After deciding it was time for a career change, Nick received an unexpected Father’s Day gift from Elizabeth: a stack of presents and paperwork for a newly formed LLC.
“I was trying to motivate him to lean into it more,” she said. “He has a great skill and I believed in him.”
The couple initially intended to run Lakeland Film Lab from their home as a mail-in film processing service.
But after launching their social media accounts and receiving an overwhelming response from photographers, they realized they needed something larger.
Eventually, they stumbled across a vacant storefront on a rainy night in downtown Lakeland. They contacted the landlord, shared their vision, and secured the space shortly thereafter.
A little more than a year later, Lakeland Film Lab has grown into one of Florida’s most recognizable film photography businesses, attracting customers from across the state and fostering a community centered around analog photography.
They’ve even developed film for a few famous musicians, including Coi Leray, Sza, and Snoop Dogg.
Now, with a second location on the horizon, the Buttreys hope to build that same sense of community here in St. Pete.