Freezer Tragedy

Katmandaddy · Nov 16, 2018

Just discovered freezer in our garage became unplugged. Lots of moisture inside. Most of the stash was in sealed ziplocks and is fine. Just get new ziplocks to replace the yucky blueberry smelling ones. Weather has been below 40° for the last week so I'm not TOO worried.
But - a box of 8x10 Tri-X was not in an outside bag. Box got wet and the white papery outside of the sealed envelopes are damp too. Damn.
So...Are those foil-like white sealed envelopes damp-proof?

Thought about placing the unopened envelope in a sealed bag with large (1/4 lb.) desicant pack to dry out. if the insides are damp...well then...never mind.
thoughts?

Alan9940 · Nov 16, 2018

I would think that the inside foil bag would be somewhat moisture resistant. If not, perhaps only the outside few sheets of film would be affected with the major toward the middle okay? One way to find out for sure, pull a few sheets, expose, and develop.

bdial · Nov 16, 2018

The inner envelopes are some sort of paper/plastic/foil sandwich. More than likely, the film is fine.

Sirius Glass · Nov 16, 2018

Should be. Shoot some and develop, at least then you would know.

mshchem · Nov 16, 2018

The Kodak envelopes should survive. Same with Fuji. Unopened ! I have some 4x5 Fujichrome I got for pennies, same story at a camera shop freezer.

GRHazelton · Nov 16, 2018

Okay! I suspect that the film is okay.
Here's a story which all might find interesting. My former father-in-law, who was a thorn in my side for the 21 years of my prior marriage, took a salmon fishing trip to somewhere in Alaska. The whole nine yards - a float plane to the fishing area, I'd almost suspect he'd hired on someone to actually catch the fish! He'd had the fish cleaned and filleted (not by him, I'm sure!) and frozen, flown by air freight from Alaska to Richmond, VA whereupon it was placed in a freezer in his garage. I'm sure you can see the end of this "saga,"
Yes, there was a power failure, and all was lost. I found out after the fact, and I made the proper expressions of sympathy, some of which were almost sincere. All that lovely wild salmon...... At least I wasn't asked to help clean out the freezer.

removed account4 · Nov 17, 2018

sorry to hear of your tragedy !

this is why i leave all myfilm and paper on a shelf in a basement or studio that
does not vary in temp between the 60s and 70s .. i never have trouble with
film or paper going bad and i am using rc paper even that is 20 years old
with no fog, and 20 year old+ tri x and tmy sheets..

good luck with your moisture damage !
( you might also think of getting a giant bag of rice
i am guessing if it works for cellphones and other
electronics it will work in your situation, plus rice is "all natural"
not some weird chemical in a packet )

trendland · Nov 17, 2018

GRHazelton said:
Okay! I suspect that the film is okay.
Here's a story which all might find interesting. My former father-in-law, who was a thorn in my side for the 21 years of my prior marriage, took a salmon fishing trip to somewhere in Alaska. The whole nine yards - a float plane to the fishing area, I'd almost suspect he'd hired on someone to actually catch the fish! He'd had the fish cleaned and filleted (not by him, I'm sure!) and frozen, flown by air freight from Alaska to Richmond, VA whereupon it was placed in a freezer in his garage. I'm sure you can see the end of this "saga,"
Yes, there was a power failure, and all was lost. I found out after the fact, and I made the proper expressions of sympathy, some of which were almost sincere. All that lovely wild salmon...... At least I wasn't asked to help clean out the freezer.

