Dust on prints

I recently had my pictures printed in a professional lab, but when I

got them back some of the photos had white spots on them. I took them

back to the lab and they claimed it was just "dust" from the machine.

Shouldn't a pro lab take care of these things right away??? Is this

normal????

I assume they reprinted them for you? Dust on prints from a pro lab isn't "normal". If I'm printing my own then I can understand the occasional missed dust spot or hair on a print, but if I'm paying someone to do it similar results would be unacceptable.

It should not be normal, but sadly the only way in which many so called 'pro' labs are professional is in the way they take money off you. Not so long ago I almost had an argument with the receptionist of a pro-lab who refused to believe that Kodak T400CN B&W film is C41 process. She stated that she would have to consult one of the 'experts' before accepting this fact. The fact that the film says C41 on the backing paper was apparently not enough for her.

 

After getting sick of paying through the nose to get scratched, dusty negatives and crap prints, I now do my own C41 processing. I prefer not to process E6 though. I freely admit that I am an amateur and don't use huge volumes of film (and most of it is B&W or 35mm Kodachrome). If you do this may not be practical for you.

 

There are labs that do good custom work, and they can command commensurate prices. Good printing is a skilled business. Either find a lab you can work with or set up a darkroom and do your own D&P. If you are mainly interested in colour work a good flatbed scanner (Epson 2450?) and inkjet printer is probably the way to go. If your main interest is B&W then a wet darkroom still holds appeal. I think you learn an awful lot about composition, exposure, and the possibilities of the photographic process by at least having some exposure to the D&P side of things.

I agree. You should not have dust on professionally made prints. Its a real pain and constant battle to get rid of the dust in the home darkroom. But, part of the fee your paying the lab is to be dust free.

Having spent 10 long years in the dark at several pro labs I can reassure you that dust is "normal". No matter what dust supression techniques are employed, it's close to impossible to ensure all negs are 100% dust-free. That doesn't mean the customer should see it though. If you're paying pro-lab prices, the printers should be, at the very least, winning the battle with dust and spotting what little is left. Take it back, demand it be fixed to your satisfaction at no cost and require them to treat all your enlargements in that manner.

 

Now, if you're paying 10 bucks for cheapy machine printed enlargements... well, that's not a pro-lab price and you should spot your own. Truth is, ya get what you pay for. I don't think you should expect hairs, scratches or lots of dust at that price... but a few dust specks would be normal.

Yes some dust is inevitable, but Tom's prints were 3x5" ! For dust spots to be evident at such a SMALL degree of enlargement smacks of negligence to me.

hmmm, didn't see they were 3x5"... where again? if tom was nitpicking a few dust specks on machine proofs then I'd have even stronger words for him(unless they're to be folio'd ie wedding, but experience would've kept him at the spotpens and not here bitching about it)... as for me, I look at dust on my prints up to and including the "final"... it's a sad fact of photo-life. i only nitpick and 'spot' the final... I always hated customers like you vartan, you want the world for 60 cents a print. Don't be hasty now... if tom had intimated that he'd just dropped over a c-note at Dalmation on a 16x20 exhibition grade to be returned with dust and scratches(never happen) then yeah... I'd say go ballistic. Otherwise...you ain't cut out for it... you'll just end up on the couch or in ICU for an infarction.

 

go easy cats, or go DIY if yer truly a perfectionist....

I always find it comforting to hear the contempt providers of a service have for their customers. A very professional attitude I must say. The fact remains that I get fewer scratches and dirt on the film (if not on the prints) when I process at home. If a lab cannot do better then clearly they are not competent. I rarely bother to complain, I just don't provide repeat business for the likes of you. Lets face it, even if you think I'm the biggest *ss*ole walking its in your interest to keep me the customer satisfied.

 

I think Tom is just starting out in MF photography. The poor quality and availability of processing is just one of the factors putting people off silver halide photography and MF in particular.

yeah whatever Vartan... you're the kinda guy that writes hate-mail to Hoya for not including a comment card with their UVb's.

 

listen, if you idiot wedding photogs would stop bouncing checks right under my nose I might run the strip through the camel hairs more than once... till then, don't bitch about my 60 cent machine reprints.

Folks, don't get too excited about it. I went back to the store, they admitted that no dust spots should be found on the prints and offered me 5x7 prints for less than the price of color machine prints made at processing time (90 cents each), so a good deal for me. I got them back spotless, clean and excellent quality. I'm happy about it so I'll go back next time. If they admit the error and compensate for it then I think these people deserve a second chance, no? I found it very easy to communicate with them, I didn't had to shout or yell, they immediately understood my concern and dealt with it very professionally, all I could hope for. NO HARM DONE!!!! OK?

By the way Triblett, what's the difference between wedding photographs and others? Should we say to the lab:"Can you please clean the machine because these photographs are from my wedding?" The lab would reply:"For wedding pictures, but naturally".

So, do we pay less for other pictures? NO, but for non-wedding pictures it's not so important to have dust spots, right Triblett?

Each person values different things. I, for example didn't care much (still don't) for my wedding pictures, I asked my friend to take some pics with my APS camera that came with the 3 rolls of film I bought the day before. But when it comes to something I do look forward to it's something I really tried to make the best of it, moreover because this time it was the first roll of film I shot with the first MF camera I bought($$$). Guess who was having second thought after the 3x5 pictures were printed? Apparently processing labs get careless after certain years of processing x rolls of film per day...

At least some don't whine about it.

who's whining again? I was pretty succinct. Re-read the entire thread and tell me who was whining again. You had a junk test roll reprinted fer dust? Oh brother, they're gonna whince everytime you saunter through their door.

 

it goes like this... hierarchy of photography.

 

1. Craftspersons

2. Documentarians

3. Landscapers

4. Architectural

5. Commercial

6. Fashion

7. Portraiture

8. Enthusiast

9. Hobbyist

10. Wedding

11. Photojournalist

12. turd with a rebel 2k

13. Fine art

 

just so ya know...

triblett Lungre-Thurd, Can I print out your "hierarchy of photography" and stick it to my enlarger? That is a classic. They should have that printed on the front door of every lab.