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About David Barry
Expertise
I have a lot of experience in most traditional forms of photography, so I`m quite knowledgeable about things like camera types and formats, techniques, exposure, film types, colour, filters, lighting, standard colour and black and white developing and printing. I do not make recommendations about brands or models, and I am not a camera technician so I may not be able to tell you what is wrong with your equipment if it`s not working . I also know a little about digital photography and imaging with scanners and digital cameras, so ask me and I will answer if I can.

Experience
Experience in the area I have been seriously involved in photography for over 25 years, including about 4 years as a professional, as well as 2 years providing administrative service to government photographers, requiring interpreting photographers' requirements and trade technicalities for those unfamiliar with such. I have successfully trained several beginners in photography, helping them to become competent in basic techniques. Organizations belong to: None at present, but have been in about 4 camera clubs, having won or had placings in 2 club competitions. Publications: A lot of my photos have been in educational / training manuals, books and some photography magazines, as well as 2-3 dozen images been on the Web so far. Education/Credentials: Completed 4-year diploma in professional photography technique at Sydney's Technical College Awards and Honors: 3 placings and / or merits in camera club competitions.

You are here: Experts > Arts/Humanities > Visual Arts > Photography > processing film

Topic: Photography

Expert: David Barry
Date: 7/17/2008
Subject: processing film

Question
QUESTION: i want to learn how to view film before taking it to get developed, without loosing the pictures. i was hoping you could help me with this, if it is possible.

thanks,
javier

ANSWER: Sorry to disappoint you, but that is ALMOST NOT possible. Did someone tell you it is - maybe a misunderstanding, or maybe I'm not understanding what you're asking exactly the right question.

In short, you can generally NOT view pictures on film before they get developed. It is basically the developing that makes the pictures visible, but before I close off, perhaps I should qualify my answer.

Film can (technically) develop itself, if you wait several days, if not weeks. Any images which are captured on film, appear very, very, very, very, .......... slowly, over several days or weeks. And even then, they are not very clear, or easy to make out.
The main reason why we get film developed is to speed up that process by 10,000 x reducing the time we have to wait from days down to minutes, but also to improve the quality, clarity and control over how they turn out.

Even if you do manage to find a way (which I will tell you shortly), you may not be able to make out what the pictures are because they will be so pale and fuzzy, and the light in which you need to view them may not be comfortable for you.

About a week after you have taken the pictures, see if you can get access to a photo-developing darkroom (maybe in a local college or professional photographer's studio if they are still using film), it will need to have a very, very, very, dim yellowish-green safelight installed: NOT, repeat, NOT the normal reddish or medium amber safelight. I have used one of these, and it takes quite a long time for your eyes to adjust to the dimness.

Take your film into the darkroom, turn off the normal light and turn on the special safelight I mentioned above - but only if it is that very, very, very, dim yellowish-green safelight type

Once you think your eyes have adjusted (probably about 10 to 15 minutes), pull a small length (say 3 inches) of the film out of the cassette and see if you can make out any images. I will be very surprised if you can see anything worthwhile, let alone pictures that you can actually recognise. See what I mean ?

But do NOT leave the film out of the cassette for more than about 15 secs, or those pics on that 3 inches will probably be ruined, or at least very flat and murky once they get developed. AFter about 15 secs, rewind the film back into the cassette.

Good luck, and don't say I didn't warn you.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: well that is alot of good info... i was told there is a way to do it from another expert as well with different solutions. but for my next question, what if the film i am trying to use is approx. 3yrs old. i have several disposable cameras, that i used from around sept 2004? is that a long enough time for the pics to be ready?

ANSWER: Wow almost 4 years.

In principle, that is well and truly long enough, but still, they may not be too clear under the dim lighting of the darkroom I mentioned previously.

And now you mention from a disposable camera, another issue comes to mind relating to loosing the pictures. From my understanding of most disposable cameras and their films, their cassettes may prove to be un-openable without permanently damaging the cassete (but I'll leave you to find a way to get around that), which may compromise the safety of the pictures.

And after 4 years - depending on how the disposable camera and film were stored, they may have deteriorated somewhat. Ideally, pictures should be developed as soon as practical after being shot, but maybe in your circumstances that was not possible.
After a while, images start to go off colour and a bit murky in contrast, so after developing you may also be a bit disappointed in the quality of the results - but anyhow see how you go.

I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but just don't get your hopes up, either in trying to see the pics in the darkroom before developing, or in seeing the finished, developed, results

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: so the film is old enough that i can just pull out the film and be able to look at them(knowing they may or may not be very clear) and then decide which ones to take in to have pictures made? or do i still have to be in a darkroom?

Answer
Yes you still have to be in a darkroom. That is so you - hopefully - don't lose the pictures. You would definitely lose them if you looked at it in ordinary light - because that light would completely fog the film, and after developing all the pictures would be a pale, murky, blob .
The whole reason I discussed the darkroom bit, was because that special very dim, yellow-green light would be the safest way to preserve the pictures, but even then you should only have the film exposed to that dim light for 10 to 15 secs - maybe not enough time for you to be able to make out what the pictures are.

Forget about deciding which ones to take in - it would not be practical to separate them - even if you can see them. If you see anything on the film in that dim light , you would be better to put the entire film back in the cassette and take the whole cassette to be developed. Even if you can see anything on the film, if you try to cut the film and separate the pictures, you will probably take longer than that 'safe' 10 to 15 secs under the dim light, thus fogging the film.
Also all the handling of the film may scratch it and also cause stains to appear on the film from your finger marks.

Instead, just ask the film to be developed only, as distinct from developed-and-printed. Once you see the developed negatives, (if they are any good) THEN you choose which ones to be printed.

Hopefully this answer will serve your needs for the time being because I'm going off-line from the Experts forum for several weeks. If you have any more questions, save them for September.

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