For the future it should be enough to inspect your garage every view weeks. I See no problem if your freezer is OFF less than 4 - 6 month (exeption in summer) and moisture I allways notice from de -freezing several Times. It is indeed not a nice LOOK concerning the package and some old emulsions
have rare package design because of discontinuation years ago. But the films inside don't care about the moisture outside!
with regards

David Lyga · Nov 17, 2018

GRHazelton said:
Okay! I suspect that the film is okay.
Here's a story which all might find interesting. My former father-in-law, who was a thorn in my side for the 21 years of my prior marriage, took a salmon fishing trip to somewhere in Alaska. The whole nine yards - a float plane to the fishing area, I'd almost suspect he'd hired on someone to actually catch the fish! He'd had the fish cleaned and filleted (not by him, I'm sure!) and frozen, flown by air freight from Alaska to Richmond, VA whereupon it was placed in a freezer in his garage. I'm sure you can see the end of this "saga,"
Yes, there was a power failure, and all was lost. I found out after the fact, and I made the proper expressions of sympathy, some of which were almost sincere. All that lovely wild salmon...... At least I wasn't asked to help clean out the freezer.

From a vegetarian, I say 'good riddance'. His greed got the best of him and I share NONE of your somewhat sympathy. Oftentimes we fall to recognize just how fortunate we are until our avarice gets the best of us.

Your former father-in-law did not manage to manage his whole world as he privately predicted that he would. Good! - David Lyga

trendland · Nov 17, 2018

David Lyga said:
From a vegetarian, I say 'good riddance'. His greed got the best of him and I share NONE of your somewhat sympathy. Oftentimes we fall to recognize just how fortunate we are until our avarice gets the best of us.

Your former father-in-law did not manage to manage his whole world as he privately predicted that he would. Good! - David Lyga

Hmm David - from a vegetarian point it may not help the animals when people in trouble with offline freezer will eat their " de-freezed" films - wether it will help humans to improve their health....!

with greetings to you in Philadelphia

PS : Now - when the "cold days" are comming to Philadelphia (so as every year) most freezer will work fine !

faberryman · Nov 17, 2018

David Lyga said:
From a vegetarian, I say 'good riddance'. His greed got the best of him and I share NONE of your somewhat sympathy. Oftentimes we fall to recognize just how fortunate we are until our avarice gets the best of us. Your former father-in-law did not manage to manage his whole world as he privately predicted that he would. Good! - David Lyga

What a rotten thing to say.

Bill Burk · Nov 17, 2018

I found a damp carton of 120 film in my repurposed "wine chiller". Dang, now I have to find a way to dehumidify that thing...

Fortunately the puddle of condensation pools at the back and nothing else got wet. But I don't like the idea that it's humid.

I'll probably resort to heat-sealing bags around each box, with a dessicant pack included for good measure.

Sirius Glass · Nov 17, 2018

jnanian said:
sorry to hear of your tragedy !

this is why i leave all myfilm and paper on a shelf in a basement or studio that
does not vary in temp between the 60s and 70s .. i never have trouble with
film or paper going bad and i am using rc paper even that is 20 years old
with no fog, and 20 year old+ tri x and tmy sheets..

good luck with your moisture damage !
( you might also think of getting a giant bag of rice
i am guessing if it works for cellphones and other
electronics it will work in your situation, plus rice is "all natural"
not some weird chemical in a packet )

I just do not allow my refrigerator freezer to have failures.

Arklatexian · Nov 18, 2018

trendland said:
Hmm David - from a vegetarian point it may not help the animals when people in trouble with offline freezer will eat their " de-freezed" films - wether it will help humans to improve their health....!

with greetings to you in Philadelphia

PS : Now - when the "cold days" are comming to Philadelphia (so as every year) most freezer will work fine !

Vegetarian photographers hummmmm. Did you ever wonder where the gelatin that film emulsions use in their manufacture comes from? Last time I checked it came from animal bones, skins and hooves. I'll check again just to be sure. I just checked, film still uses animal parts......Regards!

Vaughn · Nov 18, 2018

Most of my refriderator is film. I inspect it daily...in fact several times a day...I hope that light in there doesn't stay on after I close the door.

Good luck with the re-ziploccing the film and don't forget what film is in what bag! Too bad about the blueberries!

David Lyga · Nov 18, 2018

faberryman said:
What a rotten thing to say.

NO the FISH are rotten, not David Lyga. - David Lyga

David Lyga · Nov 18, 2018

Arklatexian said:
Vegetarian photographers hummmmm. Did you ever wonder where the gelatin that film emulsions use in their manufacture comes from? Last time I checked it came from animal bones, skins and hooves. I'll check again just to be sure. I just checked, film still uses animal parts......Regards!

