Photographic trouble shooting. (Photography)

Member Name: peel.rebekah

Product:	Photography
Date:	21/07/01 (514 review reads)
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This is my attempt to try and diagnose exactly what the problem is: This is the photography Doctor in the house, hoping to heal your wounded family snaps and cure your blank negatives...and on the way, I hope this opinion is a helpful guide on how to improve your photography.

*Dear Doctor, why do I only ever seem to get half of the picture that I take? The other half seems to be a blurry black mess. In the dark, Surrey.

Dear In, it seems you have a shutter problem: Now let's analyse the situation. Are you using any sort of flash unit when you use the camera? If so, the answer is a simple one: Your shutter is not synchronised with your flash (or maybe you have failed to set the RIGHT shutter speed for your camera if you are in manual mode). To solve this problem, find out the right shutter speed for the flash unit, so that the shutter opens fully to expose the ENTIRE frame during that brief flash.

Ahh, you're not using a flash? Then I suggest you take your camera to the repairman, as your shutter probably needs to be readjusted. After a certain amount of usage, the shutters can simply spring out of place. For a small fee, (probably the cheapest of repairs) Mr Repairman with realign your shutters for you, but you should really be maintaining the welfare of your camera by taking it for a checkup at least once every two years.

*Oi! Peel. My negatives and pictures look like they've been bleached. Some are completely see through at the bottom, and others are completely see through every other frame/picture. Any ideas? Frustrated, Yorkshire.

Hmmn, frustrated, first we have to decide whether or not this is a development of the negative problem or simply a light leaking camera. The first is less likely to happen if you are having these films developed professionally (i.e. not yourself), as damage like this usually occurs in a home darkroom, when you haven't loaded the film correctly onto the developing reel, or you
haven't agitated the film enough during processing. The film then sticks together and the chemistry fails to reach (and develop) the emulsion.

If this is not the case, then you will need to check the back of your camera's body: When the back is slightly warped (this could easily happen if you have dropped the camera), then light can seep in and expose the film. Real tell tell signs of this are when a scalloped bleached effect can be found either on the top or the bottom, running for the whole of the length of your negative.

A see through negative on every other frame? Ahh, this is a virus that can be quickly counteracted: DON'T open the back of your camera when you have film in it. And if it wasn't you, then scold your child, grandmother or partner. Only do this in dire emergencies, i.e. if you believe that the winding mechanism isn't working properly and you're film is not winding on (hence, you will get no photos whatsoever, and end up paying for the development of a blank film).

*Dr Rebekah, my photos are all blurry. Why? Out of focus, Devon.

Dear Out, you don't give me much to go on, do you?

Please don't take this personally, but have you had your eyesight tested recently? Do you wear glasses or contacts will taking photos? An easy remedy for this is to find out your eyesight prescription and then pop down to your local camera shop. They should have (or be able to order for you) a corrective lens that can be placed in the view finder, making it that much easier for you to focus on your subject matter.

No eyesight problems? Maybe you should try thoroughly cleaning your lens (and maybe filters, as well). This shouldn't be done too often, and should definitely be done with great care, as your lens (and filters) are easily scratched and permanently damaged.

Smears, greasy fingerprints and dust can accumulate quickly on your lens (always keep a lens cap on when the ca
mera is not in use). Blow the dust of before cleaning (either with your own wind, an air aerosol or one of those little squidgy grey puffer things (try to avoid the ones with the brushes on the end). Use a clean and SOFT cloth, that is if you haven't got proper lens cloths/wipes, and be careful (a rough cloth will leave tiny scratches that will only make the situation worse). Lens cloths, wipes and puffers can all be bought at a high street camera shop...and remember to wipe the rear of the lens as well.

Still no joy? Oh dear. Chances are you have a slightly more serious condition: Take off your lens and hold it up to the light. Light not strong enough? Then shine a torch through it. What do you see? If you see any grime, moisture or a general irky build up, then I'm afraid it's off to the repairman again. In hot, damp, dirty climates, outside ick can find its way into your lens...nothing to do except have it cleaned (not always cheap). IF you find strange fungal growths lurking within your lens, then it's terribly bad news: Your lens will never be the same again; best to see it off to Leica heaven and invest in a new one :o(

And Out, sometimes people like this blurry types of pictures. People spend money on good soft focus filters; have you ever thought about becoming a wedding photographer?

