um....? weirdness in this new negative

[jessicadittmer]

created another neg. in camera yesterday and processed it today. There are some weird things on this...mystery to me. I'd bought this film holder from another photog who preloaded it with some ilford aerial film for me. That's what my first neg was too and it was just fine but this one? It is CRAZY looking on the edges. I'll have to do a contact print to tonight to actually see better what is going on I suppose but any thoughts? all these odd streaks in the image...
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[jessicadittmer]

it is on both sides but more on the left as you see. - thinking it was a lens thing/something to do with what i was doing in positioning it/bellows position/coverage/ something - it is in the neg. itself.

[desertrat]

A good scan of a contact print will help. Some preliminary thoughts:

Light leaks in bellows and/or holders can make strange patterns. They will be darker on the negative and lighter on the print than surrounding areas.

I recently developed some 8X10 negatives that were exposed 7 years ago and then sat in their holders well past the film's expiration date. The negatives had strange ripple patterns that I've never seen before and I'm pretty sure were caused by the long expired film. If the aero film you're using is long expired, that could be a cause.

[jessicadittmer]

thanks! I didn't have any issue with the first one - he sent them all at the same time, film he'd cut but this is a diff. film holder (he loaded 2 for me so I'd have some testing film) - 4 shots. curious to see what it will look like (may be cool but it's sure odd)

[Brian C. Miller]

... preloaded it with some ilford aerial film for me. ...

My first thought that it was a double-exposure. But if it's old weird film, then of course that would be another major culprit. But since the film was free...

(Reminds me of a rhyme a friend told me: "We are thankful for the food we have et / it lie-eth in our bellies yet / it tasted kind of funny / but it didn't cost us money / when you're starving you'll eat anything you can get.")

If film cost is an issue, have a look at using x-ray film. It's really cheap, and there's plenty of postings about it and images made from it.

[jessicadittmer]

i have some new ilford here, he was just being nice since I bought the holders and loaded some film for me to do some first tries LOL. I'm looking at the xray film option too (which makes hubby laugh since he is a radiology guy)...also will be trying some paper "negs" for fun as well.

[Old-N-Feeble]

It sure looks like a double exposure to me... the first one by the original owner who forgot he shot anything on it. :) It looks like a tuft of tall grass. The tall thing at the far left behind the grass looks like a wooden pole or tree trunk. I can't tell if the building in the background is part of the first exposure or the second. I think there's a second tuft of grass to the right of the child.

[E. von Hoegh]

It comes up at about 3"x4 1/2" on my screen. I can't see anything.

[jessicadittmer]

thanks, i did print it but it was too weird...no idea - almost looks to me like the tree above me is projected into the image too but no idea why that would be or how that would happen- resembles the branches of the maple tree with sky behind that were above us while shooting. I set it aside for now LOL...

[Peter Gomena]

The tree being projected onto the film is a clue that there may be a hole in the bellows. It acts as a pinhole camera and projects a separate image onto the film. Put a film holder into the back of the camera, stretch the bellows out in a darkened room, and put a lit flashlight into the lens end of the bellows. The holes will show up.

Peter Gomena

[Old-N-Feeble]

May we se a scan of the neg?

[Old-N-Feeble]

Even with this tiny cropped image it still looks like double exposure to me. Some areas covering the child lighten values and others darken them.

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[SpeedGraphicMan]

It is possible that the film had recieved a "light leak" while it was in storage.
I.E. through its original box and bag.

Don't look a gift horse in the puss.

[Old-N-Feeble]

SGM... My posts are just my perceptions of what "I think" I see in the image. I never intended for my posts to be viewed as accusatory toward whomever supplied the film. Maybe it's my lousy use of written English language. ;) Mistakes happen to everyone.

[mlatterich]

I also go for intentional or unintentional (e.g. pinhole in bellows) double exposure. The pattern seems too regular to be cause by film degeneration. Is the film IR sensitive? In my IR days, I have seen some strange pinhole effects through light leaks caused by removing or inserting the dark slide, even things resembling an image.

[E. von Hoegh]

Pinholed bellows, or a hole in the lensboard somewhere.

[jessicadittmer]

I haven't had trouble with other images but this film holder arrived pre-loaded for me- so the first time I've used this holder in the camera. My other images are all great so I don't think it is a problem in the camera. Could be the film holder (they are wooden- I suppose it happens).It's very odd looking either way. I may have to test that film holder again to see- can use paper and see what happens too. It does look double exposure-like since it is within the image and film as the other areas like my son are. it is the aerial ilford film - it was on a roll so he cuts it and loads it that way. Very thin film - different. I'll test and take notes so I can keep track if I have a problem holder- may have a side I can't use we shall see.

[Peter Gomena]

If you have old wooden holders, they can become warped over time. The flashlight test will show gaps between the holders and the camera back. Bellows or lens board pinholes can be hard to see. Again, try the flashlight test.

Peter Gomena

[jessicadittmer]

thanks! Just take it into the dark and use the light or will it show in reg. or dim light?

[Peter Gomena]

A totally dark room is not necessary. Just dark enough for the flashlight to show well will do the job. For the lens board test, put the lens on with shutter closed and take the back off the camera and shine the light in through the back. Look around the lens board where it fits the camera. For the bellows and camera back, extend the bellows to its maximum, take the lens board off and put a film holder in the back, shine the light in the front end. The corners of bellows tend to develop pinholes, the peaks and valleys of the bellows tend to wear thin on old cameras. Old film holders can warp, so look around where it fits snugly against the back. Search this segment of the forum for remedies for leaky bellows - it's a common topic.

Peter Gomena

[jessicadittmer]

thanks! I'll give this a try!