RayKo Photo Center

I’ve been coming to Rayko for both digital and darkroom printing for quite a while. I am continually impressed with how helpful and attentive the staff is to my needs. If you enjoy photography or are looking to get into it more I highly recommend checking out the space. The facility is a one of a kind.

Incredibly helpful staff, fully equipped photo processing studio, and creative, artful photographs covering the walls by talented contributors far and wide. Rayko is my go-​to place not only to develop film, but to meet other photographers and exchange ideas and inspiration. Highly recommend a visit, for the novice and professional alike!

Great place to see photography shows. They specialize in analog processes, glad they are still keeping film alive. You can rent equipment and darkrooms. One of the few places left in the city for that.

Most recent review:
I took photography level 2 and it was alright. To be really honest I didnt learn anything.
I’m the type of person that likes to learn the technical stuff before getting creative. I like to know what i’m doing and know the basics.
What I was expecting from this class was really to learn about external flash photography and learn something new about my camera or about photography styles. But in my opinion the class was really more about «show your work» and let people critique than having lectures. We did have lecture but in my opinion it was nothing really relevant, some of the stuff were already covered on level 1 and everything was rushed, the teacher went over stuff super fast. Why didnt we exclude the stuff we already knew and focused on knew stuff?
The teacher was great, she knew what she was talking about but the course content was irrelevant to me…
Old review:
Took photography level 1 last year 2014 and I can assure you its a GREAT class. First I wasn’t impressed by the place since it’s small and the location looks a little weird. But after taking the class I realized how much my photography skills improved. I was already working as a freelance photographer before taking the class but after start taking the class I realized how much I had to improve. It helped me to get more clients and to feel more comfortable taking pictures. My teacher was Carlos and he is very clear when explaining things. I also took Studio Lighting with another teacher and it was great too!
I’m taking photography level 2 in September and I can’t wait for the class to start! I’ve been waiting since last year to take level 2 but they never had a time that was going to work for me.
Anyways, if you want to take photography class, photoshop or any other class related to that go to Rayko. Don’t make the mistake of paying more than $ 800 at UC Berkeley extension classes, I wasted a lot of money there. Rayko is way cheaper and worth it!

Wonderful staff, great facility, always find someone to help me. THE place to be when you love photography. The exhibitions are amazing especially thanks to Gallery director Ann Jastrab. I love Rayko!

I’ve had two classes here. One was darkroom eith and she did an excellent job. Another was digital photography with Carlsos and he was an excellent teacher as well. If you’re looking to learn some new photography skills or just to sharpen up, take a class or two here! Its worth yout time and money! Don’t be suprised when you have homework since after all, it is a class.
The only bad experience I’ve had here is thaat I rung the bell twice because it was taking a long time for them to open the door, so I rung it twice. Upon coming in, the woman who was in charge of the door at that time confronted me in an agressive manner. I explained why, but she still came off a bit pissed. Perhaps it was just a bad day for her. The next time I came, the woman was quite nice, so I think this confrontation will be rare for you.
Overall, excellent facilities and classes, just be a bit careful with the doorbell.

Great place and excellent service. Reliable and amazing. I rented from this place and the staff is super helpful and they had everything I needed for a gig I had coming up. Definitely recommend this place if you’re looking into renting any camera gear or accessories.

I picked up some rented equipment that was shipped there while traveling to Northern California to take some night shots. Ann at the front was a pleasure, we had great conversation and she even gave me some tips on shooting at night. Plus she peaked my interest on ridding digital next time. Nice! Too bad I live across the country. Otherwise I’d be coming to Reyko again and again! Next time! Awesome place!

Today was my first day printing at Rayco and it was a great experience. The staff is knowledgable, helpful, and friendly.
The prices are really quite reasonable. The range of equipment they have is great, 8X10 and smaller negative. I was impressed and will be using this as my darkroom while living here.

What a terrific place! I was looking for someone/​someplace to copy and enlarge a tiny, 60-​year-​old family photograph found recently in an old box. The photo is filled with family nostalgia — one of the family members shown is now in her 90s — so it was important for the enlargement to be done right for the family, current and future.
At first I didn’t realize RayKo is primarily a studio with classes, but it was my lucky day to find them. The photo when enlarged looked just as I had hoped, and it is now winging its way to our dear auntie.
Everyone was so helpful and friendly! Whether our little family project was out of the ordinary for RayKo, I don’t know, but they are tremendously kind and talented — a splendid combination. Thank you all!

Rayko Is a an excellent photography establishment. They have a wide selection of classes and workshops taught by first rate instructors. I would strongly recommend Rayko.

I have used Rayko several times in printing photos from my digital images. Their digital staff are excellent, very skilled and patient with novices like me. Also, the end result for 5×7 up to 55 by 55 was nothing short of amazing! This place and their staff are wonderful.

I had a great experience at RayKo and will continue to take classes and use the facilities. Clean, well laid out, has gallery space and is so wonderfully equipped! I took a color printing class with Audrey and learned so much She was patient energetic, happy to help and taught me to print confidently in the 5 week class. I actually was introduced to so many photographers and techniques and I owe that to her! Highly recommending the class!

Rayko, a top of the line photography establishment, is conveniently located in the financial district of San Francisco. Their website is super user friendly, and their staff are too. They offer an array of classes and workshops in their lovely interior atmosphere. Don’t miss out by passing this gem by. If you don’t end up using their services, they have an interesting photo gallery on display and an extensive collection of reading material.

Reviewing: Digital Photography Level I (instructor: Carlos Arrieta).
Assuming that you landed on this page in your search for a class to improve your photography skills and potentially take your art work to the next level, I can safely say that you don’t need to look any further. Rayko is an amazing treasure in San Francisco for anyone with a developing or long time passion for photography!
After a few years of shooting with random point and shot cameras and at times with my iPhone, I realized that none of my images were satisfying enough and went on to buying my first DSRL; however with a full time job outside the photography field, had limited time to do research on the how to’s, so I ended up using my camera in its semi-​automatic modes at all times, which kind of left me wanting for more as I knew that it had great potential and could create stunning images if I learned to use it properly.
If you find yourself in a similar situation or regardless of your background, but just with a strong desire/​wish/​dream/​need to be better at photographing by actually getting to know your equipment and avoiding all the trial and error part, this is the right class hands down! (FYI: Digital Photography Level II is also available with the same instructor should you feel comfortable with his style and wish to continue on following his guidance).
I personally keep bragging about it and hope that more people discover this awesome place and get enlightened by the very experienced and knowledgeable instructor that Carlos is! His classes are very well structured, the assignments super on point and meant to help you discover step by step the basic principles of photo taking just as expected for a Beginners level. He is also extremely patient in closely analyzing each student’s work and kindly suggesting ideas for improvement.
Do take this class and explore the other available Rayko classes and workshops! You will be surprised with the variety of the offerings. Just give it a shot, you won’t regret it! Take it from someone who opened a Unilocal account just to spread the word on this priceless discovery :)

I’ve been printing at Rayko for awhile now but what I especially love about this place are the classes. I’ve taken Photoshop Level 1 and 2 with Carlos and he’s an amazing teacher. I really appreciate how knowledgeable and prepared he is and he takes us through the correct way to use PS in an organized fashion.
Before these classes I was cobbling together a bunch of crazy little «recipes» with no real understanding of the capabilities of PS or how it worked. Now I really understand how to use layers and make them work for whatever specific need I have. I really feel like these classes are an AMAZING value. They are way less expensive than some other places in the city and you learn just as much, if not more, in a shorter period of time (great for busy people). I really like that Carlos is also willing to answer questions about things he doesn’t typically cover and gives out his email address to students in case they need help or are having trouble implementing the things they learned in class.
I’m also looking forward to taking some of their more unique classes like wet plate and tintype at a later date.

I paid for a intro to photography class a few years back and I can’t remember who the instructor was but it was disappointing after the first session. It was disgorganized, the seating was uncomfortable and it wasn’t interesting. The cost was $ 250. They did give me a refund for $ 200 (they took off $ 50 for the first day of class).
Everything is incredibly expensive to purchase so $ 200 didn’t go very far. I saw they had a Valentine’s mother’s special for tintype portraits which take longer to photograph because you have to be still for about a minute. I asked them specifically if they thought it was a good idea to bring my 2 ½ and 1 year old to get photos taken. I would be driving over an hour from San Jose to get there and young toddlers are hard to photograph. Because if it wasn’t a good idea, I would just continue saving the credit for something else. They said yes absolutely come in and please come early.
I came 15 minutes early as instructed, the photographer was 15 minutes late so we had been there 30 minutes. I ordered 3 tintypes and she thought it was 2. They started photographing and didn’t warn me first so I couldn’t get my kids ready. The photographs turned out terrible! And these photos looked WAY less impressive in real life than what was advertised. It just looked like a instant poloroid that was sort of old looking. I will say the photographer was sweet but I think that you really need to be able to manage the kids and make them smile and pay attention to you if you are going to photograph children. And you need to be organized. We ended up wasting our time with the long drive, long wait AND $ 200. We didn’t keep the photos.
The worst part is that I emailed AND called but no one addressed the issue. I didn’t ask for my money back. I wanted to let them know so they can be better about advising parents with young children for these types of photo sessions. I honestly don’t understand how they they stay in business with such terrible customer service. Isn’t follow up a basic service that you would offer your customers? They were unprofessional and obviously lacked empathy.
Regarding photography classes, I ended up buy a $ 50 living social for Isla Studios. I took a class with Lindsay and LOVED IT. It was night and day compared to the class at Rayko. Lindsay had a great presentation, she was energetic, they had drinks for us, I learned tons and it was fun.

I’m taking the Intro Platinum Printing class with Carlos. He’s a good teacher, taking the small class through the somewhat tedious number of steps needed to create a good print. The good news is with his secret sauce (a Photoshop curve) its fairly easy to create a fail proof digital negative to contact print. The price for workshops at Rayko are quite reasonable. This course is a little more expensive due to the larger number of sessions and the free materials provided.
Be prepared for temperature extremes as the building is poorly insulated. Warm clothes and layers are a must for winter season night classes!

This is a one-​stop place for film aficionados. I love the film to print services: I can buy the film, use their studio to shoot it, use their lab to self-​process, use their scanners to create digital files, and use their printers to print. Everything under one roof. The services are reasonably priced and this is one of my favorites photography outlets in the City.

I’ve been able to experience this place from all different angles. I’m here every Saturday helping with a kids photography program, and Barry is so patient and helpful. It’s amazing how much they do for us.
I first visited five years ago to see the Juried Plastic Camera Show (Which is going on right now as well!). The reception was absolutely crowded, and but the space is so clean and inviting.
I have developed and printed on my own time, and it’s a real relaxing place to do that. It’s very quiet, and you have everything you need at your reach. I just tried out the color printing with the program, and I’m excited to try it for myself in a few weeks.
I imagine this will be the only space I will develop and print at. It’s perfect.

I had some prints I needed made for a class project. Dropped off the files on Saturday and was told they wouldn’t be ready until Thursday. I was ok with that. Same night I get a email that the proofs were ready, went in the next day and signed off on the proofs and 3 hours later the final prints were done and ready for pick up.
Amazing quality, great professional people working here. I highly recommend to any one that needs prints done. The quality is absolutely amazing.

This place is awesome! Great customer service, and fantastic products!

The smell of a darkroom makes me happy and if you love photography Rayko is a good place for you.

This photo center has the BEST prices for photo services (high-​end printing, scanning, & photo studio rentals) in SF, period. It’s also one of the pickup spots for equipment from
(which I previously reviewed).
I’ve used RayKo’s digital printing services several times to print some large format photos, with great results.
Most of the time the front door is locked, ring the bell so someone can buzz u in. The front area is a gallery, walk down the hallway to reach the working area in the back. The digital printers are up the stairs in the mezzanine level. Drop by to see the paper samples and choose the color and texture paper u want. Hahnemuhle is an expensive museum quality brand of acid-​free papers (the best in the world), and Epson is the most affordable brand. There’s other brands in between. Other local print shops have more variety of paper choices, but all normally have at least those 2 brands.
Using a fine art print shop is different from your neighborhood Kinko’s. First, choose the paper stocks (u can print on canvas too) u want, drop your files in a USB drive or email it to them with instructions on what to print, final size, how many prints, etc. They’ll tell u when u can come by to check out a proof (small test printout using your chosen paper), only after approving that proof do they start the actual print job. So the entire process takes several days.
Service can be hit or miss because many staff are students with little or no service experience. In comparison, LightSource has better customer service.