AboutMalcolm Dickinson Expertise Questions about 35mm and medium format cameras, questions about developing B&W film; and questions about making B&W prints.
Experience I've been an avid photographer since 1981 and took a lot of B&W photography classes in college. I've done a lot of medium format work and have always developed & printed my own pictures.
Publications I had several photos published in college magazines and one photograph included in a juried exhibition.
I recently took my predeveloped film to Walgreens to have them digitalize the pictures. I got my film back in a pretty bad condition. There were greasy fingerprints all over the film. Because this film is extremely valuable to me I am sad and worried. What, do you think, I should do?
QUESTION 1: Should I immediately try to get rid of those fingerprints because the longer they stay on the film, the more damage they will do to it and/or the harder it is to remove them later. Or it does not matter because once the fingerprints are there, a certain amount of damage has been done and removing them quicker or slower won't make a difference.
QUESTION 2: How to remove fingerprints (and other dirt) from film. Should I take my film to the expert (if yes, where?) or can I remove fingerprints at home? If yes, what chemicals and cloth would you use, or is there a kit for this purpose I could purchase?
QUESTION 3: How much influence does a greasy fingerprint on the film have on the picture quality (will it be obvious?)?
Sorry that I asked se many qustions but I really appreciate your help. Thank you very much in advance,
Tom
Another recommendation is made at the bottom of the page http://www.nyip.com/tips/topic_black_white_09.html
It reads as follows: "If you do get fingerprints on the negative, clean them off immediately. A film cleaner is the best thing to use, although a lightly moistened – not soaking wet – soft, lintless cloth will work. Work gently when cleaning negatives to avoid scratching them, which will only make things worse. "
You probably won't find film cleaner at your local camera store, but you can find it at a darkroom supply type store. You can also mail-order it from: http://www.adorama.com/CHEAS4.html
To answer your final question, a fingerprint on the film will not be obvious on the print. However the print will be a little less distinct/fuzzier than if it were made from a clean negative.
Good luck and I hope this helps! Clean your negatives soon!
Malcolm
P.S. I use Snapfish (www.snapfish.com) for all my color processing. They are inexpensive (about $6 per roll of film) and they scan all images for you during the processing, so you always have scanned images of every picture. Give them a try.
