Join us 5/2 for a Cyanotype printing workshop! We’ll be giving a tea-toning presentation in addition to our workshop.
All materials will be provided, but feel free to bring something personal to print like b&w film negatives or pressed flowers.
Sign up at the link in bio!
This Saturday, @aprtr.wzrd ’s show, “Lifer” opens in our space!
In birding, a “lifer” is slang for the very first time a birder sees and positively identifies a specific species of bird in the wild. The gallery show “Lifer” will be Merlin Mendoza’s effort to immerse others into San Diego’s diverse avian biomes through his photography.
We’re excited to see you there!
Best Of? We sure think so 📸
We were nominated for San Diego Union Tribune’s Best Camera Store thanks to the incredible patronage of THIS community.
Head to the Union Tribune’s site to vote by April 30th!
Film photographer @spicy_sawah works in the dimming visual language of neon.
“I find myself eager to see what environments look like after dark...Growing up in Las Vegas, I was surrounded by neon and artificial light everywhere, so I naturally find myself paying attention to how spaces transform at night.” Her approach blends observation with experimentation, using long exposures and multiple exposures to reveal the ethereal moods and surrealistic atmosphere it brings to a single shot. Filtered by her nostalgia, she seeks neon as a living and fading material in which history is at stake and dreams are in the foreground.
Read more on this photographer feature at the ‘Developing Stories’ link in @safelightlabs bio🔗
The entire @cameraexposure / @safelightlabs community was recognized today by @asmchrisward78 as one of the 78th district’s Small Businesses of the Year!
Why?
You know why. It’s because of you.
Because of the customers who trust us with their stories, because of the people who tirelessly sort and scan your film, because of the community members who build bonds around the darkroom, the studio or the gallery shows.
This one’s for you, San Diego film friends!
Video by @backalleygoose , photos on Pentax 17 by @samuelhodgson / @uptown11studios .
Developed and scanned @safelightlabs
And just like that, we’ve been nominated for best camera store in the 2026 BEST of San Diego Union-Tribune Readers Poll. For all those that have ever dropped off a roll and experienced the joy that comes from developing with us, we’d love your show of support by casting your vote for Camera Exposure by April 30th!
None of this would be possible without the individuals that keep this story production factory up and humming along. Be it behind the counter or in the lab, they’re the ones that make sure the shutter stays open. A vote for Camera Exposure is a vote for them.
Visit / to vote! We are under the Shopping and Services category
Come take some photos at Balboa Park with your fellow queer photographers on April 11th at 3pm! We'll be meeting outside The San Diego Museum of Art and going for a little ~90 minute stroll around Balboa Park to take some photos of the architecture and gardens and make friends! Everyone is totally encouraged to bust out their film gear but bring whatever you have even if it's a phone! If folks feel good about the photos they took we'll schedule a cafe meeting for everyone to share their favorite photos once the folks shooting film have had time to develop their photos!
This event is primarily a space for sapphic-aligned photographers to meet each other — but all are welcome as long as they're respectful!
Please RSVP by going to this link: /forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeTIRB7yYa_WN2kHiORfIfvV-gYiLH4rHjfcT2oVkwPeqhPmQ/viewform
Any questions can be directed to Gwen: @gw3nfawrseren on instagram
CORRECTION! All of the artwork for this Friday nights print hang will be up ALL WEEKEND, we do not have to take it down when the event ends at 7pm.
My bad! -Rob
Friday, March 27th from 5-7pm at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla
Space is LIMITED and you won’t be able to enter the space before 5pm so don’t be late.
Be sure your print is no larger than 11x14 and unframed.
Bring extra copies of your print or other photographs you’d like to swap
See you then!
We are hiring! If you have knowledge and a passion for photography and looking for a PT job, email your resume to [email protected] or please drop it off at the shop
Please no phone calls or DM’s
For 38 years, we’ve been the guardians of photography’s greatest treasures. But as we prepare to remodel our analog temple, we’ve realized we need brave explorers to excavate our retail floor—because frankly, it’s not the years, honey, it’s the storage.
This Saturday, March 21st from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., we’ll have so many crates of photography equipment to dig through that you might even stumble upon the Ark of the Covenant. Remember, don’t stare directly at it.
Hundreds of items are priced to move, with some marked down by 70%. Heck, if you make us a solid offer, we’ll likely let you walk away with some sought-after gear without any risk of triggering a booby trap.
No maps required, just get here early. The best artifacts — rare lenses, bodies, and accessories —won’t stay undiscovered for long. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a hobbyist looking for your first holy grail of grain, this will be the dig of the century.
It's time for another RUMMAGE SALE! As you may or may not know, Camera Exposure has been around in 1988. Over the last 38 years, we have accumulated a LOT of stuff. In order for us to finish up with the remodel we want to do, we need to clear out tons of stuff. So this Saturday, March 21st from 10am-6pm, you get to come in and DIG DIG DIG to find some really cool items. Some stuff will be up to 70% off, or if you make us a good enough offer, we probably won't say no. Come be Indiana Jones of the photography world and find something truly unique to add to your collection!
