benman999
Hello everyone!
I have some 16mm film strips (with exposure and being positive) that I’d like to make lighter retrospectively.
The strips aren’t meant to be projected, but simply to appear brighter when held up to normal ‘daylight’, so that the subject is easier to see. Normally, 16mm film strips tend to look rather ‘black’.
Now I’m wondering if there’s any way I can bleach them afterwards?
I have no experience with photo lab techniques. So far, I’ve tried using vinegar and citric acid: with no change to the positive.
Very diluted sulphuric acid (approx. 3–5%) causes fading. But as soon as I rinse it with water, the original image comes back, or it just ends up with a different colour cast. Sometimes the image disappears completely.
Perhaps one of you has a good idea for me?
I’d really appreciate any tips!
Thanks!
Best regards,
Ben
Lichtjahr
Farmer’s attenuator would be the right choice here. But stay well away from it if you don’t know what you’re doing.
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It’s simple: if those recordings are that important to you, digitise them.
Take a photo with a digital camera and then edit it in Photoshop.
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Edi
benman999
Hi Edi!
Thanks for the quick reply!
It’s colour film, though. Is there a reducer for that as well?
Assuming I were to digitise and edit the film strips, how would I get them back onto 16mm film? Or what would your approach be?
Many thanks!
Lichtjahr
Colour film? – As far as I know, there’s no reducer for that.
Colour film no longer contains silver, only so-called colour couplers, i.e. colour pigments.
As a rough guess, I’d say the film had improper exposure.
There’s nothing that can be done about it now; in the past, the lab could compensate for this – in Munich, for example, ARRI.
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You mentioned a few strips of film. That’s why I assumed you had a couple of prints.
Do you have a 16 mm projector?
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benman999
This is what I found:
http://www.kuenstlermagazin.de/Druckgraphische-Produkte/Retusche-Hilfsmittel/Diaphoto-Abschwaecher-60ml-v-Rohrer-Klingner.htm?shop=kuenstler&SessionId=&a=article&ProdNr=RKHM3005660&t=20385&c=20413&p=20413
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Would this theoretically work with 16mm film stock as well?
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The thing is, I’m working with three small 16mm images (i.e. a small section) to make an earring using silver for processing. The images should be translucent without a light source behind them. The film stock itself has correct exposure (if you want to view it as film using a projector). But I just want it to be brighter so that it’s visible in normal daylight. I’ve attached a picture of it!
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Since two streaks of three frames each would fit exactly into a 35mm slide (36x24), I could of course also have slides made (which I’ve edited digitally beforehand).
Do you think that would be the quickest solution?
Best regards,
Ben
Lichtjahr
Hi Ben.
I think the digital approach is the simpler solution.
Edit and composite the images in Photoshop, then print them onto overhead transparencies.
That way, you’ll have the whole process under control.
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http://praxistipps.chip.de/overhead-folie-bedrucken-darauf-sollten-sie-achten_35122
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Edi
Urnes
On a standard home printer, the printout is neither lightfast nor waterproof. Even with pigment inks, the film is still not waterproof. What’s more, the rough ink-absorbing side will quickly become clogged with dirt. Off the top of my head, I’d say use a light table or a slide copier and copy (photograph) it onto standard transparency. You’d then do a series of exposures and overexpose. You’ve got 36 attempts, after all. You could improvise a lightbox by the window. To photograph it, however, you’d need a macro lens or extension rings to achieve a 1:1 reproduction ratio.
Regards, Sven.
P.S.: You could of course also try using the reducer from Rohrer and Klinger. It looks as though it’s made for this purpose. But be careful: it’s better to perform dilution and apply several thin coats, then rinse thoroughly and dry.
Lichtjahr
...waterproof!?
Why don't you try putting a slide in water? So much for that objection.
Edi
Urnes
Is that the same as if I were to put a film in water?
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Regards, Sven.€
Urnes
OK, that wasn’t exactly very constructive. But sweat and rain will affect the overhead transparencies far more than the film. If you want to do it properly, you stick the film snippets onto a thin sheet of glass (from a slide frame or something) or a sheet of acrylic glass using epoxy resin. Or you could pour the film into an acrylic gel medium; I usually use that to transfer images onto a wooden panel. The glossy one should dry out pretty much transparent.
Cheers, Sven.
benman999
Thank you very much for your replies!
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I’ve now ordered the reducer for a few euros.
I’m also going to give the slide experiment a go, which is of course a bit more expensive, but has the advantage that I can expose any subject (not just from 16mm films).
I’ll be in touch and let you know how it goes once I’ve had a bit of a go!
Best wishes,
Ben
