Seeing negatives as positives without making a Print

[Rick Olson]

Hi, what is a quick way to see my B&W negatives as positives without doing any chemistry, scanning, or making a print?

I just want a quick and instant way of seeing how my picture looks like, as a positive. I do send some of my pics to be developed as a positive slide film, and they tell me how my pictures actually look like. But positives are too expensive to develop, so I'm wondering if I can just develop my pictures as negatives (which is cheap and fast to develop) and view them as positives.

I repeat that I don't want to have to make a print. I want to see how much picture looks like using the original negative film.

I just put my B/W (or color) negs on a light box, get my digicam and set it to macro mode, shoot, load them into my mac, then convert them to a positive in Photoshop. Quick and easy!


Rick

[Gary Beasley]

If you look at the emulsion side of a B&W neg against a black background, you can see it as a positive, but it's not a terribly good indicator of how a print would look.

This usually only works if the negative density is a bit on the low side, usually thinner than you would want for a good print.

[Bruce Watson]

I have looked at negatives for so long my brain turns them into positives -- it is not something I consciencously do.

Same here. Just like looking at the image on the ground glass -- it's only upside down and backwards if I consciously will myself to see it that way. Both of these are something that just comes with practice.

[Ted Harris]

Surprised no one has mentioned it .... why not just shoot a Polaroid in the first place and keep it as a record of the exposure. If what you are really seeking is an instant solution that will give you a final print ..... it doesn't exist.

[Bernard Kaye]

Try to look at emulsion side of contrasty negatives at varying angles and light direction until you find the combination of angle & light that convinces you that you "see" what a print would be. It is subjective: sometimes looking through the film (emulsion on other side) will do it for you, your perception. This is an area where 35mm. and 120 film users have it easier because the curve in the film when you hold it up does things to the light coming through the negative. For me, old TRI X developed in Rodinal 1/50 or so produced a negative that I thought could appear to tell me what print would look like. It is subjective.
Bernie

[cotdt]

For me, old TRI X developed in Rodinal 1/50 or so produced a negative that I thought could appear to tell me what print would look like. It is subjective.
Bernie

Tri-X in Rodinal 1:50 is exactly what I use but can you tell me the exact angle where the negative becomes a positive?

[cotdt]

Surprised no one has mentioned it .... why not just shoot a Polaroid in the first place and keep it as a record of the exposure. If what you are really seeking is an instant solution that will give you a final print ..... it doesn't exist.

That's a good idea too, thanks, but an expensive one.

[rwyoung]

Tri-X in Rodinal 1:50 is exactly what I use but can you tell me the exact angle where the negative becomes a positive?

There isn't one.

What they are experiencing is the same effect that makes a wet-plate collodion ambrotype or tintype work as a positive.

To work with a "film" negative it needs to be a bit underexposed and a bit overdeveloped. I stated that from memory so I may have said it backwards. At any rate, a "proper" negative won't easily exhibit the effect.

And by the way, you mentioned the anti-halation layer. With proper washing and fixing, that is long gone. You may have some residual base tint (blue, gray or pink) but that isn't the anti-halation layer.

The best thing you can do is to test your film and developer for proper EI and developing time. Simple, no densitometer needed, test in the free articles at View Camera. Then print lots and lots of negatives. It will become easier to read a negative with practice.

[ic-racer]

Were you thinking of contact printing with the glow in the dark paper to get a temporary image? It might work, but you would still have a negative image. The bright glowing areas would be the clear (shadow) areas of your original negative.

[Arne Norris]

Looking at a negative against a dark background does work somewhat, but best with a very thin negative and with a light shining just the right angle on the silver of the negative. It's actually kind of magical. But probably not useful for your needs. I discovered this by accident many years ago when I had some very thin negs from some early street work. Cool to hear that someone else has discovered the same thing!