Looking after film

[BenW]

Hi all,

If you were driving from the UK to Cape Town over a 6-12month period, how would you keep the film from being damaged/over exposed.

I'll be taking Fuji Provia 100F tranny film (enough for the whole trip) but they recommend it be stored below 15 degrees C! What do the experienced here recommend?

I'm thinking of keeping the film in a thermally insulated cool box or something similar - not a fridge, just an insulated box. I'll try and let the night air cool it and then keep it in the depths of the vehicle in the day.

Oh, I'll be in a 4x4 so space shouldn't be *too* much of a problem.

Thanks for your help?

Ben

[This message has been edited by BenW (edited 02 December 2002).]

[Photog Rob]

That strategy should be enough, but remember a couple hours of intense heat are plenty to ruin your film - all of it. That means you need to be a bit paranoid about keeping it cool.

Also, make sure you process what you've shot promptly - that's as soon as you find a lab you can trust (good luck), or courier it back home to have it processed. The advantages of that strategy are threefold:

1- you beat the ravages of heat on unprocessed, exposed film (the most delicate)

2- you find out promptly if anything is wrong, like a camera malfunction, or a trend toward under or overexposure

3- you can review your work, learn about how to improve it in the process (say, not enough people, shoot too much at middday, too little at night), and share the memories as you go.

Good luck, and have a great trip.

[This message has been edited by Photog Rob (edited 02 December 2002).]

[AliBaba]

I spend one year in Africa (on a motorbike) and used Fuji Velvia.

I took some with me and bought more on the way in Nairobi (Ya Ya shopping mall), Windhoek and South Africa.

It might be smart to send films back "home" from time to time with DHL.

Good luck!

[Grant Johnson]

The above are great tips.

Just out of curiosity, why wouldn't you just take Sensia? It's cheaper and as a non-pro film is much better suited to long trips, as it ripens as you go, whereas pro film deteriorates every minute it's out of the freezer.

The only real reason for a pro film is where you want to be very exacting of colour - e.g. for catalog shots of clothing. It's colour and quality is literally "frozen" at the perfect state, but it goes downhill from there.

Amateur film is delivered "green" and "ripens" as time goes on, and then finally deteriorates - perfect for travel - the "sweet spot" is somewhere in the middle of the trip.

In 9 months in Africa my Sensia was fine, kept cool only by being in an insulated bag in my white saddlebag. And it did get a little warm, but never hot, even in the desert. Inside a vehicle with the heating effect from a window yours may get much warmer if you're not very careful.

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Grant Johnson

Seek, and ye shall find.
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One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

[BenW]

Thanks all,

I'll look into using Sensia - I've got some mags where I can look up what kind of stuff it has been designed for.

Looks like I'll have to be very careful about keeping the film cool!

B

[BklynDakar]

You guys really got me worried. What about this a thermos with some ice into which you place rolls of film sealed in plastic bags.

On a different note is there any resourse for quality film developeres in S/C America.

[dw]

I work for the largest paper in Canada as a photographer, and I've travelled shooting both film and digital on motorbikes and my feet. When working and travelling in the old days when film was the standard (everything professionally is digital) I would buy that regular ol' crap in the bargain bins at the camera store, like Kodak Gold or the in-house brand (which is usually just Fuji Sensia or Gold re-branded). This stuff is like a tank and can withstand the most extreme circumstances, swinging from really cold to really hot. Although, you won't be going through these extreme's. I would just shoot and toss in a ziploc stuffed in my bag. Also, remember that film has amazing latitudes; it can swing anywhere 2, and sometimes, with luck, three stops either way. Another thing to remember is to check your expiration dates. If you go for a long time, be sure you have a year left on the box, refridgerate before you go, and you'll be okay. I had an assignment in Turkey last year and used 6 months over expired film, but I had it in my fridge for its entire life before I went on assignment. It was fine when I got back. Lastly, for my top notch, uber-favourite, that would have to be FujiPress 400 and 800. This is the standard for newspaper photoraphers because it's absolutely bullet proof. This stuff can bake in the trunk of my car over the summer, and would still come out just like the fridge cooled stuff. It is made for extreme situations and built to last for the notoriously rough on film and gear newspaper photographer. So, if you want a trans-Saharan film, buy this stuff. This is what I used on my two trips to Africa, and am pleased with the results.

Hope it helps,
Don.

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www.donaldweber.com