Fuji NPS 160 returned with massive red cast. Why?

[Jack Schow]

Hi everybody,

I recently tried my hand at large format shooting with color negative film. I used Fuji NPS 160 sheet film, had an experienced photographer help me load and unload the film holders, and shot polaroids to check for exposure. The film and contact sheets that were returned were unlike anything I have ever seen. Basically, every exposure looks like a black and white picture viewed through a red filter; that is to say, the tonality of the images is accurate, but a deep red is the only color present. I am trying to figure out whether it was a film defect, a processing error, or an error on my part in exposing the film. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable has experienced this regrettable phenomenon. Thanks for any help

-Jack

[Nick_3536]

The prints and the negatives are red? You can't mean that.

[Walt Calahan]

Jack

The color negative is suppose to be a deep orange. It is a dye is filter that helps stablize the colors for printing. The "massive" red cast is NORMAL!

Unless of course the contact sheets have a red cast. Is the color of the contact sheets correct?

[steve simmons]

You may have loaded the film backwards.

steve simmons

[Ron Marshall]

I'm not trying to be sarcastic, but sometimes red filters are used for large format. Is it possible that one was inadvertently forgotten on the lens you were using?

[Bob._3483]

Methinks Steve Simmons wins the cigar... Also, from the "What NOT to do in large format" article at http://www.largeformatphotography.info/mistakes.html :

"Once you have shot your film backwards, it will appear underexposed by 2 or 4 stops, and if you are shooting color it will have a predominant red color cast because it has been filtered by the base."

[John Brownlow]

One of the reasons I love Grafmatics -- they make it very hard to load film backwards because the septums are indented where the film notches should go.

[Nick_3536]

But if the negatives are red the prints should be cyan. Right? From the sound of it both the negatives and the prints have the same colour cast. Shouldn't they have opposing colours?

[Andre Noble]

My guess: You did triple-box your neg after exposure, but accidently double boxed instead. Light fog

[steve simmons]

when you expose film through the back (color film) it will cause an overall red appearance. I bewt a dallar it was in backwards.

steve simmons