AboutSara Bella Expertise I can answer questions about most anything photographic. From film to darkroom to digital photography, from lighting to Photoshop techniques to digital work flow. I also know a great deal about the historical and theoretical context of photography.
Experience I have been shooting photographs since I was 12. I have a BFA in photography and and I am currently working on my MFA. I am a photography teacher.
Education/Credentials BFA-photography
In residency to receive MFA in photography in 2008.
Question how long does it take for 35 milimiter negatives of 4x6 photos to fade?
when pix fade do they do so totally?
and become totally balnk?
will theylook like film that was not shot but developed anyways (despite that there was no picture on the film frame)?
how does a very faded negative look like?
is it blank?
how is it different than a picture that was not taken but submitted for processing anyways?
Answer Hello there. Your questions are somewhat vague, but I will do my best to share my knowledge with you.
The degree of fading as well as the speed of emulsion degradation will depend entirely on the storage method, the temperature of the storage area and the storage materials used. I have never seen a photograph fade "totally" but depending on the kind of film and paper used, it can appear to completely black out. I have never seen a faded negative where the image disappeared from the plastic negative entirely. Are you speaking of plastic negatives? Or glass negatives? From my experience, a faded negative will discolor over time if not stored properly. The colors will shift and lighten up gradually. If you are asking about negatives which are 100 years old...yes they could most likely seem to disappear entirely. If you are speaking of negatives which are 50 years old but have been stored in a hot attic...it might be possible that the emulsion has lightened up considerably, maybe it can appear as it has disappeared...but unlikely.
Photographic film has inherent qualities which don't disappear entirely. The emulsion sits atop a piece of thin plastic (or glass, depending on the age of the negative in question). Over time, the emulsion, which is an organic material, can change, but it really shouldn't disappear.
When you submit film for processing which has not been exposed to any light, the chemicals used for processing will wash away ALL of the emulsion, leaving a "totally" blank negative. If the negative had any image on it to begin with, there should be some sort of evidence of that image, regardless of the age or fading of the negative.
I hope this was helpful to you. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
