Hero Of The Lab - Steve Butler
15.08.2019
Every professional print lab has its own hero, this hero ensures the highest possible quality to be delivered to the customer. They are photo enthusiasts and experts in their field. In our opinion these heroes deserve a spotlight, therefore each month we will ask one of these heroes to tell their story.
This time we have interviewed Steve Butler, Print Director at Genesis Imaging. Discussing future products or imaging development with Steve and the Genesis team is always inspirational, but most important, retrieving valuable and honest feedback. Steve is highly respected within the imaging print world, having years of experience, a passion for photography, staying innovative and a keen eye for good quality prints.
Who is Genesis Imaging? Having been first established as Genesis Laboratory Ltd in 1997 by Ken Sethi and Howard Lee, Genesis has grown from its roots as a conventional laboratory to offer comprehensive in-house printing, mounting and framing services, alongside a range of new premium display graphics services. Driven by innovation, Genesis Imaging has remained at the forefront of photographic printing through its commitment to innovation and adaptation to change.
Who is Steve Butler? Hello! I am the Print Director of Genesis Imaging and I am the person responsible for maintaining consistency and quality across our print services, on a range of media.
Could you please tell us about your professional background? Sure! I've been printing for over thirty years. My first job was as a black and white printing technician in a small lab in Swindon. From there, I moved to the local newspaper which gave me the experience of working to tight deadlines and equipped me with the skills to do so.
I really loved large format printing, and a move to London threw me back into the darkroom, and later into digital. I was the Print Manager of a quite prominent lab on North End Road over 20 years ago, but my lab's lack of interest in digital - and Genesis Imaging's forward-thinking attitude - made me move on to a new position in Genesis, and I haven't looked back. I was happy to work my way up again as a C-type printing technician, knowing this company had a bright future.
What has inspired you to enter into the photographic printing business? I've loved photography for as long as I can remember. When I was just 9 years old I found an old Ilford Sportsman Auto RF in a jumble sale and I soon began printing with an old Durst M301 enlarger in a converted cupboard in my bedroom. I really liked the challenge of fumbling around with a darkroom bag, trying to get my film on the processing spiral and then later, during processing, seeing images appear before my eyes in the trays.
What is it that you are most passionate about? Quite simply, my passion is centred on creating the best quality imagery possible - for myself, but more importantly for the client. I've just finished a project for a client who is based in Tel Aviv and as they were unable to approve the prints in person, I sent physical tests and also some video footage to show them the quality that we had achieved. It was great to document each stage and to share this with the client and, even better, they loved the finished results!
How do you think digitalisation has influenced the photographic printing business? Working in darkrooms can be an isolating experience. The digitalisation of photographic printing has changed the working environment of printers from the darkroom - to an office, where we can work more collectively. Digitalisation has also allowed for much faster turnarounds then conventional methods would ever allow and for Genesis, has meant that services such as Direct to Media printing can be introduced - utilising the benefits of UV ink (we can produce prints that are weather-proof!) and new flexibility in printing using a wide range of substrates. Gicl e Fine Art printing, ChromaLuxe Fine Art printing and our Creative Retouching services also allow our clients greater flexibility than ever before.
What do you like most about Fujifilm original photo papers? I've always loved the clarity, colour saturation and stability of Fuji Crystal Archive photographic media.
Do you have any favourite types of Fujifilm photo papers? I absolutely love the Fuji Crystal Archive DPII Matt because it has more of a satin-feel, which places it perfectly between a typical matt and a gloss paper.
How do you see the future of the professional printing business? I believe there will always be a call for professionally produced images. The quality, flexibility of processes, and the size that can be reproduced simply cannot be matched by small home inkjet printers, or high street labs.
What advice would you give to upcoming photographers?
Network, connect, and get involved in the photography community.
Find your Niche. Your personality is portrayed through your photos, and your niche is your special area of interest and the way you see the world.
If you act confident, you will be seen as confident. This perceived confidence will boost your actual confidence, which in turn, will allow your skill to shine through. Bottom line: if you act confident, then you will become confident. Don't be arrogant though!
Speak to your photographic lab about the benefits of different printing and finishing processes, and together find the perfect solution. Working collaboratively often gets the best results!
Files:
Hero_of_the_Lab_Steve_Butler.png (1.44 Mbyte)
original_News_Interview_SteveButler_en.pdf (779 Kbyte)
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
10/09/2026
RT to Broadcast Amgen Irish Open free-to-air
New multi-year agreement will see RT continue to bring the Amgen Irish Open to Irish audiences
Ryder Cup hig...
10/09/2026
More than 30 women report allegations of sexual harassment, misogyny and bullying within National Ambulance Service
Tonight on RT Prime Time, 9:35pm, RT One ...
10/09/2026
Series 3 of Nero's Class begins Friday 11 September on RT Listen
The third...
09/09/2026
New parts aimed at hip-hop and pop productions
The latest update to Celemony's innovative virtual session musician expands the collection of built-in in...
09/09/2026
Save up to 40% until 21 September 2026
Sonarworks are currently running their Autumn Sale, with discounts of up to 40% currently available across their rang...
09/09/2026
Upcoming title officially launches in September 2026
Bjooks' celebrations for this year's 909 Day will be welcome news amongst drum machine lovers, ...
09/09/2026
September 9 2026, 22:35 (PDT) Cinema Sunshine Becomes Japan's First Exhibit...
09/09/2026
Wednesday 9 September 2026
Tom Daley adds final stitch to giant Baa-Ewe' t...
09/09/2026
Red Seat Ventures Integrates Barometer into Speakeasy to Maximize Podcast Revenu...
