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  1. #1
    Kris Lockyear
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    Newbie question regarding colour postives

    Hi.

    Sorry for the newbie question here. If you look at a colour positive on a lightbox or whatever and you make sure the film is the right way up etc., should the writing along the film edge be the right way round or mirrored?

    The reason I ask is that I have just had my first ever couple of colour positives back from the lab (Fuji Provia). They have come out very dark and red, and the lab suggested that I had the film in back-to-front. Everything I read said that the notches go in the top right hand corner when loading darkslides. Holding the slides that way round has the image correct (showing I did indeed have the notches in the 'right' place when loading) but the writing mirrored; holding the slide with the writing the correct way round has the image mirrored and the notches in the top left hand edge. You'll appreciate I'm a bit confused!

    Is there any other reason for the slides to be under-exposed and very red? Although I am inexperienced with LF photography I have been taking photographs with a variety of 35mm and 120 rigs for a number of years and I doubt I would get the exposure that wrong. twice!

    Best wishes, Kris.

  2. #2

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    Notch on the right and up as viewed from the lens. If you are hold the sheet in front of you as if you were reading it, you'd be reading the emulsion side if the notch is in the upper right, as you look at it. Make sense? Your description of "to the right" is ambiguous.

  3. #3
    Kris Lockyear
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    Re: Newbie question regarding colour postives

    Quote Originally Posted by chuck94022 View Post
    Notch on the right and up as viewed from the lens. If you are hold the sheet in front of you as if you were reading it, you'd be reading the emulsion side if the notch is in the upper right, as you look at it. Make sense? Your description of "to the right" is ambiguous.
    Sorry about that. If I hold the sheet of film as you describe the image is correct (upside down of course, but not mirrored) but the writing on the edge of the film (the Fuji.... etc) is mirrored.

    Thanks, Kris.

  4. #4

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    Another consideration: underexposed and "very red" would happen if you forgot to remove a deep red filter from the lens, assuming you were shooting slide film after shooting the scene in black and white (he says from experience...)

  5. #5
    Kris Lockyear
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    Re: Newbie question regarding colour postives

    Quote Originally Posted by chuck94022 View Post
    Another consideration: underexposed and "very red" would happen if you forgot to remove a deep red filter from the lens, assuming you were shooting slide film after shooting the scene in black and white (he says from experience...)
    I can see how that would easily happen but in this case it cannot be the answer. I have a plethora of filters for my other smaller format cameras but I do not have a red one that fits my LF lenses (yet). Good idea though.

    Thanks for your help and comments.

    Kris.

  6. #6

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    Re: Newbie question regarding colour postives


  7. #7
    Kris Lockyear
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    Re: Newbie question regarding colour postives

    Quote Originally Posted by vinny View Post
    Those were the guidelines I followed when I loaded them. Very useful website. Best wishes, Kris.

  8. #8
    Vlad Soare's Avatar
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    Re: Newbie question regarding colour postives

    When you load the film - notches on the right and up.
    When you look at it on the light box - notches on the left and up (assuming portrait orientation), or on the right and up (assuming landscape orientation). When the film is held in this position the writing on its edge, as well as the image itself, should be the right way around.

    Underexposed and reddish could mean a sheet of film loaded backwards into the holder. Some people do this on purpose:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redscale

    This would also explain why you're seeing the edge markings backwards while the image looks the right way around. If you load the film correctly, then the image and the edge text will both have the same orientation.

  9. #9

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    Re: Newbie question regarding colour postives

    If you followed the directions at butzi.net, you had it the right orientation. But sounds very much like you did not. My suggestion: load the film both ways (one sheet notch on left as your brain seems to perceive reality, and the other way notch or right as your brain seems to perceive reality). See which way ends up with a successful result. Keep doing it that way.

    I say it that way because we can write until our fingers fall off but you have been provided the correct information from multiple sources. Your next step is to evaluate and debug your own process.

    Best of luck!

  10. #10

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    Re: Newbie question regarding colour postives

    Oh, one more suggestion: grab your film holder, and your already developed slide. Show us (with a phone camera snapshot) exactly how you loaded it. Load it half way, put it on a table, take a photo of the film sticking out of the holder, and post it here so we can see what you are attempting. Then we can help.

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