White Halo Specks

[Steve_Pfost]

[/URL]200815 (2) by Steven Pfost, on Flickr[/IMG]

Can someone tell me what the white halo type specks that surround my mother could be? Could they be bubbles from processing the film? They don't seem to me "on the film" per say. Almost embedded in it.

Tech Info: Ilford hp5+, D-76 1:1. Fresh Fixer Developer also pretty fresh, about a week old or so.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Bubble of air stuck to the film during processing produce black spots, not white. There are two causes of white spots:

1) Tiny holes in the shutter curtains on the camera.

or

2) The film had dust on it when it was printed. When you process the film, dry in a clean, dust free area. Any dust that lands on the emulsion side of the film while it is still wet will become embedded in the film and near-impossible to remove. If the film gets dust on it after it is dry, it can be blown off with compressed air or a clean brush. The film should be cleaned right before you put it in the enlarger or scanner.

 

[Steve_Pfost]

Ah ha, shutter curtain holes make sense. I’ve been wary that the curtain on my M3 is on its last legs. That’s probably the culprit. Thank you!

 

[Steve_Pfost]

Revisiting this, I shot with a Nikon FE2 for these. The specs are there again. I don't think they are all dust glued to the neg from drying. Could it be undissolved crystals from the D-76? The way I can tell is that they only appeared really on the frames somewhere at the end of the reel, in other words the ones that were on the outside of the reel. I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it. Should I try filtering the d-76 with a coffee filter maybe? Are they removable with lightroom? Yes. However, I would like to try and avoid this issue in the future (as best possible).

[/url]SPOTS by Steven Pfost, on Flickr[/IMG]

[/url]SPOTS by Steven Pfost, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

You should not filter your developer; if there is undissolved developer, filtering it will remove chemicals needed for the developer to function. With D-76, I mix the powder into the water then wait at least a day before using it, that eliminates any possibility of undissolved chemicals. Also, use distilled water to make your D-76.

I don't think developer is your problem, those are classic dust and lint spots on the film.