The Optics Lab exists to serve photographers and visual storytellers through a small set of connected efforts: a curated film program — including Film Picks, the Film Fridge, and Film Factory — alongside original prints, photobooks, and the Garage Gallery (coming soon), a public street-facing exhibition space in San Francisco's Inner Sunset.
We believe in a slower, more intentional relationship with image-making — an appreciation for craft, for the physical object, and for the stories behind every photograph.
Film Picks — Monthly curated sets of rare 35mm film, selected around a theme and delivered to your door.
Film Fridge — Cold-stored rare, expired, and motion picture film stock sold individually. Sourced from around the world and kept in controlled conditions.
Film Factory — Our own line of 35mm film, sourced and spooled by us or our trusted partners in California.
Prints & Books — Original signed archival photographic prints and independently published photobooks.
Services — DX coding, re-encoding, and bulk spooling for photographers working with bulk or vintage 35mm stock.
Stories — Long-form writing on film stocks, cameras, and the culture of analog photography.
The Optics Lab was incorporated in March 2025 and began operating out of San Francisco's Inner Sunset neighborhood that June. What started as a curated collection of cold-stored film stock — Film Fridge — has grown to include subscription-based film sets, our own emulsion-sourcing label (Film Factory), original photographic prints, and photobooks from photographers around the world.
In 2026, we will open the Garage Gallery, a street-facing micro-gallery on the 1300 block of 9th Avenue, across from Arizmendi Bakery. Visible 24 hours a day from the sidewalk, the Gallery hosts rotating exhibitions, each exploring a unifying curatorial theme.
Our visual identity is built around Fran Sans, a typeface inspired by the destination displays of San Francisco's now-retired MUNI Breda light rail vehicles. The font was designed and generously shared by Emily Sneddon. We extended its character into a broader visual utility and design language for the Optics Lab.