised by the talent and skill that goes into capturing those incredibly candid moments. The annual National Pictures of the Year Awards, presented by the News Photographers Association of Canada (NPAC), celebrates the very best in Canadian photojournalism, and for the 4^th year, our London Drugs Photolab has had the pleasure of printing their entire exhibit as part of the Capture Photography Festival.

To prepare all of the finalists’ images for the gallery exhibit, our Photolab Technicians worked one-on-one with NPAC’s coordinators Ric Ernst and Ali Ledgerwood. We were careful to take into account each photographer’s specifications, ensuring their colours printed exactly as they should. Using our state of the art Epson P9000 large format printer, we printed each of the photos in gallery quality, on our Epson Lustre paper. The quality Epson inks used in printing will ensure the prints have an archival stability of 200 years.

Ric and Ali visited the lab to see a test print of one of the composite multi-picture category finalists, and had the opportunity to watch the full process, from sizing and checking the image’s colouring on the computer, to seeing the image printed on the Epson P9000, to cutting and inspecting the final print. They also looked over each of the single prints for several other categories in the exhibit.

Left print: International Finalist Jim Young (Agence France-Presse) 2017 Picture Story. Right print: Social Issues Category Finalist Photo by Ben Nelms (Independent)

“I was overjoyed when I viewed the prints for our exhibition for the first time. I knew our featured photographers would truly appreciated seeing their original files accurately reproduced in both tone and colour and on such high quality paper,” said Ric.

Along with Ric, Ali has coordinated the printing of the National Pictures of the Year Awards exhibit with our Photolab for the past 3 years, working directly with Photolab Manager John Goldsmith. “Working with John at the London Drugs Photolab is always a pleasure. The professionalism and understanding of our needs, particularly for such a large project, keeps our minds at ease knowing that the work is going to be completed quickly, but without compromising quality,” she said.

After being framed and installed at the Pendulum Gallery in Vancouver, the National Pictures of the Year Awards exhibit was opened to the public. For the many photojournalists featured, it’s a special experience for them to see their work displayed in a gallery setting.

“Most of our photographers only see their work on computer screens or reproduced in newspapers and magazines so when they see them printed professionally, it’s an eye-popping experience for them,” Ric explains.

Fourteen categories of photojournalism are represented in the exhibit, including news, sports and social issues. Of the nominees featured, a winner in each category will be chosen, along with a 2017 Student Photographer of the Year, 2017 Student Multimedia of the Year, 2017 Photojournalist of the Year and a 2017 Photograph of the Year. Considering over 2,000 photographs along with 25 multimedia productions from across Canada were entered in this year’s competition, being selected as a National Pictures of the Year winner, and even as a nominee, is certainly an honour.

Left print: Sports Feature Category Finalist Photo by Tijana Martin (Lethbridge Herald). Right print: Social Issues Category Finalist Photo by Ben Nelms (Independent)

Photographer Ben Nelms was chosen as a Pictorial Category Finalist, for his photo of salmon trimmings. Taken at St. Jean’s Cannery in Nanaimo BC, the photo highlights the family-run operation which was founded by Armand St. Jean in 1961, but who recently sold a majority stake of the company to a group from Nuu-Chah-Nulth First Nation.

Ben shared his appreciation for the quality work and effort that went into printing his photo for the gallery exhibit.

“Having your images shown in a gallery show is a great feeling for a photojournalist. Not only because it’s great to see the caliber of Canadian photojournalism but because the high quality prints draw an audience to them which ultimately brings a spotlight to the story you are trying to tell,” he explains. “It is always great to see your photos printed, especially when it’s professionally. As a news photographer, I am use to seeing my photos printed on lower quality paper so when I get a chance to see high quality prints it’s a real treat. The support from London Drugs is fantastic, their photolab is one of a kind and the professional products they produce is second to none.”

While the images for the National Pictures of the Year Awards exhibit were printed for professional photographers like Ben, our Photolab uses the same innovative photofinishing equipment to print gallery quality images to hang on your walls at home, too! Head over to the London Drugs Photolab to see our full selection of fine art print surfaces.

Fashion Editorial Photographer Farrah Aviva Showcases Her Capture Photography Festival Exhibit on London Drugs Photolab Prints

Vancouver-based actor and photographer Farrah Aviva is one of the latest talents to step into our photolab and work with our passionate team of Photolab Technicians. Farrah was chosen as a featured photographer as part of the Capture Photography Festival, and was given the opportunity to showcase her photography project The BANGBANG at the Opus Hotel in Vancouver, with prints provided by our London Drugs Photolab.

Playing off the work of Helmut Newton, Irving Penn, and David Bailey, Farrah’s work takes a fresh look at fashion editorial-style photography, using it to spark a discussion on contemporary sociopolitical culture. The BANGBANG is meant to re-examine sartorial images, which not only represent beauty, but also represent topics that engage and spark a greater conversation.

