Digital BW, The Print

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stephen Kobrin" <skobrin@...>
To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2003 3:02 PM
Subject: [Digital BW] help with developing problem


> I developed two rolls of FP4+ last night in HD-11 and do not recall
> doing anything I had not done 50 or 100 times before.  However, when
> I scanned the negatives they were "filthy."  A very large number of
> small white spots all over the frame.  Looking at the negs with a
> loupe I can see black spots all over.  I am not sure that they are
> dust as they are black.  I used brand new fixer, and I think the stop
> bath and clearer are ok.  Any ideas as to what might be causing
> this??  I air dried the film in the same bathroom I always do and
> neither the hear nor the air came on.
>
> Most of the negatives on both rolls are beyond spotting with the
> clone tool.  The only thing I can think of is that it was a humid
> night and perhaps the film was not quite dry when I put it in the
> sleeves.  But, not really likely.
>
> While I always assume that there is a fixed ratio of dumb mistakes to
> rolls developed, I would like to know what happened.
>
> Any help appreciated.
>
Steve,

I have shot and developed a lot of FP4 and I have seen this happen but
always assumed it was a result of using pyro developers. What it appears to
be is a crystal growth that occurs during the wash cycle. My cure is to run
the film gently through my fingers while under flowing water to dislodge and
wash away the particles. Once they have dried in place I have not been able
to removed them and have found that they can grow with time on the negative.
I have no explanation for the phenomenon. There is one nice shot that I
spent many hours spotting all of the garbage out. If you have a real keeper
of a shot it can be done in PS. One of the reasons I pursued digital
printing.

Martin Wesley