LIGHTS, CAMERA, COFFEE

Chelsea Lowik is no stranger to the hospitality industry. She’s worked in specialty coffee since

2008, has owned eight venues (most recently,

Hobart bakery Queens Pastry), and done stints at plenty more (Melbourne’s St Ali and Black Pearl).

But when Lowik moved from Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast in late 2019, she found herself at a loss while exploring her other passion: film photography. “I’ve been doing film photography for about 10 years. When I moved [here] I noticed there was nowhere to develop film other than commercial shopping mall-style places,” she explains.

Not long after moving, Lowik met local photographer and creative Kyle Dobie who had opened a café with a camera repair shop. The pair decided to join forces to create Your Local Film Lab – an independent coffee shop and film processing lab (or pro-lab). The light and bright Maroochydore site is divided between its pro-lab in the back, and café in the front, which serves coffee by Clandestino, a local Noosa roastery.

So why the resurgence in film, now? “Something you can’t really replicate with digital photography is the atmosphere and quality that film has. Especially a photo with portrait film, or a medium-format photo,” says Lowik. The excitement that comes from dropping off a roll of film and not knowing how it will turn out is also a big drawcard for her, whether they’re snaps from a night out with friends, a holiday or great meal.

Your Local Film Lab in its current form is just a snapshot of what’s to come. Lowik and Dobie have plans to build on the current setup by growing the education space and adding a darkroom, and also hope to add their own gallery. yourlocalfilmlab.com