Can you identify these blotches?

[cpeterson]

Having been impressed by forte's paper I recently decided to give their film a whirl. I shot several sheets of fortepan 400 over winter break to get acquainted with it.

Now I'm seeing a strange defect that I'm sure is my own fault, but I've never seen anything quite like it. These blotches that you can see all across the sky area of the attached images appear on the negative as areas of lesser density.

Experience tells me they're the shadow of bubbles during development. But this is the only defective negative out of a batch of six! The negative was developed in a combiplan daylight tank with my usual obsessive-compulsive sink rappings. Agitation was my usual 30 seconds + 10 sec/min inversion routine.

I always pre-rinse. Developer was Sprint 1:9, and I used photo formulary indicator stop, Russell Ready-Fix (w/ hardener added), heico permawash, and photo-flo/DI water mixed 1:200.

I've done other batches of fortepan 400 over the last few days in exactly the same manner, and no other negatives exhibit the blotches. So what could have gone wrong for this one?

Any comment appreciated by this APUG lurker.

 

[mario Ag+]

As you mentioned your self it could be air bubles that atached themselves to the emulsion durring development. The fact that these blotches are darker shows that less development took place in these areas or small parts of the emulsion are missing(pinholling) in other words a dud film. Given your description of meticulous development technique though I think the later would be the case. Hope this helps
Mario.

 

[markbb]

It looks like a house with bars on the windows, with me as a two year-old standing outside crying. In the rain. Alone.

 

[pentaxuser]

It could be unrelated in terms of defects but have a look at the MMfoto thread on why he is giving up on Fortepan.

Consistent quality may be a problem.

pentaxuser

 

[Jim Jones]

I've had fungus grow on film that was in the holder too long before exposure that looked slightly like that.

 

[Photo Engineer]

The one on the left is called Fred, but I don't know any of the other ones.

Seriously, they look like either bubbles or coating defects. Bubbles have a tendancy to be more defined with sharper edges, and coating defects are often like bubbles, sharp edged, or they are diffuse in outline as yours seem to be.

If it is a coating defect, then it is either dust and dirt in the emulsion, or some undissolved gelatin particles.

PE

 

[ricksplace]

Could it have been condensation on the film when you TOOK the shot (which would have affected the image, then evaporated and left no trace)? I had something like this happen to me once when I shot inside a greenhouse in the winter. I didn't wait long enough before shooting and the high humidity still on the film holders ruined most of my shots.

 

[Jordan.K]

This is the exact type of thing I was referring to in my last post:
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

I still got them on my last batch of negs also. They look exactly the same as this persons.
My process is:
Tri-x sheet film new not old stuff
Jobo Expert Drum on leveled motor base spinning at 30rpm
presoak for around 5 minutes or so
HC110 1:89 for 8 minutes
stop bath 1 minute
NH5 rapid fixer (no hardener) for 5 minutes
1 minute water bath
5 minute Heico Permawash

I can see these specks after pulling them from the drum so I know it's somewhere in the process and not in the drying of the film. Could older Permawash be the suspect or could it be that I am permawashing for too long perhaps? It is the only thing I can think of. My process is fastidious with everything being freshly mixed and properly cleaned. Thanks again for anyone reconsidering this thread.

 

[Jordan.K]

Any further ideas?

 

[georgegrosu]

As far I understand, with the 400 fortepan you have problems with bright points in the film, in other films not problems.
Sounds like a manufacturing defect of the film.
I had similar problems with negative EASTMAN PLUS-X - 5231 (discontinued manufacture over a year ago).
In my negative I have black spots. I pulled a few feet of film to light and with magnifying glass I saw these defects in the emulsion. I have seen and bright points in the emulsion. Defects were more rare than you.
George