I’m Juan Ramirez, a Mexican American photographer and the founder of Kumomi Film, an independent film lab based in Chicago.

My relationship with film began with curiosity. I was drawn to its slower rhythm—the anticipation between taking a photograph and finally seeing the frame, along with the imperfections and character that make each image feel alive. Before long, photographing with film was no longer enough. I wanted to understand what happened after the shutter was pressed and how careful development and scanning could shape the final photograph.

That curiosity eventually took me to Japan, where I spent time learning about the way film is processed, scanned, and treated by labs whose work I had long admired. What stayed with me was not simply the equipment or technique, but the consistency, precision, and quiet care given to every part of the process.

I returned to Chicago inspired to bring that philosophy into my own work. I began developing film, refining my scanning process, testing different workflows, and building a lab where every decision could be made with intention.

Kumomi Film grew from that journey, shaped by my Mexican American identity, my home in Chicago, and the standards of craftsmanship that inspired me in Japan. Whether it is your first roll or your hundredth, my goal is to give your film the attention and respect I would want for my own photographs.