I\u2019m Still Developing also does much more than process rolls of film. It has hosted exhibitions, group walks with photographers, DJ sets and even a rooftop holiday party last year.<\/p>\n
Checka Sardina, a professional film photographer<\/a> and regular customer of the shop, appreciates its focus on building genuine relationships.<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t feel like I’m just dropping off film,\u201d Sardina said. \u201cI’m also just meeting other artists and being able to be in community. Or have conversations about what people are shooting and what they’re up to \u2014 what’s inspiring them.\u201d<\/p>\n On that recent afternoon, co-founders Galvan and Jenessa Marquez were still glowing over the move. Marquez said they\u2019re looking forward to bringing more of those events to Third Avenue.<\/p>\n \u201cThis space is going to help us do workshops, more community galleries,\u201d Marquez said. \u201cI’m just excited to see what more is to come.\u201d<\/p>\n Andrew Galvan stands for a portrait at the store\u2019s new Chula Vista location on Sept. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n Jenessa Marquez stands for a portrait at the store\u2019s new Chula Vista location on Sept. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n For Galvan and Marquez, the origins of the store date back nearly six years.<\/p>\n At the time, Galvan had worked in music production for almost a decade. Marquez had mostly worked call center jobs for companies such as Costco and Sharp HealthCare.<\/p>\n Both of them had been making pictures for a long time. When they first started dating, Marquez said, they would go for long nighttime walks in Chula Vista, Hillcrest and La Mesa, photographing the glimmering lights of different neighborhoods.<\/p>\n During the COVID-19 pandemic, Galvan began collecting film cameras. As lockdowns eased, they decided to hold a pop-up camera event with other photographers at his studio in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n \u201cThis was supposed to be a one-off event,\u201d he said. \u201cWe had such a good time that, after it happened, we’re like, \u2018Oh, we got to do this again.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Documentary photographer Jos\u00e9 Rizal Mills<\/a> attended one of their early events in Barrio Logan in 2021.<\/p>\n Gathering with other photographers, Mills said, pierced the isolation of the pandemic and helped him cope with an anxiety condition he had been experiencing for several years.<\/p>\n \u201cI got to connect with a lot of photographers that I can now call some of my closest friends,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Photographers attend a meetup organized by I\u2019m Still Developing along the water at Mission Bay in San Diego on Sept. 15, 2024.<\/p>\n Andrew Galvan leads a photographers’ meetup along the water at Mission Bay in San Diego on Sept. 15, 2024.<\/p>\n Around the same time, Galvan said friends began asking him to develop their rolls of film.<\/p>\n Galvan had previously worked for another film lab, and he and Marquez began developing film inside their National City apartment. Soon, they started thinking about opening up a shop.<\/p>\n San Diego County was already home to three other dedicated film development labs: Nelson Photo & Video<\/a>, George\u2019s Camera<\/a> and Safelight Labs<\/a>. Galvan said they decided to look south of state Route 94, the highway that traces the north edge of South Bay.<\/p>\n \u201cThe other labs here in San Diego, they do a great job for what they got going on,\u201d he said. \u201cBut they’re north of the 94. And for people that live in South Bay, it’s a little bit of a trek.\u201d<\/p>\n In the summer of 2024, they opened up their first shop<\/a> along Highland Avenue in National City: a small, square storefront with a bright yellow film canister painted above the door.<\/p>\n In the two years since then, I\u2019m Still Developing has continued to grow.<\/p>\n Sardina thinks highly of all of the county\u2019s film labs. But she said Galvan and Marquez have an exceptionally fast turnaround time. She also appreciates their focus on bringing artists together into a physical place.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re just so genuine,\u201d she said. \u201cThey really care about the work they\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/p>\n San Diego film photographer and creative Checka Sardina stands for a portrait at Golden Hill Park in San Diego on Sept. 14, 2026.<\/p>\n The shop\u2019s growing customer base reflects a resurgent interest in film photography around the world<\/a>. More people are turning away from smartphones to capture their daily lives, a trend that’s led to a revival of both old-school digital cameras<\/a> and film.<\/p>\n San Diego\u2019s other film labs say they\u2019ve seen similar growth. George\u2019s Camera said revenue from its film lab had more than doubled over the past six years. Safelight Labs said it processed more than 20,000 rolls of film last year, up from around 13,000 rolls in 2023.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can barely keep up with it,\u201d Safelight owner Rob Cowan said. \u201cEverything is just steadily going up.\u201d<\/p>\n As Galvan and Marquez have expanded their business, though, they also began to bump up against the limits of their National City shop.<\/p>\n Since opening, they\u2019ve bought a new color film developing machine and hired four new employees. That meant they could deliver film faster, but it also forced them to cut down on galleries and other in-store events, Galvan said.<\/p>\n Eventually, they decided to close down the location and reopen in Chula Vista. It wasn\u2019t an easy decision for Marquez, who felt like the shop had been a huge step from their apartment setup.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m definitely going to miss that location,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Black-and-white film developing materials sit in the back room of I\u2019m Still Developing’s new location on Third Avenue in Chula Vista, California, on Sept. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n Processed film strips hang in the back room of I\u2019m Still Developing’s new location on Third Avenue in Chula Vista, California, on Sept. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n A color film prep station in the back room of I\u2019m Still Developing’s new location on Third Avenue in Chula Vista, California, on Sept. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n Sardina thinks the shop will be a great addition to the area.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople love them, so they will follow them regardless wherever they end up,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Mills is on board too. He plans on commuting to the shop\u2019s new location, even though other labs are closer to where he lives in El Cajon.<\/p>\n That\u2019s partly because Mills credits the shop for giving him the opportunity to share his vision of San Diego County \u2014 including places where he grew up like Imperial Beach and Otay Mesa.<\/p>\n Like Sardina, he also sees a deeper meaning in I\u2019m Still Developing\u2019s work. He describes them as part film lab, part community organizer.<\/p>\n \u201cThey really are connected with the community itself,\u201d Mills said.<\/p>\n Ellyza Dawn, owner and founder of the coffee and matcha pop-up Kaph\u00e9 Muna, prepares an espresso inside the shop on Sept. 10, 2026. Kaph\u00e9 Muna serves drinks inside I’m Still Developing on weekdays.<\/p>\n Andrew Galvan and Jenessa Marquez stand for a portrait outside their shop, I’m Still Developing, on Sept. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n Now that the move is over, Marquez and Galvan are thinking about the long-term.<\/p>\n To Marquez, there will always be new generations of people who are drawn to photography and analog technology. She said she sees their role as continuing to be a place where those new artists can come to satisfy their curiosity.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it’s really inspiring seeing other labs that have been in business for like 50-plus years,\u201d Marquez said. \u201cI really want that for us too.\u201d<\/p>\n Galvan has been enjoying the new space: the elbow room, the wide-open floor plan, the big garage doors. And he says it\u2019s especially meaningful to be based closer to where he grew up in Otay Mesa.<\/p>\n \u201cThe cool thing is, we can see ourselves being here for a long time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n ![\"Andrew](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790354772_11_.jpeg\")
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