White streaks/blotches on my pics: what did I do wrong?

This was Ilford Delta 100 processed in HC-110 dilution H.

 

Film was likely expired in the early 2000's. Could that have caused it? I've shot B&W film as old as that without issue. There is genuine fog on the lake in the 1st pic, but not high in the sky. :)

 

 

 

Expiration is a possibility. I've made a fair amount of mistakes but never have seen this dappled look.

I see what appears to be vertical streaking in both shots. Did you fill the tanks over the reel/s and how was your agitation?

I see what appears to be vertical streaking in both shots. Did you fill the tanks over the reel/s and how was your agitation?

 

The tank was filled over the reel.

 

You may be on to something with the agitation though. I'd heard that with dilution H you want to agitate less often. I agitated for the first minute and then only twice more (inversions for approximately 10 seconds each) during the 12 minute period.

 

A few hours later I followed almost the same regimen with 35mm HP 5 and didn't have the same problem. What did happen though on the 2nd batch is that I didn't have the reel pushed all the way down on the spindle so that top 1/4 of the roll didn't develop.

 

Just wasn't my day. :)

It sounds like your agitation was sufficient, so I'm at a loss for the streaking..

The blotching is typical of stale and badly-stored film. Probably due to a fungus attack on the gelatine.

 

I suspect the streaks are where groups of blotches line up, due to uneven spooling of the film allowing fungal spores to ingress across the film.

 

There's a good reason they stick an expiry date on film!

I was thinking the same as Joe while I read down the post. Condensation may have formed inside the canister at some point over the last 20 years. This is why knowing how a film was stored is more important than knowing the expiration date.

I have seen this pattern before, it is due to film stored in high temperature - high humidity location when the airtight wrapper leaks.

Bummer. It was one roll of about 20 that I got from a photographer who said he kept it in a cool place. I've shot about 5 rolls out of that lot prior and never had a problem. I normally use expired film just for testing cameras and experimenting but I was out of fresh film and it was last minute so I grabbed one of these rolls.

 

The camera did spend a lot of time outdoors in warm weather while I was taking these pictures but I'm assuming that the damage occurred way before that. Or maybe it was just more susceptible.

 

Lesson learned I guess.

Edited August 12, 2019 by tomspielman

Square prints, so it is 120 roll film? The paper backing/film interface is where these problems grow. The issues are time and temperature.

Square prints, so it is 120 roll film? The paper backing/film interface is where these problems grow. The issues are time and temperature.

 

Yep. 120.

 

So are you saying 120 is more prone to these time and temp issues than 35mm?

So are you saying 120 is more prone to these time and temp issues than 35mm?

That's certainly been my experience. Possibly something to do with the backing paper. Harbouring fungal spores, outgassing, trapping moisture or whatever.

Likewise with boxes of sheet film, which have paper separators between sheets.

Humidity damage can also cause this mottling. Backing paper issues require specific and prolonged circumstances to impart an affect, unless you are talking about Kodak's infamous run-in with their TMax films and backing paper from a few years back.

Backing paper issues require specific and prolonged circumstances to impart an affect,

Like over 19 years in an unspecified 'cool place'?

 

I can only add that I've never seen mottling on bulk reels or cassettes of very outdated 35mm film, but I've seen it quite a few times on less-outdated roll and sheet film.

Edited August 18, 2019 by rodeo_joe|1

I was wondering the same thing , didn't know if I had done something wrong or if it was the film that Tri-x 320 120 roll expired over 20 yrs ago That I found behind a box in the closet, Its also been a long time since I developed any, about 15 yrs ago but I though what the hell, shoot it and see what I get, does have some splotching but I suppose it could have been a lot worse.