We caught up with Farrah in the photolab as she worked with Photolab Manager John Goldsmith to print her collection of 6 fashion editorial images for the Capture exhibit. All of her images were printed using our Epson P9000 large format printer, with high quality Epson inks that have an archival stability of 200 years.

“The printing process was the thing I was most nervous about. As a photographer in the digital world you don’t often get to see your work printed. Everything is on a computer screen,” Farrah explains. “I really didn’t know if the colours were going to translate the same onto paper and carry the same power, but the London Drugs Photolab Manager, John Goldsmith, was a dream to work with. Everything turned out better than I could have hoped.”

After the prints had been given a good once-over by Farrah, they were packaged up and sent off with Farrah for framing. The framed prints were then installed on the walls of the OPUS Hotel, where they would be showcased for the duration of her Capture exhibit.

This was Farrah’s first photography exhibit and she was thrilled to have her prints on public display, after spending over a year working tirelessly on The BANGBANG.

“I had imagined it for months so when they were finally hung I was relieved and excited, but it really didn’t hit me until the next day. I went back to the Opus to drop something off and suddenly I was standing in a room full of my images. It didn’t seem real. I had to do the iconic eye rub to see if I was dreaming. A flood of pride surged in and the fantastic feeling of hard work paying off really set in.”

Farrah has been back to our photolab a number of times since we printed her exhibit, to order more prints to sell during her official exhibit launch and through her website. We’re over-the-moon, knowing that Farrah’s prints will be showcased in homes and offices all over North America!

You can order prints of your own photos, in gallery quality just like Farrah’s, by visiting our London Drugs Photolab.

Q&A with Photolab Technician and Capture Photography Festival-Featured Photographer, Gabriel Martins

Photos by Kai Mallari

Ever wondered who prints your photos for you, after you submit your order to our Photolab? Especially if you’ve made an order like a fine art print, or a photo that’s particularly near and dear to your heart, you might be a bit nervous about who will be overseeing the printing, ensuring the sizing and colours are just right, and that the print comes out flawless.

Luckily, many of our Photolab Technicians are photographers themselves, which means they fully understand what it’s like to be in your shoes. Meet Gabriel Martins: a relatively new addition to the London Drugs Photolab team, and a local photographer in Vancouver. Gabriel has a passion for photofinishing and photography, and uses his experience as a photographer to ensure every print order he works on receives the same attention to detail as he would give his own work.

During the Capture Photography Festival this year, Gabriel was chosen by a panel of judges to be a featured photographer with not one, but two gallery exhibits in Vancouver. As part of this opportunity, Gabriel was provided space for his gallery exhibits, Rues de Montréal Part 1 & Part 2, and had his fine art work printed by the London Drugs Photolab. It was a unique and special experience for Gabriel, to be on the other side of the Photolab counter, as a photographer ordering prints for his gallery exhibits. To share a bit more about his experience, we sat down with Gabriel for a short Q&A:

Q: Tell us a little bit about your exhibit, Rues de Montréal.

A: Rues de Montréal portrays the streets of Montréal through 13 photographs taken during the summer of 2017, when the city celebrated its 375th anniversary. The images show the vibrancy of Montréal and question our use of public spaces and how people interact with them.

Q: What kind of print surface did you choose for your exhibit, and why?

A: All photos were printed and mounted on Metallic Canvas Gallery Wrap. I chose this media and finishing because it makes the colours pop out and creates more of a 3D effect.

Q: What was your first thought when you saw the final prints up on the gallery walls? How did the print surface look and feel?

A: I got tears in my eyes. It was the outcome of 7 months of hard work to make it happen. The texture of the canvas definitely made me feel almost like the photos were paintings.

Q: You had a particularly interesting print that’s caught the eye of gallery visitors. Tell us about it.

A: That’s the “Black Moon”. Before I went to Montréal, I knew about the revolutionary work of INSA, who’s a renowned British muralist, and his project called “GIF-TI”, which consists of photographing each layer the artist paints by hand. These images are then uploaded and overlaid to create the final piece, a looping GIF file. The viewers can download his app and point their smartphone camera towards his mural, which scans and recognizes the mural and plays the animation, bringing the piece to life. I wasn’t expecting that his app would work with my print and I got really stoked about it. The augmented reality effect is definitely an extra attraction in this exhibit.

Q: What was it like to be on the other side of the Photolab counter, as a London Drugs Photolab customer?

A: It was a great experience from the beginning to the end. All the Canvas Gallery Wraps were packed separately, which made the logistics easier and safer. Besides that, the colours, contrast, and sharpness turned out exactly how I was expecting.

Q: Do you find it important to build a trusting relationship with your Photolab Technician?

A: As a professional photographer, I believe that this relationship is extremely important because we put so much love and effort into the execution and post-production of all photos, so the printing and finishing processes have to be high caliber. The delivery is as important as the medium.

Q: Has this experience helped you with your own interactions and work as a London Drugs Photolab Technician?

