KB1984
Hi there!
I picked up my first medium-format colour negatives from the photo lab today and, whilst scanning them, noticed that the negatives have quite a bit of dust and streaks on them -> see attachment. How can I clean the four strips of negatives now? I did, of course, wear gloves to ensure I handled the negatives carefully when placing them in the scanner. I also blew the streaks clean with a bellows. As I haven’t started using my home darkroom yet, I’ve got a bottle of Adox Adoflo lying around here. Should I use it to prepare a bath for the negative streaks?
Regards
Bartosch
Tandemfahren
Hi there,
For dust, I’d recommend an anti-static cloth or, better still, a camel-hair brush. As for the streaks, it depends on what they’re made of.
If they’re embedded in the emulsion – the result of a botched development, fixing, washing or drying process – there’s nothing you can do.
If it’s water-soluble or greasy grime, you can rub it off with isopropyl alcohol, methylated spirits or even methanol.
For limescale stains, soak the item and wipe it off carefully with a stop bath or simply diluted acetic acid or citric acid (rinse with distilled water. NOT aquavit, you rascal!)
Frank
jonny
It seems the dirt is stuck in the emulsion layer. It looks as though the service provider doesn’t have the process under control (usually due to insufficient processing speed).
You can try rinsing the film again (on the reel in a container) in demineralised water (30–40 °C), agitating it thoroughly and changing the water several times. Finally, the film MUST be treated in a C41 stabilising bath if you value the long-term stability of the colour negatives. The stabilising bath also contains a wetting agent. Leave to dry in a completely dust-free place with no draughts. And don’t forget to light a candle to the Blessed Virgin beforehand, as the chances of success are rather slim.
KB1984
Thank you very much for your tips.
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I tend to think that these contaminants appeared during the development process. I’ve cleaned the negative strips several times with a cloth but haven’t noticed any improvement. I’ve uploaded a close-up where you can see one of the contaminants.
In the attached winter photo, you can also see streaking in the sky. I’m no analogue expert, but I don’t think it’s a special effect from my Mamiya 645.
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Lichtjahr
Hi there,
Forget about mechanical or chemical cleaning.
Since you’re going to scan the negatives anyway, fixing any flaws is a piece of cake in Photoshop.
It works a treat; I’ve tried it out on your sample.
Good luck,
Edi
Renate
Hello,
I would strongly advise against using methanol for cleaning. The stuff is extremely dangerous. There are plenty of alternatives, such as ethanol and isopropanol, which are less hazardous.
Best regards,
Renate
KB1984
Thanks for your help. I’ve tried out a few scanning settings and am already getting reasonably decent results with most of the negatives. As Edi said, good old Photoshop takes care of the rest.
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Have a lovely weekend on the sofa!
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Morte
I would always carry out retouching work in Photoshop and never leave it to the scanning software (i.e. an automated process). That’s for the lazy, who are prepared to accept that a lot of detail will be lost or washed out as a result. If you’ve committed yourself to the slower pace of real photography, it’s a real shame to give in to the general trend towards automation at this stage. I retouch all my scans by hand in PS and can say that, with a bit of practice and familiarisation, you develop a nimble routine that’s actually quite enjoyable. You get to know your negative intimately when you enlarge it and learn to distinguish between specks of flaws in the gelatin and photographic dust in the air (or tiny particles on meadows, fields and in foliage). It also allows you to clearly see the effect of different developers on the film grain.