*To the Beckstar: The images on my pictures seem to be overlapping. I have half a photo of my poodle's legs and the head of my Nanny Doris. Help. Disjointed, Ealing.

The winding mechanisms/ film advancing mechanism sounds like it's up the spout. Check when you load the camera with the film that the 'teeth' are catching the film - sometimes they let the film 'slip', and sometimes this 'slipping' occurs simply because you haven't loaded the film properly. If this is a manual film advancing camera (i.e. one you have to wind on yourself), then check that you are winding as far as you can. If th
is procedure is automatic, then back down to the repairman, I'm afraid.

There is a small chance that you might inadvertently be doing double/triple etc. exposures (when the camera holds the film in the same frame for several exposures). Check to see if you have this facility on your camera; then, either turn it off, or try and be a little more artistic with it.

* Doctor, I'm a serious type of guy, with a serious camera. On my recent return from South America, I found that my films, when developed, were either damaged with fungal growth or appeared to have extremely washed out colours. How can I avoid this in the future? Fun-guy-ly yours, Tooting.

A common problem that occurs when using your camera in hot and damp climates: The heat and humidity can often penetrate the emulsion of photographic film, separating the layers - hence the washed out appearance. Fungus spores can also be attracted to this damp environment, spreading their filaments quickly over the surface of your negatives (if you are using black and white film, there may still be a chance for you to 'clean' the negative).

To avoid these disastrous outcomes, you will have to try your damnedest to keep the film as cool and as dry as humanly possible. Keep your films in the fridge previous to use, but remember to take them out of the fridge a good while before you want to use them, allowing them to warm up to the surrounding climate (still in their protective casing) - otherwise droplets could be condensed from the humid air by the cold film/emulsion (causing spots on the negative).

Don't leave the film in the camera for more than two days; load your film during the daytime (nighttime tends to be more humid); don't remove the film from the camera and put it straight back into its protective packaging UNLESS you are in a dry place; DO use silica gel (stock up on the small sachets before you go; and if you don't have silica gel to hand,
then keep your films with newly ironed shirts or perhaps some rice (to absorb the moisture).

*Dearest Doctor Darling, I keep getting strange flaring lights on my landscape pictures: I swear there were no U.F.O.s there at the time, and I'm not shooting directly into the sun or nuffink, honest, guv. Startled, Berkshire.

Yes, common problem, and one that most people put down to the silly photographer who shoots straight into a light source: This is often not the case, but because the subject matter has reflective surfaces (water, sand, white/metal subjects, snow etc.), the main light source is reflected into your lens - producing flare spots. This can also happen when the light source is COMPLETELY out of your field of view, as rays can be bent into the camera by the front surface of the lens: The wider the aperture, the worse this effect can become.

If you think that flare spots are a possibility in your composition, then move, and try again - putting the object between the camera and the light source is your best bet. Try using a lens hood, and make the aperture as small as possible to avoid this type of problem.

*Boo hoo hoo, I can't get rid of the dreaded RED EYE. Please help me. Tearily, Glasgow.

Ahh ha. I wondered when this one would pop up: Red eye is when the flash is reflected in the blood-rich retina inside the eye. The simplest way to avoid this is to ask the subject to look away from the camera and the lens...either that or invest in a red eye pen from Jessops (only joking). The answer really lies in the use of the flash and where it's aimed, how close it is to the lens etc., but if you are using a compact camera, then you have no other choice than requesting the subject finds something else to look at.

*Hey Doc, what the bahoogers is Reciprocity Failure? Confused by long words, Paris.

The law of reciprocity dictates that a long exposure in low light should give the same result as a
short exposure in bright light: Film emulsions obey this law...until a point. The law breaks down at both ends of the scale - incredibly long exposures (five seconds +) in low light, and incredibly fast exposures (1/1000 of a second +) in strong light.

Failure occurs and slows the speed of the film, giving you underexposed negatives - and with colour film, a shift in the expected/normal hues. Some films are more prone to this than others (check out the blurb that comes with your film and the pretty little chart), and this can be used to your advantage if you wish to artistically twiddle about with colour film.

Ok, ok, that's enough of that. I hope this helped you to understand the problems you may have had in the past, and if it didn't, then I'm sorry :o( I would suggest that if you do have any of these problems occurring repeatedly with your film and camera, then have a contact print made of your negatives and show them to a more knowledgeable photographic Doctor than I.

Bonne Chance.

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