Strange marks on negatives

[Laviolette]

I have rounded marks on many frames of the last batch of negatives I processed.

You can see one here in the sky, a bit to the left of my wife (pardon my poor scanning technique) :

What is this? Reticulation or buckled negative? I checked the negative with a loupe and the mark is there.

Here is my developing workflow, if it can be any help:
- Film is Delta 400
- HC110 (solution B) @ 20˚C for 7:30.
- Stop bath @ 23˚C for 0:45
- Fixer @ 23˚C for 5:00
- Wash with tap water for 9:00 (I check temp by hand before pouring so I can't be sure but it is probably between 15 and 24˚C)
- Last wash with distilled water and one drop of LFN wetting agent.
- Hang to dry (no squeegee)

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Is the mark on the same place in the frame? If so, it could be a light leak in the camera. If not, look at the neg; is it physically damaged/kinked? Physical damage sometimes causes a dark mark to develop on the film during processing. I don't think its reticulation.

 

[mike rosenlof]

another possibility if it's in the same place on many frames is flare. Some bit of all the black anti-reflective baffles in the camera or lens has flaked off.

 

[Dwig]

If you're referring to the finger-nail shaped arc up and to the left of your wife's head it is likely the result of a crease in the film. These can easily occur when having difficulty loading a reel. Usually when this is the cause you can see a faint matching unevenness in the film base when you view a reflection on it's surface.

 

[sreed2006]

The light-colored arc in the sky is caused by the negative having been bent under stress. It doesn't take much force to put those marks there, especially if the negative strip jams when loading it onto a plastic reel and then buckles, or jumps the track.

The solution that has worked best for me is to make sure the developing reels are clean and dry, and to keep the inside of the changing bag cool so that moisture does not build up and cause the negative strip to stick to the side of the plastic reel. Also, keep the negative strip as straight as possible going onto the reel, or it can kink while all twisted up.

If it gets too hot in the changing bag and my hands get moist, I put the film away in the light-tight tank, making sure the lid is on securely, then pull my hands out, unzip the bag, and give both my hands and the bag time to cool off.

 

[Laviolette]

Thanks for the replies!

It seems that a buckled negative could be the answer. I checked the negative and there's doesn't seems to be physical damage, the mark is very faint.

Here's another example :

All the marks are similar, liquid-like...what about the wetting agent? It doesn't look like some form of residue though.

 

[Dwig]

...
All the marks are similar, liquid-like...what about the wetting agent? It doesn't look like some form of residue though.

Wetting agent marks are always visible on the surface of the negative.

I still think they are "pressure" marks, most likely from distorting the film prior to development.

 

[Laviolette]

Wetting agent marks are always visible on the surface of the negative.

I still think they are "pressure" marks, most likely from distorting the film prior to development.

You are probably right, thanks again for your imput!

 

[blue4130]

To me, the second negative looks too long to be kinked negs. They look more like water drying marks that I used to get before I switched water sources.

Try taking a semi-wet soft lens cloth and cleaning the neg. (use a not so important shot) and see if it can be wiped off.

 

[Photo_Smith]

They look like run marks to me, I doubt they are pressure marks/kinks which tend to look more like 'half moons'.
Causes of drying marks can be too strong foto flow solution, films drying too fast or in a low humidity environment.
Try re washing them and see if the marks move/disappear.