A: Absolutely. When I’m printing, mounting, framing or doing anything else in the lab, I always treat the customers’ photos as if they were mine.

Gabriel (left) pictured here with his Photolab Manager, Bill Storey (right), who came out to support the opening of Gabriel’s exhibit

You can see Part 2 of Gabriel’s exhibit, Rue de Montréal, at Dunn’s Famous BC Restaurant in Vancouver from April 16^th to June 16^th. For more details on the exhibit, visit Capture Photography Festival.

Mother’s Day Giveaway: Enter for a Chance to Win a Collage Poster Keepsake for Your Mom!

With what seems like a lifetime of digital photos to choose from, picking one great photo of mom in her element can be tough. So this Mother’s Day, why not create a beautiful Collage Poster keepsake for mom with a whole bunch of her best moments?

To help surprise one lucky mom this Mother’s Day, we’re giving away a 24×36 Collage Poster (valued at $29.99) and a $100 London Drugs gift card so you can create your own special photo gift for mom, with all your favourite snapshots!

To enter for a chance to win this Mother’s Day Collage Poster Package:

Follow @LDPhotolab on Instagram or Twitter
Comment on our Instagram giveaway post or send us a tweet, telling us why you would love to gift your mom a Collage Poster for Mother’s Day.

Rules and Regulations:

To enter this @LDPhotolab Instagram & Twitter contest:
Step 1. Follow @LDPhotolab on Instagram or Twitter
Step 2. Comment on the @LDPhotolab Instagram giveaway post OR send @LDPhotolab a tweet, telling us why you would love to gift your mom a photo collage for Mother’s Day.
Contest is open to all residents of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba who, as of the date the prize draw is made: (i) have not won a London Drugs contest since May 1, 2017; (ii) have reached the age of majority in the province in which they reside as of May 1, 2018; (iii) are not employees of London Drugs, their respective advertising and promotional agencies, the independent judging organization (if any), or any family member living with any such employee.
No purchase necessary. Limit one (1) entry per person per social network per contest. Entries must be received no later than 11:59 PM Pacific Time on May 8, 2018. London Drugs is not responsible for entries that become lost or misdirected. All entries become the property of London Drugs Limited and will not be returned.
The winners will be randomly chosen on the day the contest ends (see dates below) in Vancouver, British Columbia, from all eligible entries received per contest. To win, selected entrants must correctly answer a skill-testing mathematical question and must sign London Drug’s declaration and release confirming compliance with the contest rules and acceptance of the prize(s) as awarded, releasing London Drugs from liability in association with the contest and prize and consenting to the use of their name, photograph, voice and statements for promotional and publicity purposes.
There will be one (1) prize awarded to one winner: 1 prize pack consisting of: one 24×36 Collage Poster (valued at $29.99) and one $100 London Drugs gift card. See details and contest dates below. Prize must be accepted as awarded, are non-transferable and no substitutions are permitted. Prize will be awarded at the closest London Drugs location to contest winner.
Contest dates – Tuesday, May 1, 2018 12:01AM to Tuesday, May 8, 2018 11:59PM Pacific Time
Draw date – 12:00PM Pacific Time Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Only one prize may be won by any one person and household. In the event that any selected entrant incorrectly answers the skill-testing question or is otherwise unwilling or unable to comply in full with these rules, a new entry will be drawn.
Selected winner will be contacted by email or on the social network they were drawn from. No correspondence will be entered into except with selected entrants. If the winner does not respond then she/he will be notified for the second time, 3 (three) days after the first notification. If the winner still does not respond within 3 days of the second notification, a new winner will be chosen in the same manner until a winner is successfully contacted.
The chances of winning a prize will depend on the number of eligible entries received. Decisions of the judges in respect of all aspects of this contest including, but not limited to, eligibility of entries and correctness of answers given to the skill-testing question, are final.
London Drugs and their respective advertising and promotional agencies, the independent judging organization, and their respective agents are not liable to an entrant in any manner relating to the contest or the awarding and use of the prize(s).
This contest is subject to all federal, provincial, and municipal laws and regulations. By entering the entrant consents to the collection of all personal information included on their entry and agrees to the use and disclosure of such information by and between London Drugs, an independent judging organization and their agents. The winner(s) also agrees to the collection, use and disclosure of their name, entry, photographs, voice and statements for London Drugs’ publicity purposes without further compensation. All personal information collected from entrants will be used only for the purposes of administering the contest and for marketing and promotional purposes as contemplated by these rules; under no circumstances will any personal information be sold or rented to third parties. All personal information collected by London Drugs will be kept in accordance with the privacy policy of London Drugs, which can be viewed at www.londondrugs.com, and in accordance with all applicable privacy laws.
The right is reserved by London Drugs to terminate this contest, in whole or in part, and/or modify, amend or suspend the contest, and/or these rules in any way, should any cause beyond the reasonable control of London Drugs or its agents affect the proper administration thereof.