Yes I understand the hypocrisy and I am not trying to back down. The matter is one of degree, not decree.

However, if I kill but 1/10 of one cow for the rest of my life (my new shoes are from thrift stores, always second-hand and you would never know it), that will be better than wanting to gorge on many animals and thinking that I am being virtuous by partaking in that gorging process. Sorry, but this culture of mass consumption is not getting us any closer to being a truly happy society. So, if it really does not matter how MUCH one consumes, let's all kill the rest of the elephants and have an ivory party. That would be very a very pretty spectacle and the waste would not matter because Man is King of the animal world.

Some things are intrinsically evil. - David Lyga.

Sirius Glass · Nov 18, 2018

Arklatexian said:
Vegetarian photographers hummmmm. Did you ever wonder where the gelatin that film emulsions use in their manufacture comes from? Last time I checked it came from animal bones, skins and hooves. I'll check again just to be sure. I just checked, film still uses animal parts......Regards!

I always get a laugh at so called vegetarians who say, "I am a vegetarian who eats chicken [or fish]." and the vegans who say that they are good vegans while they take food supplements which are made of meat byproducts.

Vaughn · Nov 18, 2018

I do not laugh at people who try to limit their personal impact on the earth, such as those who eliminate beef from their diet/consumption, but still wish to get sufficient protein thru fish, chicken and eggs. You are not being Sirius.

I'll have to rearrange my fridge so that I can get my boxes of 11x14 film into there...but I can probably wait until Spring for that as my back room will be below 60F for the winter.

Sirius Glass · Nov 18, 2018

Sirius Glass said:
I always get a laugh at so called vegetarians who say, "I am a vegetarian who eats chicken [or fish]." and the vegans who say that they are good vegans while they take food supplements which are made of meat byproducts.

Vaughn said:
I do not laugh at people who try to limit their personal impact on the earth, such as those who eliminate beef from their diet/consumption, but still wish to get sufficient protein thru fish, chicken and eggs. You are not being Sirius.

I'll have to rearrange my fridge so that I can get my boxes of 11x14 film into there...but I can probably wait until Spring for that as my back room will be below 60F for the winter.

My laugh is not that they are making their choices, it is that they are being dishonest with themselves and others. In one case they are NOT vegetarians, and the other they are NOT vegans, rather they are STILL meat eaters, discerning meat eaters, but STILL meat eaters.

David Lyga · Nov 18, 2018

Sirius Glass said:
My laugh is not that they are making their choices, it is that they are being dishonest with themselves and others. In one case they are NOT vegetarians, and the other they are NOT vegans, rather they are STILL meat eaters, discerning meat eaters, but STILL meat eaters.

The only animal flesh I 'consume' is film, paper, the 'pig' coating on my vitamin pills. I suffer not. - David Lyga

Andrew O'Neill · Nov 18, 2018

Reminds me of the time when the former photo teacher at my school stuck 7 bulk rolls of Plus X in the bottom drawer of the fridge in our office. The power went off over the weekend, causing all the ice from the above freezer to settle in the bottom drawer. Seven boxes of very expired Plus X were floating in the drawer! Every roll was ruined. ... she didn't seem too bothered. I certainly was!

Cholentpot · Nov 18, 2018

Well this went off the rails.

I store my film in a freezer that went kaput. I saved all the delicious animal flesh first then dove back in to save my film.

Do I get to feel superior because I occasionally kill my own food?

brent8927 · Nov 18, 2018

I had film in an ice chest, and the freezer bags they were in unfortunately let water in. Water got into about 10 rolls of 120 film. The foil around each roll I found was unfortunately not waterproof.

However, I opened about three rolls, and while the outer paper layer was wet, the water did not seem to get far at all--the film itself seemed untouched. So I'm going to shoot/develop the other 7 rolls and see what happens.

Freezer Tragedy

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency