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Marks on paper negatives - ideas?

ajmiller

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Apr 1, 2007
Messages
642
Location
North Yorkshire, UK
Format
Multi Format


I've been experimenting with paper negs and have this mark on a lot of them. Obviously I don't mind some but this is a bit too much - for me anyway.
I realise that paper negs can be a bit hit and miss so I'm going to try some film and see if it's still apparent.
Before I do has anyone any idea what it could be?
I'd read that with the long exposures needed for paper negs - mine are around a minute - there can be problems with light leaks but does this look like that?
I'm also now wondering if the darkslide is sitting correctly in the film holder at the back of my Wista?
After becoming aware of it I hung a dark cloth over the back of the camera to try and combat this but it hasn't made any difference.
Or is it in the processing?

Any ideas or help appreciated.

- Tony
 
I get something similar when I dont squeegee my negatives(paper), then scanning them makes it look worse. I'm not sure yours are the same, but may be. It may also be a form of halo effect since there is no anti-halation layer on the back of the paper. I think long exposure definitly has a part to play in this as well.
 
Dear Tony,

I have gotten similar marks on prints when I didn't use sufficient developing time and I didn't get the paper in the developer evenly (both conditions required).

Good luck solving the problem,

Neal Wydra
 
It looks to me as if the paper stopped part way into the developer, as if the developer worked on one part of the neg before the rest of it was in the tray. I have seen something similar with regular b&w prints if someone puts their paper in 'sideways' and the edge of the paper hits one of the ribs on the bottom of the tray. It causes the paper to hesitate from going into the developer in one smooth motion.

I don't know if that is what's happening but it might be worth investigating that aspect though.
 
Thanks for the replies. Interesting.
I was wondering about the paper going in to the developer...

thanks

- Tony
 
push the paper fully under the developer surface , if you dont get it fully wet you will get a tide mark like yours. get your fingers wet and you know your good
 
hi tony

you might try a pre-wet water bath before you go into your developer.
then go into your dilute / spent developer and agitate .. don't have the paper
sit idle ... i usually agitate and flip the paper a few times ( maybe 6 ) to make
sure it is properly developing ... ( both with paper negatives and positive prints )

good luck!
john
 
aj, has this been resolved somehow? Has it repeated itself in some fashion? Just curious about what the original cause was.
 
Hi Tim, I haven't had much chance to do more at present but I did try John's suggestion. The combination of a pre-wet water bath and agitation seemed to work as I haven't had a repeat on the few I've done.

- Tony

 
I think John (and otheres) are right that it is from uneven developing. The edge is way too sharp for anything to do with light leaks. Presoak is a good idea as is diluting your developer further to get longer developing times.
 
I was happy to see that I’m not the only one who fights with this. I have a few theories of my own, as I see this sometimes when developing my pinhole camera paper negatives:

I typically only see this if my paper is overexposed. If properly or underexposed, I don’t believe that getting the paper in the developer unevenly should matter much as long as its fully submerged within a few seconds.

Another thought is to make sure that you have enough developer in the tray – at least an inch? Anything less, and the paper is likely to surface in places and develop unevenly. Agitation helps; I lift and lower the tray in a rhythmic fashion to generate some gentle wave action.

I’m no expert and haven’t been doing this long. These are just my own observations.
 
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