Owner retires, leaving this longtime Bellingham business in the hands of an employee

A longtime Bellingham business that’s been a bedrock for the photography community has a new owner and address.

Quicksilver Photo Lab, which has offered photography equipment along with film and digital services, recently moved to 1417-A Cornwall Ave., facing the alley behind Bellingham Frameworks.

Jeff Daffron, who opened the business in December 1986, recently retired and sold the business to Cate Reed at the end of June. Reed has worked at Quicksilver for seven years.

The business started as a custom black-and-white photo processing lab and through the years added services so that it could survive as the industry rapidly changed. Those services include scanning slides, prints and negatives as well as selling equipment and handling digital services. The six employees can also create a variety of products for customers, including calendars, greeting cards and panoramic prints. The company also works with artists archiving and reproducing work.

Photo labs used to be plentiful Bellingham when film cameras were the only way to take pictures. Reed said Quicksilver was able to survive because Daffron was good at adapting to the changes as more people began using digital cameras and phones.

“As a small business owner, he never over-extended himself,” Reed said. “He was also very involved in the community, listening to what they needed.”

Reed plans on expanding Quicksilver’s film photography services in the new space. She said using film is popular in this community, a trend she thinks will continue to grow.

There are several reasons for the retro film trend, Reed said. Some like the look of film prints, while others prefer the anticipation of waiting instead of the instant gratification of digital. Many people also like to use disposable cameras on the beach or at celebrations in order to avoid ruining their expensive smartphone, she said.

A very popular service at Quicksilver is getting slides, old photos and negatives scanned. People want to have all those memories in one place, allowing them to put the photos in storage or remove clutter from their homes.

One of the biggest challenges for Reed is making sure people remember the new location. She likes the new location, which will have a couple of dedicated parking spaces in the alley.

The lab is currently in a soft-opening mode for its new spot. Reed said that they plan on having a grand reopening celebration at the end of September, which will also be a retirement celebration for Daffron.

Details about the business can be found on its Facebook page or its website.