B&W megative suprise! How did I do this?

[Existing Light]

So, I just finished processing a sheet of 5x7 HP5+ film that I shot a few days ago. I developed in trays:

9 Minutes in D76 1:3
Stop Bath for about 20 Seconds
Fix for 8 Minutes (I turned the light on at about 4 minutes)
​

When I put it in the wash tray (a Target-Brand 6x11 storage container) and brought it inside to look at it, it looked really weird. I took it out of the water to look at it more closely, and it was a positive image. Anyone have any ideas on what the hell I did wrong? I'm really confused.

I have tarp that coveres the darkroom door and is supposedly supposed to keep the light out, but halfway through, I noticed a very slight light leak on one side of the tarp. I did get up to adjust the tarp, which fixed the problem. I'm not sure that the light would have affected the film any because it was obvious, but I didnt think big enough to affect the film. Besides, I was on the other side of my darkroom/ converted storage shed, about 10 feet away; surely the film wouldnt be affected by it, but I guess it's possible...

The only thing I can think of is somehow the slight light leak solarized the film somehow... The weird thing is the sky and a white speed limit sign are still dark like they were unaffected.... I'm so confused about this.

I'm not really troubled or upset that I messed up a sheet of film. I think it's kinda cool, but I'd like to know what I'm doing wrong so I done mess up any more film. Any ideas?​

 

[Existing Light]

Also, I'd like to know if wet film viewed at a certain angle can cause some kind of optical illusion making it appear as a positive when it's actually a negative.... I swear on my cat's life that I looked at the film and saw a positive! Actually, it's a negative like it should be. It is kind of thin, though. I underexposed it a bit, but that seems to be the only problem

I feel so dumb right now..... It must be the fixer fumes... :/

 

[winger]

Also, I'd like to know if wet film viewed at a certain angle can cause some kind of optical illusion making it appear as a positive when it's actually a negative.... I swear on my cat's life that I looked at the film and saw a positive! Actually, it's a negative like it should be. It is kind of thin, though. I underexposed it a bit, but that seems to be the only problem

I feel so dumb right now..... It must be the fixer fumes... :/

Yup, sometimes you can see the positive if you look at just the right angle with just the right background. It happens with dry film, too. Maybe it happens more with underexposed film? 'cause mine tends towards that usually.

 

[holmburgers]

Yes, a thin negative will exhibit this phenomenon more than a dense negative (if at all). I first discovered it with some Delta 3200 negatives.

The only necessary condition is that your background be darker than the silver deposits, which themselves can scatter/reflect light if at the right angle.

Afterall, a daguerrotype is a negative image when viewed normally, and only if you give it something dark to reflect does it appear as a positive.

 

[ic-racer]

Agree with above, probably under exposed and/or under developed.

 

[Existing Light]

I guess the dark wall of my darkroom was the "dark background".

I wouldnt have thought much about it if I didnt do a double take and see the effect again, and then once more. When I got in the house and looked at the neg again, after posting this thread, did I realize I had a silly panic attack. Oh well, now I know... :\

I guess I never noticed the effect with underexposed 120 and 35mm film (and I've had lots of underexposed rollfilm negs) because they were too small for me to notice, or I never saw them at the right angle under the right light and with the right background while the sun was in a certain sign and the moon was in a certain phase

 

[Rick A]

It seems that you underdeveloped your film. HP5+ in D-76 1+3 should have been in developer for 20 minutes not 9. Even at 1+1 dilution it should have been in for 13 minutes.