A nice try, Leonard. I can just tell you that it took me a fraction of a second to identify the thing. Once I was blackening the inside of a camera. As the paint was drying it caught a fiber that stayed there. It took several rolls of film to shoot only to see on all of them this fiber - in several positions, sharp, less sharp etc. etc. It was exactly as you have it on the picture. There is ana infinity of fibers that can have all the thickness you think only a human hair can have...
RIT offers courses in photo analysis. It much in demand by the CIA and military. Perhaps you could send there as an example?
Isn't it possible that there were just a lot of huge, gyrating tentacles sprouting from the antenna?
"When you hear hoofbeats in Texas, think horses, not zebras."
It could be some frayed fibers from the light trap (had this once with a 35mm camera and reloaded film cartridges). On some holders it is possible to inspect and replace the light trap, so you might check this if possible. If you load film in a changing bag or tent that could be another source. Of course, if you load in the darkroom, it could have also come off of whatever you were wearing, and you wouldn't have noticed in the dark. And if it's really hair, it could have come from your head. I wear a hat when loading, mainly to prevent dandruff from falling on the film.
Well, much as I hate to say it - my best guess is pubic or other body hair from a caucasian person. It's definitely hair. You can tell from the structure of it - it's grown - not manufactured. Especially from the varying (decreasing thickness). And you can tell it's not hair from the head because the structure, again, would result in a highly matted grouping - as though designed for trapping air and keeping the area warm. The slight curl and the kink to it also tells you that it's got a flattish cross-section (not round - as you'd find in an asian sample - that's why asian hair tends to be straight). There is a slight chance it's from a sweater - if it's pure wool. But I haven't seen any wool kink QUITE that way.
Check the film holder dark slide (it WAS large format, right?). My best guess as to source (if this isn't a troll - which I'm not sure of) would be there's NICK in the edge of that slide - and perhaps some of the offending matter might have been on your clothing (or else it's your arm hair - which would be of a more regular structure - and you PROBABLY would have noticed it).
I LOVE a good mystery.
on second thought... it COULD be cat hair. I was just inspecting my cat's hair. That would account for the small diameter...
Another reason why i keep my pants on when loading film.
"on second thought... it COULD be cat hair. I was just inspecting my cat's hair."
pubic cat hair...?
You'd be amazed how small the demand is for pictures of trees... - Fred Astaire to Audrey Hepburn
www.photo-muse.blogspot.com blog
Now that's just nasty.
I've seen many cats shows. I still have to see a cat covered with "pubic hair from a caucasian person". What a guess!
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