For more than 30 years, Kubuś Photo (102 Nassau Ave.) has developed film for generations of photographers in Greenpoint and beyond. Today, the neighborhood institution is facing an uncertain future after its lease was not renewed.
The story of Kubuś began long before the lab opened in Brooklyn. Founder Andrzej Rędziniak operated a film lab in Poland before immigrating to New York City in the early 1990s.
Like many Polish people of the era, he came to the United States hoping to earn “a few extra dollars” before returning home. Instead, after “some odd jobs delivering furniture and whatever else he was doing, he decided to get a loan from his mom to open up the store,” says his son, Jakub Rędziniak, whose childhood nickname, Kubuś, inspired the name of the lab.
Jakub was born in Poland in 1992 and eventually joined his father in the States, spending many hours at the lab after school at nearby P.S 34. “This lab raised me. I would literally be behind the counter counting out change for people and helping people, like giving them their orders and whatever,” he told Greenpointers.
Those early experiences inspired Jakub to become a professional photographer, taking him around the world. When Andrzej retired in 2023, Jakub returned to his roots, taking over the family business. Since then, he’s modernized the customer experience, bringing card payments, online ordering, and digital conveniences to the shop, while preserving the analog craftsmanship and personal service that have defined Kubuś for decades. He’s also learned how to repair aging film-processing machines, sourcing custom parts, and blending chemistry, mechanics, and photography to keep the lab running.
Today, Kubuś is one of the last independent film labs in New York City, but its future is uncertain. After being told their lease would not be renewed, the family is searching for a new location that will allow them to remain in Greenpoint and continue serving the community.
“We love interacting with customers to help them load their first role. It’s from little things like that. And like just seeing familiar faces all day long,” says Jakub. “It’s one of those things that makes it so special to work here in Greenpoint… there’s something really special about that face-to-face interaction that we have every day.”
We visited Kubuś Photo for a behind-the-scenes look inside the lab, where we learned about its history and the craft of analog film development. Watch the video here.
If you’ve ever had a roll of film developed at Kubuś or simply believe places like this deserve to endure, consider stopping by and supporting this neighborhood institution.