09/09/2026
Baselight-powered color comes natively to Media Composer, connecting creative de...
09/09/2026
RT brings three packed days of live radio, entertainment, news, weather and fun
Join RT Radio 1: Morning Ireland, Oliver Callan, Today with David McCullagh,...
08/09/2026
Built for rap producers, by rap producers
Sauceware Audio, the independent plug-in company founded by Grammy-nominated producer Jacob (Travis Scott, 21 Sava...
08/09/2026
Classic Sound Techniques design revived
Warm Audio's latest release delivers a meticulous recreation of the preamp circuitry employed by the Sound Techn...
08/09/2026
Latest soft synth inspired by the Memorymoog
XILS Lab have just launched a software instrument that draws its inspiration from Moog's iconic Memorymoog,...
08/09/2026
September 08, 2026 NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - Soundcraft today announced the launch of its Signature Plus Series Analog Connected Mixing Consoles. As the next genera...
08/09/2026
Tuesday 8 September 2026
Sky Go gets a major upgrade for Sky Glass and Sky Stream customers
Today, Sky launches a new version of the Sky Go app for Sky Glass ...
08/09/2026
Documentary thriller simulating a Russian attack on UK soil will culminate in a live final episode reuniting the playersTuesday 8 September 2026
Trailer releas...
08/09/2026
Tuesday 8 September 2026
Jamie Demetriou and Amelia Dimoldenberg to host next t...
08/09/2026
Wuppertal September 8, 2026
Riedel Introduces New OnAir Headset PlatformRiedel Communications today announced the launch of its new OnAir headset platform, a...
08/09/2026
BERLIN, September 8, 2026 - J nger Audio will introduce a major expansion of its flexAI audio processing platform at IBC 2026. The flexAI system adds autonomous...
08/09/2026
New Vendor-Agnostic Broadband Intelligence Fabric Reduces Operational Complexity and Improves Service Quality for Broadband Service Providers SAN JOSE, Calif. -...
08/09/2026
Arvato Systems Brings TI Expertise to the Stage
Panels, workshops, and real-world examples at the TI-SUMMIT 2026
Arvato Systems, a partner of the TI-SUMMIT 2...
08/09/2026
On October 1, Apple Arcade is rolling out a lineup of fun new games for players ...
07/09/2026
Two new full-range, flat-response cabinets introduced
HeadRush have recently introduced a pair of new full-range, flat-response cabinets designed for player...
07/09/2026
Answering questions about AI in game audio
GameSoundCon, the largest professional conference for video game music and sound design, have announced that they...
07/09/2026
New directional headset mic on show at IBC
Just ahead of this week's IBC show, DPA have announced the launch of a new directional headset that's bee...
07/09/2026
We are not building systems to replace human decision-making; we are building systems that execute our decisions at machine speed. The media companies that win ...
07/09/2026
Monday 7 September 2026
Freddie Meredith joins cast of SNL UK ahead of start of Season 2
Freddie Meredith Images
ZIP (3MB)
Saturday Night Live UK announces ...
07/09/2026
Monday 7 September 2026
Sky and NFTS team up to launch new routes into screen careers
Sky has today announced a new apprenticeship programme, with application...
07/09/2026
Monday 7 September 2026
Sky Sports announces most comprehensive NFL coverage to...
07/09/2026
Dolby, MainConcept, Techex and J nger Audio will showcase the industry's first demonstration of Serial Audio Definition Model (S-ADM) in a cloud-based produ...
07/09/2026
dB Broadcast will showcase APIS Hive, its software platform for designing, deploying and managing modern broadcast infrastructures, at IBC 2026.
Developed from...
07/09/2026
552,000 streams on RT Player
The historic fight, which saw Katie Taylor become...
06/09/2026
Recreates Rolands TB-303 & MC-202
BS-203 MacroAcidizer is the first virtual instrument from Born Second, and it offers a recreation of two Roland classics -...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
05/09/2026
MK2 & Bass system control app improved
HEDD Audio have just launched a new and improved version of the control software that pairs with their MK2 and Bass m...
04/09/2026
Media organisations interested in the Media Innovation Europe 3.0 Business Innovation Synergizer (BIS) can now consult a new FAQ document providing additional a...
04/09/2026
Powerful new soft synth announced
Traveler is the first software instrument to be released by KeySolutions Sounds, and it's an ambitious one! Said to co...
04/09/2026
Free virtual instrument range expanded
The latest expansion of e-instruments' free Fragments series introduces a packed-down version of the company'...
04/09/2026
Company recognised for second time
Two years after winning an Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Award for dxRevive Pro, Accentize have been recognised ...
04/09/2026
Bilbao - 3rd September 2026 -AgileTV, a leading provider of end-to-end TV and vi...
04/09/2026
RT ANNOUNCE NEW DRAMA THE MURDER OF MR. MOONLIGHT
BASED ON THE DISAPPEARANCE...
03/09/2026
Yospace will be at IBC from 11th - 14th September (booth 5.C78). For more inform...
03/09/2026
Create musical synth bass sounds from scratch
Anthony Marinelli Music have recently announced the launch of Bass DNA, a new online course that teaches music...
03/09/2026
Most powerful Tonex hardware to date
IK Multimedia's latest release introduces their most advanced Tonex hardware unit to date, combining their AI Machi...
03/09/2026
Upmix & downmix software upgraded
Penteo Audio Plugins have announced that the latest version of their powerful upmix and downmix software is now available....
03/09/2026
With the start of the new apprenticeship year, young talent has once again begun their professional careers at SGL Carbon's sites in Germany. Recently, the ...
Hero Of The Lab - Steve Butler 
