A near miss - has anyone else done this?

I set up to develop a roll of 120 the other day, and somehow lost focus badly enough that I loaded the backing paper on to the reel rather than the film. Thankfully the paper is enough longer than the film that it wouldn't load all the way - otherwise it would have been a very unhappy moment when I pulled everything out of the changing bag!

I have no idea how I separated the film and backing, removed the paper from the spindle, and then 'decided' to load the paper instead of the film - that actually tool extra work compared to doing it right. All of which has me wondering - did I (almost) find a novel way to mess up developing, or have others done this before?

That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1:9

I am sure other have done and even run the full development cycle on the backing paper (after discarding the film). Glad you caught it before you opened the changing bag.

somehow lost focus

Sometimes the worst enemy and sometimes the best friend of a photographer!

[sometimes what I'm focused on will not make the best photo, which may be found in the periphery, behind me, or in the accident about to happen, unless I unconsciously step into oncoming traffic while backing up to take a shot!]

I am somehow reminded of the pilot's saw that is mentioned at the start of training retractable landing gear--

There are two kinds of pilots of retractable landing gear planes - those who have attempted to land with the gear still up, and those who are going to try to do so.

Freudian slip

noun

an unintentional error regarded as revealing subconscious feelings.

The story of my life. I wouldn't wish it on anyone else

Freudian slip

noun

an unintentional error regarded as revealing subconscious feelings.

OR

Madame Freud's undergarment ...

I don't know if it is the reason or not, but I do know that when you unroll the

paper backing, the film tends to come out on the outside, where you don't expect.

It is taped to the paper only on the start end.

I try to untape (peel the tape off the film) but some might tear or cut it off.

Also, I put the end (last. exposure end) in the reel first, as the space to the image

is usually longer.

That was a pretty bad faux-pas Joe, but at least you were man enough to admit to it. And you realised before any damage was done.

The silliest mistake I've ever witnessed was by a fellow student at college. He walked into one of the small darkroom bays, simply closed his eyes and then proceeded to load his film into the spiral without turning off the white light!

"I can't see the film, therefore it must be in the dark." - I've known small furry animals with better logic!

Much later in life I was asked: "Which is the light sensitive side of the film; the grey side, or the pink side?" - I just replied "Neither of them now!"

Here's a frame from that roll I'm glad I didn't mess up. This appeared to be executed in chalk, so it's most likely gone by now with all of the rain we've had. Photo is mine, but the original artist is unknown.

I set up to develop a roll of 120 the other day, and somehow lost focus badly enough that I loaded the backing paper on to the reel rather than the film. Thankfully the paper is enough longer than the film that it wouldn't load all the way - otherwise it would have been a very unhappy moment when I pulled everything out of the changing bag!

 

I have no idea how I separated the film and backing, removed the paper from the spindle, and then 'decided' to load the paper instead of the film - that actually tool extra work compared to doing it right. All of which has me wondering - did I (almost) find a novel way to mess up developing, or have others done this before?

I checked with the ghost of Beaumont Newhall and no one else in the history of photography has ever done this.

I checked with the ghost of Beaumont Newhall and no one else in the history of photography has ever done this.

I suspect that most things that are possible to do wrong, at least one other person has done it.

I was about to wonder how anyone could not know the feel was different, but then

remembered that some tanks come with a strip of paper to practice loading.

(Specifically, the Yankee II.)

If one used that to practice, one might be used to the feel of loading paper.

I suspect that it would be harder in a stainless-steel reel, but maybe not.