Yikes! Negative problem

[Cheryl Jacobs]

I'd greatly appreciate any insight on how to fix and / or avoid this problem.

I've developed a roll of Tri-X as I have countless times in the past. I'm always extremely careful with my developing technique, and I've never had any problems in the past. However, on this roll, I have horizontal bands running the width of this negative, and to a lesser extent, a few other images on the roll. This is the last frame, and it's by far the worst. I've scanned it off the contact sheet. Any clues on what caused it? And better yet, any suggestions on how I might be able to fix it? I very much like this image.



Thanks in advance for any help.

- Cheryl

[Jorge]

Looks like different temperature lines. As you fill the tank it seems the developer is higher temperature and as it cools down is giving you less density. If you are using a water bath to keep the temperature constant it seems it is not covering the tank.

Sorry, cant think of any fix other than burning. Maybe a mask would help, but with a small negative it is somewhat difficult to make.

[Cheryl Jacobs]

Jorge, if it's temperature lines, wouldn't I expect to see the same problem on all the negs?

[Jorge]

I dont have enough info, but if I understand correctly this happened in one entire roll. I dont know if your tank has them stacked or is it a single roll tank. The only times I have seen this happen is when temperature varies, or when one side of the roll slips out and sticks to the film on the outer loop as you are rolling the film into the reel. Then again, the photo Gods might be upset with you..:P

[Cheryl Jacobs]

Then again, the photo Gods might be upset with you

Ah, yes. I think that's it. They must be extremely upset with me to have robbed me of a choice neg! Well, all is not lost yet. This might be one of those negs that looks great when sandpapered and diffused.....

[Aggie]

..

[Nige]

you dripped developer down the length of film! ok that's not it!

What intrigues me is that you have different densities in the bands but they are not least->most. Having done this once, if you'd didn't have enough developer in the tank I think you'd get a distinct line where the developer came to. Even if you sat the tank down uneveningly you'd get light at the top, dense at the bottom with varying bits in the middle. This assumes you're processing in a small tank? If you're using some sideways mounted roller device...

I'm more wondering a light leak somewhere. Do you bulk load your film? What are the film edges like, any fogging? Also check the inter neg gaps.

[Robert]

I can't see anything on my monitor it's too dark-(( You say it's on multiple frames. What about them is the same? Are they in a row? Or would they have been in the same general spot on the reel?

[Ed Sukach]

I'd greatly appreciate any insight on how to fix and / or avoid this problem.

I've developed a roll of Tri-X as I have countless times in the past.

My first thought is insufficient developer volume ...

But before I "leap", I'd like a little more information: What film format?; Was this in a "manual" or "rotary processed" (i.e. JOBO) tank? If it was in a rotary-spooled tank, was the worst example of this on the frame closest to the center of the tank?

I'm guessing ... and this doesn't seem at all likey, but it *might* be that the film buckled outward on the spool - somehow (possibly jumped the track?) - and there wasn't *quite* enough developer to cover, so that, in rotation, the developer was sloshed toward the center of the film. Better yet, ?????

The chances of that all happening are remote ... but I don't know what else "fits".

I once decided to develop a roll of 120 AgfaPan 400 in Rodinal, manually inverting the usual JOBO 1500 series tank twice every 30 seconds for agitation. Unfortunately (see: Duh!), I had used the same amount of developer for "hand inversion" as I would have in the usual machine roation - about half of what it should have been. The result? Half the frame (the top half as it sits in the non-inverted position) severely underdeveloped.

So that is my best guess - and in writng this, I found that I've *fried* the batteries in my crystal ball.

[frank]

Cheryl,

First, hi there, and welcome to APUG!

If you were using 35mm or 120 film, check the spaces between the picture frames. Is there any density banding there?

Frank S.