How to print a still from an old 35mm film

Hello team,

 

I have a small length of old 35 mm black-and-white film. Can anyone suggest a way that I can get a print off one of the frames or even just view it in such a way that I can identify the subject of the film?

 

Thank you in advance

Is this positive or negative, still or movie?

 

Looking at the sprocket holes, it does not look like movie film

Fist, procure a eye loupe magnifier or some other type of magnifier. Hold the film so that it is hovering over a light fixture with a milk-glass diffuser. Most bathroom fixtures feature the milk-glass. Best if you have help. The helper can hold the film reel and wind it up as you are examine. If you decide you want a print or two, tell us if you have been looking at a movie release print, which sports a positive image or a camera original which will sport a negative image. Tell us what you have observed. .

Do you have a laptop computer? Open your text editor and make a white screen as large as possible on your display/monitor/screen. This is your light table. Put the film against the "light table" and you can view the image. If this doesn't suit you, use your phone to photograph the film against the "light table". Then invert the image on your phone (if it needs inversion) using any of a myriad number of means on your phone.

 

Or use a flatbed scanner and associated film holder, if you have access to a scanner.

Are you using an enlarger to make a traditional wet print?

Or are you going to scan the frame and print on your computer printer?

 

With an enlarger, you will need some kind of roll-film holder setup....

To hold the uncut roll.

 

 

With a scanner, you can just place the film across the scanner glass and close the lid. having the film roll rolled up on each side outside the scanner.

Make sure you can scan a negative/positive directly on the glass

That looks like a whole load of film, rather than a small length. Are you sure it has been exposed? Hold it up to a window, and check for negative images. If it has been exposed (I.e there are images on each frame) then you should be able to get an image by scanning on a flat bed scanner, inverting it (to make a positive) and tinkering with the image in some photo editing software. Crudely, you could probably tape it to a window, take an image with your phone, and invert it again. Depends on what kind of quality you are after, but from your post it seems that at this stage you are just after determining if you have anything worthwhile or not.

That looks like a whole load of film, rather than a small length. Are you sure it has been exposed? Hold it up to a window, and check for negative images. If it has been exposed (I.e there are images on each frame) then you should be able to get an image by scanning on a flat bed scanner, inverting it (to make a positive) and tinkering with the image in some photo editing software. Crudely, you could probably tape it to a window, take an image with your phone, and invert it again. Depends on what kind of quality you are after, but from your post it seems that at this stage you are just after determining if you have anything worthwhile or not.

 

Its been exposed. Thank you for your suggestion. I can see it is a golfer. Whether it's a known golfer or not I cannot determine without more detail.

 

The iPhone has a feature that inverts colours, which works really well for previewing b&w negatives, FWIW:

 

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5747840

Whether it's a known golfer or not I cannot determine without more detail.

The simplest method to identify the subject (IMO) is the method Mr. Marcus suggested. Look for the best face shot you can find and take it from there. You don't mention any identification on the edges of the film - if there are any, that could help narrow the field to a particular time period. This type/size of film roll would suggest professional work - therefore likely a subject of some note or at least wealth.

It's either MP film or from a half frame camera.

 

Given the the fact that it's(presumably) a golfer's swing, my guess would be the former.

 

The simplest method to identify the subject (IMO) is the method Mr. Marcus suggested. Look for the best face shot you can find and take it from there. You don't mention any identification on the edges of the film - if there are any, that could help narrow the field to a particular time period. This type/size of film roll would suggest professional work - therefore likely a subject of some note or at least wealth.

 

Thanks. There is nothing on the edges of the film

That looks like a whole load of film, rather than a small length. Are you sure it has been exposed? Hold it up to a window, and check for negative images. If it has been exposed (I.e there are images on each frame) then you should be able to get an image by scanning on a flat bed scanner, inverting it (to make a positive) and tinkering with the image in some photo editing software. Crudely, you could probably tape it to a window, take an image with your phone, and invert it again. Depends on what kind of quality you are after, but from your post it seems that at this stage you are just after determining if you have anything worthwhile or not.

 

Thanks. Doesn't seem to work on my scanner. Image too dark