# dense negative after developing



## vladca (Sep 12, 2012)

hello photography lovers, 
I am completely new one here and I really need your help. I've been developing films for many years and never happened to me any problems till my last developing. after developing I took out my film and it was dark. I mean, it is posiblle to see pictures on it but it has a grey background if you can understand. looks like undeveloped completely. do you think is developing problem or camera problem. the film is Ilford Delta 400. 
if it's developing problem, do you think is there anything I can do to save it ??

thank a lot


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## amolitor (Sep 12, 2012)

Farmer's Reducer might help, here.

freestyle has a basic one, bhphoto sells several different formulations with different properties.

Search for 'reducer' and filter results to darkroom chemistry if necessary.


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## KenC (Sep 12, 2012)

How do the letters and numbers along the edge of the film look?  If these are black with a more or less clear background, then your development was OK and there was a problem in the exposure or with the camera.


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## vladca (Sep 12, 2012)

thanks a lot amolitor ... 
I need to save my beautiful pictures from my travel ...


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## vladca (Sep 12, 2012)

everything is grey ... completely film..


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## Helen B (Sep 12, 2012)

Is it fixed? No clear film at all? Was it fogged (exposed to light)?

If it was only a developer problem the film rebates would be clear. 

If it was totally fogged the margins would be black, like the highlights of a normal negative.

If it wasn't fixed the whole film would be opaque grey-ish.

Try refixing in fresh fixer and rewashing if it looks cloudy.

Test the fixer with a scrap of unexposed, undeveloped film, like the tongue poking out of a 135 cassette - does it clear?


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## amolitor (Sep 12, 2012)

You should try to print what you have to see if you need to increase contrast, decrease contrast, or leave the contrast alone as you reduce the density. This will tell you which reducer you need to get.

Then, of course, test on a single frame first.


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## KenC (Sep 12, 2012)

vladca said:


> everything is grey ... completely film..



If the edges of the film are a uniform grey color I don't think the film was developed at all.  Overdeveloping might make the numbers/letters fuzzy and a very dense black, but it should not produce a uniform grey so you could not see the numbers.


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## amolitor (Sep 12, 2012)

Good call, Helen. I would keep it in the dark and refix as soon as possible. It's not going to hurt anything.

Then try printing to see what you've got.

Then reduce as necessary, if there's anything at all to be saved.


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## vladca (Sep 12, 2012)

amolitor said:


> You should try to print what you have to see if you need to increase contrast, decrease contrast, or leave the contrast alone as you reduce the density. This will tell you which reducer you need to get.
> 
> Then, of course, test on a single frame first.



well, I will try it ... the problem is get this stuff here in Brasil 
I will see


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## vladca (Sep 12, 2012)

KenC said:


> vladca said:
> 
> 
> > everything is grey ... completely film..
> ...



I think as well that is not developed ... I am little afraid that the problem might be temperature of the developer. I think it was little warmer than it should be ...


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## Helen B (Sep 12, 2012)

See my previous post. If the whole film looks like undeveloped film with an image on it then it is probably *unfixed*. Do not use reducer! *Do not redevelop*.Keep it in the dark then try to refix.



KenC said:


> If the edges of the film are a uniform grey color I don't think the film was developed at all.



If the edges of the film look grey it is probably not a developer problem.


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## amolitor (Sep 12, 2012)

Helen is right. Keep it in the dark and re-fix. No matter what the issue is, it won't hurt anything, and it might save your pictures.


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## vladca (Sep 12, 2012)

Helen B said:


> See my previous post. If the whole film looks like undeveloped film with an image on it then it is probably *unfixed*. Do not use reducer! *Do not redevelop*.Keep it in the dark then try to refix.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



ok, I will start with fixing ...
thanks


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## vladca (Sep 14, 2012)

hey guys, 

re-fixing the filme helped. I mean, I dint save the filme perfectly but I can still develop good pictures..

thank you all


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