Emulsion Celebrates Five Years of Analog Photography

Emulsion Lab is celebrating its fifth anniversary! L’Œil de la Photographie is delighted to mark this special occasion with them.

When Luis Escudero and David Dahan launched this project in 2019, they were both practicing photography as amateurs and developing their prints in an association-run lab, where they first met. The duo decided to look for other possibilities and realized that outside of the associative environment, there were no spaces dedicated to analog printing—or at least none that matched the ambition they envisioned. By opening Emulsion, they brought to life Paris the first self-service analog photography lab of such scale.

Thanks to word of mouth, their space on Boulevard de Charonne quickly became the hub for analog photography enthusiasts across Paris. Some come to work on professional projects, while others are there as amateurs. The lab also offers a training program that has taught the art of printing to “close to a thousand people”.

The real strength of this lab, however, lies in the sense of community it has fostered. Emulsion has become a key meeting point for contemporary creation and the photography community. Photographers gather here to connect, share ideas, and grow—a much-needed counterbalance to what can often be a very solitary profession. It has also become an international hub, attracting many European photographers, especially since Brexit reaffirmed Paris’s status as the capital of photography.

Even as the prices of equipment and film continue to rise, Emulsion’s growing popularity demonstrates that analog photography is far from over. According to David Dahan, “A new generation of photographers is discovering analog photography and keeping it alive.” Some photographers will choose specific projects for analog work, while others embrace it entirely. For professionals, these decisions often depend on the client. For example, many photographers contribute to M Le Magazine du Monde, which exclusively publishes analog images and serves as a significant supporter of the medium.

To celebrate their anniversary, Luis Escudero and David Dahan envisioned a special publication. “For five years, we’ve seen so many beautiful images come through. The idea was to create an object that would pay tribute to them.” Using the test strips photographers use to experiment and find the perfect tone they created a leporello that pairs some of the most memorable images produced at the lab. The result is stunning. Strips is available for purchase at the lab.

Long live Emulsion, a place of creation and connection ! Here’s to many more exciting years ahead.