Help with damage on negatives (4x5)

[wuduwald_]

First of all apologies if this is the wrong sub-forum, it seems most fitting but I'm not certain.

I am currently living in Costa Rica, where there isn't a single film lab that can work with 4x5, I don't have any of my developing equipment here, and there are no dark rooms to use; so after reaching out on Facebook I found another photographer that shoots 4x5, and I pay him to develop my photos for me. The problem is, I'm consistently unhappy with the results, only I don't know if I'm to blame, if the humidity is to blame, or whether he is to blame. The negatives come back with so many marks on them, but I've never seen him have any of the same damage on his own negatives.

Here are a bunch of examples:

Here the negative has a mark that looks like something from a roll of 35mm all down the side of it? I don't shoot 35mm and he assures me that it was developed in a special 4x5 tank.

It's hard to see but there are 2 circles inside a large rectangle in the top corner of an image.

The backs of several negatives have come back looking like this.

Dark banding across image.

Consistently get marks like these all over the negatives.

There are about 10 more examples of all sorts of other issues, in a folder I've uploaded here: https://imgur.com/a/IK9QeYA


Sorry there are quite a lot of photos, but yeah, for all I know they could all be my fault. If it's got a tiny fingerprint on the edge, or it's fomapan and comes out a little scratched I feel like fair enough, I know why it's happened etc. but with most of these I'm just clueless as to what is going on.. what is causing consistently damaged film.

The other question is how many of these things are repairable? If I were to use pec-12 or something, could I bring any of these back to life, or do they seem to be permanently damaged?

If anyone can help I'll be incredibly grateful, and of course, if you need any more details for the circumstances of each photo I'm happy to elaborate.

Thanks,

Henry

 

[Sirius Glass]

I suggest that you get a darkroom bag [https://www.freestylephoto.biz/25001-Photoflex-Changing-Room], development tank and chemicals. Yes it requires some money and some work, but then you will have control of the development process and in the end be much happier.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

I'd start by asking him what "special 4x5 development tank" he his using. There aren't that many. Could give you a clue. I'd also ask about the chemistry he's using. If you're paying him, you're entitled to know how he's processing your film.

That said, I'm with Sirius Glass. If it's at all possible, do your own processing. Doesn't take that much - and obviously, chemistry is available where you are since you've found someone who develops his own film.

With the cost of 4x5 film, the time it takes to make each film, and the fact that one rarely shoots more than 2 or 3 exposures of the same scene, it makes it worth your while to do your own processing instead of risking having your shots ruined by someone else.

 

[Kino]

Yeah, you couldn't do any worse that that, for sure!

It looks like handling marks, emulsion contact with unknown parts of the tank or other sheets of film, poor washing with water spotting and maybe even other film sticking to yours in when drying.

Do your own or ship it to a lab that can do it right.

 

[removed account4]

can you get film wetting agent like photo Flo?
what you might do for some of the films that look like stains
is get a plastic bin / tray ( with a smooth bottom ) and rewash the film for 20 mins shuffling a few sheets at a time
and there after 20 mins put a few drops of photo Flo in the tray of water flip the film over once or 2x and hang them in a bathroom on a string with
a clothes pin from one of the corners. I can't speak for what happened to your film. might have been environmental might have been neglect, what does the person who processed it say ?
I hate to suggest you go headlong into processing film yourself if you have no experience especially with sheet film. im not sure how easy it is to purchase film developing equipment ( tanks, hangers, trays, photo chemistry &c ) in Costa Rica . I have shipped things that weigh very little outside of the USA often and it can be expensive, and tanks and hangers and chemistry can have mass, mass=$. there are members of photrio from Brazil and other South American countries maybe they can lend insights about where you can get your film processed, or purchase chemistry and processing equipment that might be less expensive to ship than from the states. there used to be a photo-chemist-emulsion maker in Costa Rica . he specialized in coffee based photo emulsion and chemistry maybe if he is still around he can offer you suggestions ?
http://web.archive.org/web/20090221002344/http://costaricacoffeeart.com/
good luck !
John

 

[jeffreyg]

Best to do it yourself. The equipment and supplies while not very expensive will cost you less than wasted film. You might even find tanks and film hangers from a local pro who has gone digital. It's not difficult, just follow the times and temps suggested by the film mfg. You can tweak if needed after learning the basics. You don't need a dedicated darkroom just a room that can be dark even a windowless bathroom can work. Once developed and fixed washing can be in the light and the hangers can hold the film as it dries hanging from a portable clothes line that travelers use.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

http://www.sculptureandphotography.com/

 

[wuduwald_]

Thank you all for the responses. I really appreciate the help.

I've developed plenty of 35mm over the years, always just sent the 4x5 to the lab though as it's usually "work" - and I don't like travelling with exposed but undeveloped film, for obvious reasons. I'm from the UK and haven't brought any developing equipment out here but could probably get something shipped in from the States, or from home. I try not to hold onto the exposed film as the humidity here is a concern.

I'll see if I can sort myself out with a Paterson tank or something, and in the meantime see if I can fix any of them with photo-flo.


Thanks once again,

 

[Donald Qualls]

Another possible option (light to ship, seemingly easy to use, uses minimal chemistry) is the Stearman Press SP-445, designed specifically for 4x5 and 9x12 sheet film. Holds four sheets. uses just enough liquid to cover them (250+ ml?), inversion agitation and can be used for stand development if you like that, or varying agitation schemes (5 minutes, 3 minutes, 1 minute, 30 seconds, continuous) as needed. Chemicals are likely available locally (Paterson tanks might be, but then you need an insert for sheet film, which probably isn't).