30
votes
How did my negatives end up upside down and backwards?
Some models of 35mm film cameras, upon loading advance all the film from the cassette on to a take-up spool. For these models, the first picture is taken on the end of roll, likely about frame # 36 or ...
- 38.7k
29
votes
How to preserve undeveloped film as a legacy gift
I recently had this strangle little idea to take some photos and just leave them undeveloped until I am nearing the end or my family is looking at them after my passing.
How disappointed do you think ...
- 26.9k
24
votes
Accepted
Has anybody ever taken an analog photo of a negative to turn it into a positive?
In olden times we had lots of tricks up our sleeves. We would mount negatives on a viewing screen. This is milk-glass illuminated from behind (X-rays are viewed this way). We then took a picture of ...
- 38.7k
21
votes
How was film developed in the late 1920s?
My antique wooden Kodak™ day-light loader (ca. 1905) was made with a removable spool of thin (now quite brittle) perforated celluloid with raised rubber edges. The film was sandwiched between the ...
- 5,511
14
votes
Accepted
How slide viewers work?
If you're talking about the traditional slide viewers, they don't. The slide is a positive colour slide, all a slide viewer can do is shine light through a slide. If you put a negative slide, or a ...
- 2,815
14
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Why are these film photos brighter than digital photos taken at the same time with the same settings?
Film is not brighter, it has different tone curve. In your examples highlights and shadows from negative are translated differently to the print than digital.
With traditional films like the HP5 the ...
- 5,215
14
votes
How to preserve undeveloped film as a legacy gift
If you leave something unfinished it will probably stay unfinished. People have enough to do tying up the normal loose ends after someone croaks. Schubert’s unfinished symphony stayed unfinished for a ...
- 4,893
13
votes
How was film developed in the late 1920s?
You might look at the Wikipedia Photography Technology timeline. A few key points from that reference:
1909 – Kodak produces 35 mm motion picture film on an acetate (less flammable) base
1913 - Kodak ...
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12
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Has anybody ever taken an analog photo of a negative to turn it into a positive?
This used to be a standard technique - it was the only method to make copies of slides, or motion picture film. For slides it was done with a macro lens and bellows - have a look at a fancy Nikon one ...
- 6,010
11
votes
Accepted
What caused these strange patches on developed film negatives?
When we develop film, we must take care that the film is properly wound on the developing spool. This is an example of improper loading of the spool. On the reel, the film is coiled so that it can be ...
- 38.7k
11
votes
Accepted
What is the best focal length for using a DSLR to digitize film negatives?
Assuming you're scanning 35mm or medium format negatives, and that you want to use the full resolution of your DSLR to digitize your negatives/slides, you can't do it with your setup (D750 + 24–85mm ...
- 32.3k
11
votes
My negative is completely black and opaque — is this a camera problem, my mistake, or the lab's?
what if it's the store's mistake?
With regard to this specific question, you will almost certainly find in the terms & conditions of the film developing service that in the case of error on their ...
- 11.7k
10
votes
50+ year old ilford film
The image captured on photographic film is called a latent image. Translated, this means an image invisible unless somehow treated to cause a visible image to appear. The latent image is best when the ...
- 38.7k
10
votes
Long term storage of developed film?
The longevity of developed photographic film is a variable. This depends on the quality of the processing. If the process is well done, the fixing step has gone to completion and there will be no ...
- 38.7k
10
votes
How did my negatives end up upside down and backwards?
You say in a comment to another answer that the camera used could not have been a pre-loaded disposable compact. But that is how the film was loaded in more than a few varieties of them. The film was ...
- 175k
9
votes
Why are these film photos brighter than digital photos taken at the same time with the same settings?
There is the potential for variations in many of these steps, but the first one that jumps out at me is that you used the same ISO, aperture, and shutter speed for both exposures. Also, answering your ...
- 12.5k
9
votes
Why does colour negative film have an orange mask?
Questions about the orange mask of the C-41 and earlier C-22 negative color film keep reoccurring. Maybe I can shine some light on this subject.
As you know, black & white film photography ...
- 38.7k
9
votes
My negative is completely black and opaque — is this a camera problem, my mistake, or the lab's?
blank (completely black and opaque)
If negative film is completely black, it could be over developed or exposed to light.
Either could be the store's mistake. They may also have loaded a training ...
- 26.9k
7
votes
How was the cyan cast of C-41 negatives originally removed?
The C-41 negative film process arose from movie film that was marketed just after World War II. Previously, processing color films was a far more arduous task.
To simplify, three dyes, cyan (blue-...
- 38.7k
7
votes
Accepted
Overexpose film in camera, then push process?
Normally, push processing is used with underexposed film. The typical effect can be seen in the film, Barry Lyndon, nearly all of which was push processed:
Still image from Barry Lyndon
...
- 1,834
6
votes
Accepted
Clean film negatives heavily contaminated with wet paper made negative cases
Soak in a tray or tube of water at room temperature. Add two teaspoons of Dawn dishwashing detergent per quart (liter). Soak for several hours and test the paper to film adherence. If not free, ...
- 38.7k
6
votes
Accepted
Why am I getting vertical black bands across my negatives and how can I prevent this?
It appears you have an intermittent light leak that is reaching the film while it is wound tightly on a spool, possibly the take up spool inside the camera. The distance between the bands in your ...
- 175k
6
votes
Why are these film photos brighter than digital photos taken at the same time with the same settings?
There is some latitude with regard to ISO sensitivity. Digital cameras often are less sensitive than the rated "base" sensitivity. The manufacturers tend to round up, possibly because it can make test ...
- 175k
6
votes
Accepted
Different result between scanning in Epson's "color negative film" mode and scanning in positive -> invert curve in post?
Scanning handles removing the overall orange mask in color negative film.
Scanning as positive, and then postprocessing invert does not remove it, inversion simply turns that orange mask to a deep ...
- 12.9k
6
votes
My film didn't fully develop
It looks like your film was developed just fine. What you're seeing is fogging by an unwanted light source. The sprocket hole 'ghosts' are quite indicative of this. It seems the film was fogged when ...
- 2,702
6
votes
Accepted
Portra 400 looks desaturated and has sprocket leaks
Your "sprocket light leaks" don't cross into the negative rebate, so they're not light leaks.
The marks are blue/cyan on the negative (hence orange in the scan), and darker in the scan than ...
- 7,113
5
votes
Accepted
What yields a better print from B&W negatives: photo printing or digital printing from a scan?
"Best" is a relative term, depending on your goal(s). :)
If you want the most flexibility (control over relationships between density, contrast, shadow and highlight detail), scan the negative and ...
- 1,057
5
votes
Horizontal line across beginning of film roll
If it’s limited to just the first few frames, there are two likely causes:
It could have been caused while rolling the film in the developing holder or while removing the excess humidity on the film ...
- 440
5
votes
Overexpose film in camera, then push process?
Usually, one would want to push process film that was underexposed. For overexposed film, one would need to pull the processing to get 'proper' exposure.
Let's talk about push and pull for a moment.
...
- 175k
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