negatives from my highschool photo class...

Dmosher

Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Messages
53
Location
Central Illinois
Format
Medium Format
So I recently picked up a scanner and thought it would be fun to scan some of my old negatives from my high school photo class. They've been stored in printfile type pages in binders since processed back in 1988 or so. These were all processed in a gang darkroom using chemicals of dubious purity with the attention to detail that an underachieving high schooler(me) would have given them..

I noticed some have some silvering going on and some have some brownish fog in areas. I've also noticed some brown staining on the associated contact sheets.

I was thinking it would be a good idea to rewash and refix the negs and put them in new negative pages. Any other suggestions?

Thanks!
 

Andrew O'Neill

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Jan 16, 2004
Messages
12,079
Location
Coquitlam,BC Canada
Format
Multi Format
Give them a good soak in water. Then refix in fresh fix. Test first on a neg that you don't really care about. You should see my students' negatives even after a few months. Many of the sneaky devils skipped the wash. Pulled them from the fixer, and hung them to dry before sleaving them. Lazy.
 
OP
OP

Dmosher

Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Messages
53
Location
Central Illinois
Format
Medium Format
Andrew O'Neill said:
. You should see my students' negatives even after a few months. Many of the sneaky devils skipped the wash. Pulled them from the fixer, and hung them to dry before sleaving them. Lazy.
Click to expand...

I wasn't that bad, but this was Hawaii and high school... sometimes it was hard to stay focused on things like how many dump and fills have I done.
 

Andrew O'Neill

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Jan 16, 2004
Messages
12,079
Location
Coquitlam,BC Canada
Format
Multi Format
Dmosher said:
I wasn't that bad, but this was Hawaii and high school... sometimes it was hard to stay focused on things like how many dump and fills have I done.
Click to expand...

At least you didn't have social media back then to distract you!
 
OP
OP

Dmosher

Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Messages
53
Location
Central Illinois
Format
Medium Format
I'm so glad everyone didn't have a camera back then... at least I was the one taking most of the photos so I have all the blackmail material!!
 

pentaxuser

Member
Joined
May 9, 2005
Messages
20,024
Location
Daventry, No
Format
35mm
Andrew O'Neill said:
You should see my students' negatives even after a few months. Many of the sneaky devils skipped the wash. Pulled them from the fixer, and hung them to dry before sleaving them. Lazy.
Click to expand...

Andrew, that still shocks me OK. I came to darkroom work in my late 50s so not a callow youth but I am sure you told them why washing was important. So to an old buffer like me this is akin to telling them that not washing is like taking a slow acting radio active pill. You might feel fine for a few weeks or even months but the end is horrific and cannot be stopped

I've just had an idea. Tell them that next time the culprits will be nominated as the new Frank Bigelows then show them the film DOA with Edmond O'Brien

pentaxuser
 

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
53,277
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
Andrew needs to figure out a way to incorporate proper procedures into a social media cel phone ap .
 

wiltw

Subscriber
Joined
Oct 4, 2008
Messages
6,459
Location
SF Bay area
Format
Multi Format
Properly processed, the negatives should keep even if you do NOT employ the 'archival' methodology! I have negatives in glassine sleeves, stored in what was my dad's leather shaving kit, and they look like newly processed, with no discoloration in spite of their 56 years of age!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…