Did you know that the word “photography” comes from the Greek language meaning drawing with light? The first actual photograph was made in 1826 and it took 8 hours to capture (a long time, we know) because the camera had a long exposure. The photographer was a French scientist by the name of Nicephore Niepce. You might find this creepy, but during the 1800s, most of the photographed subjects were actual corpses. People wanted to capture the face of their loved ones one last time before they send them to their final resting place. Photography has a weird history but it’s one of the most developed industries in the world. From having to work for several hours for a photo, today’s cameras, films and accessories have evolved into something easy and fast to handle.
What’s a Negative Camera Film?
This was a game-changing discovery for the photography industry back in 1889. George Eastman introduced the camera negative film that he made from flammable plastic. 14 years later, we got films made from safer plastic. Its name was acetate and it was much lighter than its younger relative. This revolutionary negative camera film has one side that’s covered with emulsion, a light-sensitive material. You unwrap the film and place it inside of your camera. You slide the beginning of the film in a special thin slot and close the lid. Now, you’re ready to start shooting. When you put the negatives in the camera they get exposed to light and when you take a picture it creates a reverse image. Now, the light areas a dark and the dark ones are light.
This film has a lot of layers, which makes it complex. When you first look at it, it seems all red, but that’s not the case. All of the colours will be visible when the pictures are developed. The film layers are:
- Protective layer;
- Blue sensitive layer containing yellow coupler;
- Yellow filter layer;
- Green sensitive layer containing yellow coloured magenta coupler;
- Cyan sensitive layer;
- Interlayer;
- Red sensitive layer containing red coloured cyan coupler;
- Interlayer;
- Antihalation layer;
- Film base.
Types of Negatives
There are many types of negative films. Some of them are more famous than others, but they all have the same purpose, to take pictures.
35mm Film
This is the most famous and most commonly used negative film. It has holes on both sides so the sprocket wheels can turn it and play the captured images. It was first produced in a few batches but when it gained popularity, Kodak produced it on a regular basis.
116 & 616 Film
This film was first used in box cameras and it was made from Kodak. Its negatives were pretty big, 6.3 x 11.4 cm and had 6 frames in one roll. They were introduced in 1899 and discharged 85 years later in 1984.
127 Film
The 127 films gained popularity in the 1940s and 1950s and had a width of 46mm. the image could be rectangular or square depending on the camera you had back in the day. Kodak ended production of the 127 in 1995 because of the development of cameras.
120 Roll Film
This was meant for the Brownie Box cameras and was very inexpensive. As time went by, it became a favourite among professional photographers. It had negatives larger than 35mm and its width was 5.7cm. the 120 was an upgrade regarding resolution and sharpness. It ranked higher than its previous counterparts.
126 or Instamatic Film
When Kodak introduced the Instamatic camera, it had a drop-in film loading slot and used a plastic cartridge. The film meant for it was 26mm square and was available in both colour and black and white. You could use it for prints and slides. It became very popular because now, everyone could take colour pictures with their easy-to-use cameras.
Kodak Dick Film
In 1982, Kodak unveiled the disc film format, which consists of a flat circle of the film with 15 exposures spaced around the circumference. Enlargements are typically blurry and lack sharpness because their image area was very small. By 1999, these disc movies were no longer produced.
How to Process Negatives
The first thing you need to do is find a dark room. This will keep the film from exposure to light and eventually ruin your photos. Grab your film canister, scissors, bottle opener and developing tank. Open the film canister and by only touching the edges, remove the film and cut the extra film at the beginning of the roll. Enter the negative camera film into the reel with extra caution, careful not to damage it, and cut the remaining edge that hangs out of the reel. Put the reel into the developing tank and close it with the funnel cap.
The next step is to mix your chemicals with the help of the measuring vessels. Follow the instructions on the boxes and make sure all the liquids are at the right temperature. Pour the developer into the tank and tap the bottom to eliminate any bubbles. Turn the tank upside down every 10 seconds for about 3 times, or as long as the instructions say and pour it out. Next is the stop bath. Turn it the same way as the developer and this will stop the development of the pictures. The fixer should stay inside the tank for around 5 minutes. And finally, wash your film with tap water and hang the pictures to dry. When everything is done, cut the developed negatives into separate pieces and take them to the scanner.
How to Store Used Negative Films?
There are several ways to store your already used negative films. If you do it short term, and in warmer climates, find a dry and cool place, such as a wardrobe, bathroom or cupboard. In colder environments, you can just keep it out. If you decide to keep it in a freezer, it can last for about 15 years, because the cold stops the chemical process that degrades the film. If you want to unfreeze it, do it in its container and you can do it many times. If you can freeze it, storing it in the fridge will suffice, but it won’t stop the background radiation that fogs the film. This means that it’ll last for less than 15 years.
