Assignment in Morocco

[andrew gardiner]

After years of discussion about the alleged effect of airport security machines on film, one has to wonder whether there is any end to his subject. Nobody that I know of, in about fifteen years, has ever had a problem.

Many many discussions I know,but always with a general consensus that taking it through hand luggage is way preferable to putting it through checked.

[Hollis]

I would never consider putting it in checked baggage - that is asking for problems. When coming back from Kenya a few years back it was either open the film boxes full of exposed film or send it through the scanner. I sent it through and about 1 in 4 sheets showed signs of fogging from the xray machine so, I wasn't too excited about that. Granted, they had just had civil unrest and lots of people died so, tensions were high and security screening was pretty tight. We'll just have to see what happens...

[r.e.]

Many many discussions I know,but always with a general consensus that taking it through hand luggage is way preferable to putting it through checked.

It's apples and oranges.

I'm not aware of anyone, ever, suggesting that film be packed in checked luggage.

I thought that we were talking about carry-on, where the reality, despite years and years of discussion, and leaving aside high speed film, is that there isn't a problem.

Meanwhile, Marrakesh (if that is where the original poster is leaving, if not entering) is a major European tourist destination, with a quite modern airport with what is, as far as I could see, quite modern equipment. I certainly had no problem with the colour and black and white film that I exposed in Morocco, and had developed on my return to North America.

After years and years of discussion about this stuff, I would have thought that the following are at this point givens:

1. Take film on carry-on rather than checking it;

2. For film slower than ASA 800, don't worry about taking it through carry-on security; and

3. If you are still freaked out about this issue after about 15 years of discussion, just mail it.

The people who are keeping this issue alive are people who don't have a whole lot of experience travelling by air and keep raising it month after month, year after year. Which is not to say that someone on a critical assignment might not choose to move his film around by mail.

[andrew gardiner]

If you are still freaked out about this issue after about 15 years of discussion, just mail it.

I was quite mildly making the point r.e. that if you do mail or fedex your film it just ends up in the hold of an aircraft and that surely means it is subjected to the very same xrays as all the other checked luggage. If that is the case mailing it isn't great advice.
It seems fairly logical to me but I might easily be wrong, please do let me know - it is precisely because I travel a great deal for my projects that I find, what is obviously for you a very tedious subject, actually quite interesting.

[joelio]

Hello all -

I live in Morocco and have flown in and out since arriving. Feel free to drop me an email with any questions re: Morocco. joeldowling (AT) gmail (DOT) com.

Where are you going to be? For how long? Welcome!

-Joel

[Hollis]

Heading to Moulay Idriss, probably fly in and out of Casablanca or maybe Fez. As to the comments before stating

'The people who are keeping this issue alive are people who don't have a whole lot of experience travelling by air and keep raising it month after month, year after year. Which is not to say that someone on a critical assignment might not choose to move his film around by mail. '

I would like to say that is a pretty brash thing to say unsubstantiated. Either you work for the TSA or well, I don't know. My passport has more ink in it than a tranny biker from North Florida so, I know a thing or two about international travel - just don't ever shoot 4x5 overseas much. In fact, I have a 17 hour flight on Wednesday followed by another dozen or so over the next month and that isnt even the Morocco trip.

As for film scanners, maybe you should buy this book...

http://www.photoeye.com/bookstore/ci...?Catalog=ze812

[Steven Tribe]

I do understand and agree with all r.e.'s points.
The only hassle I have is big brass lenses in the same carry-on baggage. To escape multiple passes through the machine (sidewise, upside down etc.), I usually announce "big metal objects" and go straight to the "rummage through everything" bay. Removing shoes is much more tedious!

[joelio]

Heading to Moulay Idriss, probably fly in and out of Casablanca or maybe Fez. As to the comments before stating

'The people who are keeping this issue alive are people who don't have a whole lot of experience travelling by air and keep raising it month after month, year after year. Which is not to say that someone on a critical assignment might not choose to move his film around by mail. '

I would like to say that is a pretty brash thing to say unsubstantiated. Either you work for the TSA or well, I don't know. My passport has more ink in it than a tranny biker from North Florida so, I know a thing or two about international travel - just don't ever shoot 4x5 overseas much. In fact, I have a 17 hour flight on Wednesday followed by another dozen or so over the next month and that isnt even the Morocco trip.

As for film scanners, maybe you should buy this book...

http://www.photoeye.com/bookstore/ci...?Catalog=ze812

Hollis -

Moulay Idriss is a very, very small place that, as you know, is much closer to Fes than Casa. That being said, the Casa airport is busier and larger (and usually has many more international flights) than the Fes airport. The Casa airport is about three hours drive (with a fast driver) from Fes, 90% of which is on a major highway.

I would like to point out that planning a trip around the Casa airport will make things easier to get to Marrakech (if that interests you).

I can't comment on flying in and out of Casa or Fes. While I have had guests fly into Casa with extensive digital kits, no visitors have brought film yet. I usually fly out of Rabat, as the airport is very close to my home.

I can tell you that security here doesn't seem to care much about camera gear. Even at the airport, not much more than a cursory glance is given to gear. I can't comment on whether that extends to film, as all of my film and chemistry was shipped in.

Good luck!

[joelio]

Hollis -

After looking at your site (again), I see that you are familiar with Marrakech and probably know your way around better than many of our visitors.

Please let me know if I can help with anything while you're over here.

-Joel

[r.e.]

Heading to Moulay Idriss, probably fly in and out of Casablanca or maybe Fez. As to the comments before stating

'The people who are keeping this issue alive are people who don't have a whole lot of experience travelling by air and keep raising it month after month, year after year. Which is not to say that someone on a critical assignment might not choose to move his film around by mail. '

I would like to say that is a pretty brash thing to say unsubstantiated. Either you work for the TSA or well, I don't know. My passport has more ink in it than a tranny biker from North Florida so, I know a thing or two about international travel - just don't ever shoot 4x5 overseas much. In fact, I have a 17 hour flight on Wednesday followed by another dozen or so over the next month and that isnt even the Morocco trip.

As for film scanners, maybe you should buy this book...

http://www.photoeye.com/bookstore/ci...?Catalog=ze812

Sorry, but I don't see what that book has to do with what we are discussing. If it is to be believed, ordinary businesses in Chechnya, and the Grozny airport entrance, are or were using what sound like very crude scanners for everyone. Might be something not far off a checked baggage scanner, which by all accounts will indeed screw up one's film. Given the situation in Chechnya, it sounds rather more like what was happening in Israel a few years ago, which was the use of guns and screening wands at the entrance to many establishments, especially high end bars and restaurants. These kinds of issues, and the equipment used, have nothing to do with a carry-on baggage scanner in Morocco or anywhere else.

I don't question, and indeed don't care, that you spend a lot of time in airports. If that's the case, I gather, as you intimate yourself, that you have done so exclusively with digital cameras, unless your question is whether there is a difference in the impact of carry-on X-ray scanners on 4x5 and 120 film as distinct from 35mm. If that is your question, I have never heard anyone suggest that the effect of scanners is dependent on film size.

Sorry if you found my posts brash. You asked for input from people who have travelled in Morocco, and have experience with running film through its airport X-ray machines, and I offered my views based on the fact that I meet those criteria - thus far, the only respondent who does.

P.S. And no, I don't work for the TSA. I'm not even an American. I do travel a bit though; currently spending the winter in Italy, with plans to spend some time in the UK and North Africa, and not worried, based on previous experience going back many years, about carry-on X-ray machines.