DARK HALO Around Blacks on 35mm neg

Phil Joanou · May 16, 2017

I need help... I developed Tri-X normal with HC110, Stop Bath and Rapid fixer... Temps were all at 68, but stop bath was at room temperature. My negatives were fine... But there is an "halo effect" around all the deep blacks. Including on the edges of the frame (bleeding from black into the shot). Anyone know what could have caused this...? First time it's happened to me. Thank you for your help!

MattKing · May 16, 2017

Hi, and welcome tp APUG.
Can you post shots of the negatives themselves, rather than scans?

Agulliver · May 17, 2017

Hello,

Does this effect manifest itself on the negatives themselves?

It looks like you have posted scans, which may have had the tone curves or at least contrast adjusted....or alternatively they need adjusting. Those photos look like they need work for optimum contrast. The halo effect you describe can often be present when you scan good negatives but need to do post-scanning work on them (eg, photoshop).

As MattKing suggested, can you post photos of the actual negatives?

Agulliver · May 17, 2017

As a quick example I can reduce the halo effect by spending a couple of minutes with ACDSee software, which is very basic and doesn't have a quarter the functions of Photoshop. Also I am working of the picture you uploaded and not the scan...nor do I have the negative here to work with.

It could be that your negative is fine but you need to take more care scanning, or a better scanner...or consider having it printed the old fashioned way onto proper photographic paper.

Ian Grant · May 17, 2017

There's edge problems as well I'd suspect possibly quite under exposed negatives as there's no details in the blacks, grain is excessive. We'd need to see the negatives themselves.

Ian

Agulliver · May 17, 2017

Ian Grant said:
There's edge problems as well I'd suspect possibly quite under exposed negatives as there's no details in the blacks, grain is excessive. We'd need to see the negatives themselves.

Ian

I'd say there's every change you are on the money with that idea. Under exposed or under developed negatives along with a scanner which is trying to produce a picture with "average" contrast could end up with this effect. I've seen it before on similar shots.

Patrick Robert James · May 17, 2017

That is your scanner. You might want to clean it.

Sirius Glass · May 17, 2017

Welcome to APUG

What speed did you shoot the film? Please post the negatives.

Petraio Prime · May 17, 2017

Phil Joanou said:
I need help... I developed Tri-X normal with HC110, Stop Bath and Rapid fixer... Temps were all at 68, but stop bath was at room temperature. My negatives were fine... But there is an "halo effect" around all the deep blacks. Including on the edges of the frame (bleeding from black into the shot). Anyone know what could have caused this...? First time it's happened to me. Thank you for your help!

Why are you scanning? B&W film should be printed optically in a darkroom.

Sirius Glass · May 17, 2017

+1, but that is not always possible for everyone.

Andrew O'Neill · May 17, 2017

Petraio Prime said:
Why are you scanning? B&W film should be printed optically in a darkroom.

Really? Even my kallitypes and carbons? No optics required.

jvo · May 17, 2017

welcome to apug.

railwayman3 · May 17, 2017

Petraio Prime said:
Why are you scanning? B&W film should be printed optically in a darkroom.

Darkroom printing is great, of course, but needs time and facilities. But, to my own knowledge, the availability of scanning of negs and slides, in a home environment, has brought two or three friends and acquaintances into analogue photography, even if a bit "by the back door".

Pat Erson · May 17, 2017

Nothing wrong with "by the back door". We're liberal at APUG...

Agulliver · May 17, 2017

+1 on there being nothing wrong with shooting film and then scanning, if the other option is shooting no film at all. Not all of us have time/space to make prints, or money to have them made for us.

I think we need to see the negatives if possible...OP if you could post a photo of the negatives that would be great. Also tell us what camera you used, how the exposure was metered...and what scanner and software you have? Did you use auto or default settings?

Petraio Prime · May 17, 2017

Agulliver said:
+1 on there being nothing wrong with shooting film and then scanning, if the other option is shooting no film at all. Not all of us have time/space to make prints, or money to have them made for us.

I think we need to see the negatives if possible...OP if you could post a photo of the negatives that would be great. Also tell us what camera you used, how the exposure was metered...and what scanner and software you have? Did you use auto or default settings?

The problems with scanning conventional B&W film are legion. Forget it.

railwayman3 · May 17, 2017

Pat Erson said:
Nothing wrong with "by the back door". We're liberal at APUG...

I asked for that.

Photo Engineer · May 17, 2017

Look at the dark lines along the right and left edges. That suggests a process problem. Not sure until I can see the negs.

PE

pdeeh · May 17, 2017

Petraio Prime said:
The problems with scanning are legion. Forget it.

Your sniping is both misplaced and of no help to the OP.
If you have nothing useful to offer, save yourself some energy eh?

Petraio Prime · May 17, 2017

pdeeh said:
Your sniping is both misplaced and of no help to the OP.
If you have nothing useful to offer, save yourself some energy eh?

What? He won't be able to figure it out otherwise. I do have something useful to offer, and that is stop scanning!

pdeeh · May 17, 2017

Petraio Prime said:
What? He won't be able to figure it out otherwise. I do have something useful to offer, and that is stop scanning!

My suggestion would be to find more persuasive ways to make your point, because issuing snarky ad hominem one-liners has a marked tendency to antagonise and alienate people.
They've certainly had that effect on me. SO ... bye

Photo Engineer · May 17, 2017

It is probably NOT a scanning problem.

PE

Kino · May 17, 2017

Any chance you didn't dilute the HC110 and used pure concentrate?

Patrick Robert James · May 17, 2017

Photo Engineer said:
It is probably NOT a scanning problem.

PE

Actually Ron this is almost definitely a scanning problem. The darker areas are flare, probably from a dirty/cheap scanner. I've seen it many times before.

First time I have known something that Ron didn't know. Not sure what to do now. I feel like I have gone through some sort of Twilight Zone door. Do I quit photography? Get a beer? Find out if I am in some exclusive private club now? The world seems strange!

Phil Joanou · May 17, 2017

Hey everyone... thank you for your help on this. What is the best way to post the negs? Shoot them on a light Box? I want to do it the right way. I'm using a Nikon super cool scan 4000 to scan the negs and haven't had any trouble in the past. Thanks again!

DARK HALO Around Blacks on 35mm neg

Phil Joanou

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DARK HALO Around Blacks on 35mm neg

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