haze in negative

[esearing]

Anyone else ever get this? The outer edges of the image look hazy and less contrasty than the center. I processed other sheets with this negative and they are fine. EV range was only 4 stops.

https://i0.wp.com/www.searing.photography/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/AI_tree.jpg

Guessing either humidity fogging the lens or fogging on the negative. I had come outside some 20 minutes before and fairly sure I wiped the fog off the front of the lens but am now wondering if there was fogging inside the 4x5camera.
there was moisture between the GG and Fresnel that I had to dry before the next shot taken 30 minutes later with same lens and similar lighting.

Or is it just flare or haze in the air that I did not see? Sun was below the dunes to my left and I was in a protected windless area. 90mm SA lens f22 20seconds.

[Mark Sampson]

Looks like flare from backlighting x damp air x condensation? on your lens. Don't know what you had in mind but it doesn't look bad.

[Jim Noel]

Lack of a lens shade?

[Daniel Stone]

Seeing you used a 90mm lens, I'm guessing lens flare combined with some condensation/fog on/in the lens.

[Cor]

Should not be too hard to correct (either digital or analogue) in case you would want it.

Best,

Cor

[esearing]

The image you see on the screen does not have the same haze that my initial straight print does. The iphone software cleaned it up some.

I played with it some in PS and found if I burn in the upper right darker and the upper and middle left slightly leaving the hint of flare, then it improves the top. Cropping to 5x7 ratio helps too. Then I have to hold back in the darkest areas to show detail in the fence behind the tree. Then tone it sepia-brown and voila, it just pops and is more what I saw when I shot it. So I may have to churn through some paper to see if I can do all that in the darkroom. Maybe some preflashing to get the lighter tones working earlier.

Not sure it is worth the effort because it has so much clutter but it may make a good learning exercise just to do it. Next time shooting in humidity will open up the camera before taking the shot to check the rear of the lens. All other suggestions welcome.

https://i0.wp.com/www.searing.photography/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/AI_tree2.jpg

[Doremus Scudder]

Flare. Now you see why using a lens shade or shading the lens is a good idea in many situations. :)