How long can I postpone development?

[Marco Annaratone]

Hi everybody!

I will spend most of the summer shooting 8x10 B&W in areas where I won't be able to develop film (it's a long and boring story ... just trust me on this).

How long can I postpone the development of the film? Can I develop it after, say, three months? I will be able to keep the film --- after being exposed --- in a refrigerator and absolutely light-tight.

Other recommendations? Should I insert some paper between exposed negatives? Should I use some plastic sleeve to wrap batches of exposed negatives before putting them in the light-tight boxes? None of the above?

I am particularly interested in those who have actually done it successfully, but any help is certainly welcomed.

Cheers!

[Frank Petronio]

Three months is not that long, you wouldn't notice anything until years go by.

[David de Gruyl]

Exposed and unexposed film are practically identical. Refrigerate and keep dry, it should be fine.

[Doremus Scudder]

I've kept B&W film for more than six months before being able to develop with no visible ill effects.

At the time, I did a bunch of research on latent image stability. It seems the latent image degrades slowly over time, but doesn't amount to much but a very slight loss of overall density (read film speed) in the time frame you are considering. I'd suspect it to be 1/3 stop or even less. Usually we all have that much buffer built into our system.

Best,

Doremus Scudder

[Ben Calwell]

I stuck some exposed film holders (TriX) in the fridge once and kept them there for four, almost five, years. Finally developed the film, and the images are lovely, if I do say so myself.

[Ed Richards]

It mostly depends on how old you are.

[Ari]

It mostly depends on how old you are.

:)

[Tim k]

16 years is my record. Some color 35mm print film, stored at room temp. Now, they didn't come out great, but they were more interesting for having sat the 16 years. If I processed them right away, they would just be in a shoe box somewhere.

[Valdecus]

My record is 27 years. Exposed a roll of 6x6 in High School and found it in a shoe box years later when I moved. Turned out the negatives included a couple of images of a friend of mine and myself in the Garden of the Gods nearby Colorado Springs.

The image seems to have gotten a bit softer, but it is still quite nice. So, three months shouldn't be a problem at all... ;)

Cheers,
Andreas

[Asher Kelman]

My record is 27 years. Exposed a roll of 6x6 in High School and found it in a shoe box years later when I moved. Turned out the negatives included a couple of images of a friend of mine and myself in the Garden of the Gods nearby Colorado Springs.

The image seems to have gotten a bit softer, but it is still quite nice. So, three months shouldn't be a problem at all... ;)

Cheers,
Andreas

I'd be happy to get that from a shoot today!

Asher

[Marco Annaratone]

You guys have been GREAT!!!! Thankyouthankyouthankyou.

Cheers

[Ben Syverson]

I wouldn't recommend it for C41... I developed some 35mm rolls of C41 that had been exposed 6-8 years prior, and they came out exceptionally grainy. Even ISO 100 films looked like ISO 1600.

Edit: a few months is not going to do anything, so don't worry too much. My main point was that color materials seem to be a little more sensitive to extremely long delays.

[ki6mf]

A suggestion for storage: Place the negative(s) in an individual cardboard film mailer inside a 3 MM black poly envelope. I attach individual film exposure notes to each mailer with a rubber band. Mailers are available from Freestyle Photo in California in various sizes. A 5X7 with mailer and bag was around $.60 each last time I purchased them. They can be found under Darkroom Supply/Dark Room Accessories/Misc. Sizes range from 5X7 to ULF. I do not know where these can be purchased outside of the USA.

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/5857-E...x7?cat_id=1603

[sergiob]

Maybe R.Lambrecht might chime in on this one. In their book, WBM 2nd ed., they state paper does suffer from speed loss over a period of minutes! I wonder, if this is so, why can film keep a latent image undegraded for so long time. Interesting question. By the way, a magnificent book.

[Randy]

I processed some 4X5 8 years after exposed. What fun finding a forgotten family portrait.
A couple years ago I processed another 4X5 neg that had sat in a holder since being exposed in 1961. The story is here (http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=71613).

[cyrus]

jeez - i've found film in old cameras bought at flea markets and developed it. Photos of people wearing 1960s clothes so I'm guessing 40-50 years old!

[Jim Graves]

I processed some 4X5 8 years after exposed. What fun finding a forgotten family portrait.
A couple years ago I processed another 4X5 neg that had sat in a holder since being exposed in 1961. The story is here (http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=71613).

AMAZING story Randy ... thanks for sharing!!!!

[Richard M. Coda]

I have developed film after almost 20 years...
http://rcodaphotography.blogspot.com/2008/11/glory-days-new-photo-from-my-past.html

[Curt]

You can only put it off so long and then you'll have to face the music!!!

Good luck,
Curt