How confidential are the film developing photo labs?

michaelalynn2: How confidential are the film developing photo labs?
I have a film camera, but no dark room, so I need the film developed by a store. On one of the rolls of film I have a picture of my friend smoking pot. I know its illegal blah blah blah but we did it anyway and took some awesome photos. If I get this role of film developed will they hand the photos over to the police? Technically, it could be salvia or shisha, but we’re under 18 so that would be illegal too. Should I not get the film developed? There’s other photos on there that I really want. For art’s sake of course.

Answers and Views:

Answer by Jenn
I would suggest not 1 hour photo. One hour photo the pics all get looked at. When they are sent out they are not all looked at.

Answer by Casey/Kelle
They report illegal activities like child abuse, child porn etc.

Answer by ahsoasho2u2
All labs look at the photos to see a quality of production coming out.
Usually Wal mart, Walgreens, or small drug store chains do good work.

Answer by Mike
yes. there is not confidential part in store devoloping labs, beside the fact they dont let other citizens see. They will turn in your phtoos to law enforcment.

Answer by Michael
there not confidential at all, the electronic ones we can pull up the orders that have been printed off for the last month, this chick was printing out naked photos of her self and she told me to “make sure not one stood behind her while she used the machine” I didnt care and walked off, but reprinted the order out an hour after she left and it was pretty bad stuff lol, showed my mannager but all that he said is that we cant do anything about it and unless its child porno that he didnt care, if your printing off pictures of you smoking its dumb but they dont really care. Unless you tell them is pot its not like they can tell lol, you could get somone not on the roll to pick it up 🙂

Answer by egypsies
Unfortunately we live in a society where it’s basically unwise to be presenting evidence of your “wrongdoing”…that just makes the job easier for the kind of weasels who’d try to prosecute you for such activities.

Since you want the film I suggest you use a place which promises confidentiality. Don’t think any of them will be totally confidential and you’ll just need to take your chances. I’d stay away from anything like Wal-Mart or any major retail photo developer, most have very bad records regarding “cooperation with law enforcement”—meaning, they DO cooperate way beyond what is correct.

Good Luck!

Answer by Uncle
Who still uses film cameras

Answer by Leslie S
A picture of someone smoking pot is not accepted as any type of evidence to cops or the courts for cops to get a search warrant.
No one really looks much at the photos unless they see nudes.
There is not right to confidentiality when you turn over your film to a company to develop but I can assure you they do not report smoking.
It was hard to get them to report child porn back before digital days.

Answer by Michael
Do not get the film developed or you will be arrested as the developer must turn in those photos