Honeycomb structures on negative?...

[Shutter]

Can someone explain to me what exaclty happened here?

I got a few 4x5 TriX-320 back from my lab with these strange honeycomb-structures appearing in the upper corners, left and right, (up = where the notches are) and of course I wasn't happy about that.

My first suspicion was that the developer foamed and therefore left these strange markings and I but my reclamation was rebutted...they told me it was some kind of electrostatic discharge but that really doesn't look like an electrostatic discharge to me.

so what do you think?

[jb7]

Definitely bubbles...

Electrostatic discharge?
I can't imagine they believe that themselves...

j

[Drew Wiley]

I once had some wild honeybees attempt to build a nest in my darkroom exhaust fan.
Had to run the thing full blast for three days to discourage them. Ended up with a few
chopped-up bees in my developer. Perhaps they were plotting revenge on someone.
Otherwise, it looks like the start of reticulation from sudden changes in temperature
between one solution and another.

[lenser]

Looks like suds. Ask the lab if they used a pre-soak using photo-flo or something similar. Too heavy a dilution without a proper rinse might have left these and interfered with the flow of the developer.

Just in case this is a residue from a quick dry type of solution, have you tried rewashing them?

I've never seen retriculation this large and electrostatic sounds almost laughable. That would look much more like lightning bolts.

Talk to the top guy at the lab, not the desk person who is covering for whomever messed up.

[ic-racer]

Just a guess; any or all:

Nitrogen burst agitation with
Residual soap or photoflo and
Not enough developer to cover the film

[Jim C.]

It looks like bubbles to me not electrostatic discharge, what's odd is that it appears
only in a portion of the negative and it looks like it's behind the flowers and not over them
and it appears to be part of the exposure to me.

[Brad Rippe]

It looks like it could be a light leak sometime during development. Notice the double image of the bubbles, almost as if it was flashed when the development was in process.
Electrostatic discharge doesn't look at all like this.
-Brad

[Clueless Winddancing]

It would be interesting to know exactly what is their standard workflow with which chemicals. What does the emulsion surface reveal when looked at an angle? If one developed in an open tray and left an inspection light on, took a puff off a cigarette, or had a "glowing wrist watch withe the face down while the film "rested" between agitations the result might be what -if the developer also had lots of bubbles? Where is Sherlock?

[Alan Davenport]

Bubbles, no question about it. Kinda cool in its own weird way...

[Shutter]

Thank you!
I was really stunned by the labguys explanation, I thought it was just too stupid to make it up...well, lesson learned. I guess the exposure during the development could also be the reason why all my negatives were about 2-3 stops overexposed and really low in contrast.
Another lab that I can cross off my list of reliable photo laboratories...