what are those swirlies??

[luvmydogs]

Sorry to be such a board hog today. Truth of the matter is that I am going back to film for my business (always preferred film for personal work) and I'm practicing like mad so that I feel up to snuff a bit more. But I have to admit that it's a little discouraging!!

I developed another roll today, also HP5+ but this time in 35mm format. The grain wasn't nearly as bad as what I posted earlier - it seemed more normal this time. But...what is the swirly pattern?? If you look closely at my son's belly, you'll be able to see it better. Water mark? Finger print?? Is that something that I'd be able to take care of when printing? (Poor Bob Carnie - he's my designated printer).

 

[SuzanneR]

Hey, Macy... I know that park!

They look a bit like newton rings, and could well be an artifact from scanning. Do you really see it ON the negative? Or just the scan? I can only see them in his shorts, btw, and not on his (very cute) belly.

 

[Kevin Kehler]

I have the same problem with some of my negatives, usually a result of a minute amount of oil (from one's fingers) on either the negative or the scanner. Try cleaning the negative and the scanner surface and then rescanning.

 

[Denis P.]

Is that a scan of the negative, or the print?
In any case, those "swirlies" are Newton rings - they usually appear when the negative is "sandwiched" in the glass negative holder in the enlarger, and can also appear while scanning, if the negative was pressed against the scanner glass.

it happens often in the summer, as the moisture/humidity actually "glues" the negative to the glass.

I get them often when doing contact sheets - I have a Paterson contact sheet printer, which presses the negatives tightly against the glass

 

[Arvee]

I'll go with Kevin's comments. Although it looks similar to Newton's rings, it looks more like a fingerprint to me.

Check and see if it's on the neg.

-Fred

 

[Pinholemaster]

Newton Rings

 

[RobC]

definitely newtons rings.
clean scanner glass with acohol(to remove any grease from fingers on glass) and make sure neg is very dry before scanning.
You can also try scan with emulsion side on glass and flip it afterwards.

 

[luvmydogs]

THANK YOU!!!!!!!

I can't see it on the neg at all, so sounds like Newton Rings! Which means it'll be ok in print (this was a scan from a neg). Thank God. I like this photo of my son and my husband.

Suzanne.....you got it!

 

[df cardwell]

newton's rings

 

[luvmydogs]

Thank you!

 

[gainer]

And at the center of each of the patterns is something very small separating the negative from the glass.

 

[Alex Bishop-Thorpe]

There's a myriad of quirky issues you can run into with film photography, newton rings are definitely one of the oddest. I just finished a roll only to find my first negative ruined by air bells after 2 years...
Every roll is more experience, and if you're learning you're only getting better.
That said, I curse dust to the fiery depths of hell.