Condensation?

Last sunday morning we were out for a drive and I thought I'd take this picture. ( No comments please on "perspective". I have to repair the gear lock on the front rise.) On the negative to the left of the clock tower are several translucent spots. The camera amd film were all in the truck all night and it was cold. The temperature rose quickly in the morning sun and when I swapped lenses, I had to wipe the condensation from the glass surfaces of the lens that I took out of the cold carrying case and brought into the warm air. I never even thought of condensation getting onto the film, but I'm guessing that's what happened when I pulled the dark slide.

http://www3.sympatico.ca/oldrad/Photo/LargeFormat/NegScans/PostOffice01.jpg

http://www3.sympatico.ca/oldrad/Photo/LargeFormat/NegScans/PostOffice02.jpg

I'm going to print it anyway and see how it looks. This is where I may learn to use spotting dyes. Then I'll go back and take it again.

tech : 1941 Agfa 8x10, Ilex 12" Paragon, f/22, 1/25'th sec, PlusXAero rated at 25, D-D23 for 4 and 6 minutes.

(Yes, I could have used tilts, but.....that would mean I was thinking)

John, not sure exactly what happened but it looks like condensation could be the problem. Since you can reshoot, no big deal, but you might want to keep the film warm, if not the camera and gear. I've heard of people using a snorkel in cold weather to keep things from fogging under the dark cloth.

One thing for sure, your exposures and development look to be doing very well. I like the contrast in this shot and textures. Well done. Perhaps someone can explain the spots. tim

noseoil said:

I've heard of people using a snorkel in cold weather to keep things from fogging under the dark cloth.

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As if we didn't look weird enough already!

Another thought that might help with this John, Lee Carmichael (lee here on APUG) and AllenR got me to using the large ziplock bag (have 4x5, 5x7 and 8x10). In the situation you described, the bag would have had condensation on it, but if left out to come to temp. the holder/film would have been fine. Just a thought and they also work great for keeping dust out. Plus, take notes for each shot on an index card, drop into the bag and don't have to worry about a notebook or anything in the field.

It does look like moisture on the film when the exposure was made.

Another question John, what is the mark on the second scan directly above the 12 on the clock, it looks like a couple of spots devoid of emulsion or something, I am talking about the two white irregular spots right on the edge of the arch in the tower.

Just curious.

Dave

Hi guys,

Thanks for the input. Except for the spots (and the perspective) on this one, I was quite pleased. I'm starting to get a grip on the camera and film and developer combination now and even though I have a loooong way to go, I'm pleased with the printing results I'm getting.
Mike : The ziplock bag idea is nifty - thank you. I'm going to go and raid my sweethearts kitchen supplies stock next thing
Dave : Those couple of spots that you refer to had me a bit stymied too. Then I blew up the original scan and found that it is something like a kids paper cutout toy that is thumbtacked to the wooden framework above the clock. I'm guessing that whoever sets the time and maintains the clock takes his child with him when he goes up to do the work and they put it up there for fun.

cheers all,

David A. Goldfarb said:

As if we didn't look weird enough already!

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That's what I was thinking.

It looks like we might have a weekend day without torrential rain and gale force winds , so I plan to get out and try this again.

cheers

It also looks like you have a surge problem. You might want to try a two bath method or another developer. Times are a little too short for even development, or agitation is too hard, from what I see. John

vet173 said:

It also looks like you have a surge problem. You might want to try a two bath method or another developer. Times are a little too short for even development, or agitation is too hard, from what I see. John

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Hi John,

Thank you for the suggestion. I'm not sure exactly where those streaks came from, although I've been slowly ironing out the troubles (most of them pretty minor) in this old camera a bit at a time. The marks I think you are referring to are the lighter streaks (vertical) showing mostly at the top? I don't think they're surge, but they might be. I develop in tubes and hand roll them. Depending on what music is playing, I "might" roll a bit harder . I am currently using D-D23 and I think I did this one at 4 minutes in A and 6 minutes in B (I'd have to check my log). I've slowly been working towards getting harder/darker/denser negatives so that I can contact print and have adequate time for burning, dodging etc. I'm up to an average of about two minutes exposure (from 20-40 seconds) on AZO Gr2. This negative is about #35 from this old camera and #135 since I started in photography. The first 100 were mostly FP4+ in a Calumet 400 monorail. Now I'm using an Agfa Ansco 8x10 field camera made in 1941. The film is kodak PlusX Aero cut from 9.5" x 125' rolls.

cheers and thanks again - I'll watch my agitation a bit more carefully from now on, just in case.

I was having surge problems with the hangers I was using at the time. I switched to semistand and high dilution and it solved it for me. I have used a jobo but didn't have any problems. Thinking about it more, the spots are light which means more density. I was wondering if, with that short of a developing time if some developer splashed during filling. That might add enough difference to cause it. If your tubes have enough volume I would recommend diluting developer 1:1 and try minimul agitation, and a presoak. Generally developing times shorter than 5 minutes are not recommended as it allowes uneven development. That might be the cause of the streaking. I now use pyrocat with Fp-4 and like what I get. I'm also thinking if it was dew it would be more overall. Then again I haven't had that problem . (yet)