Now here’s an interesting one for film-shooters. Before leaving Alaska, I managed to process my 120-roll (E6) shots at Photowright in Anchorage. The team (not least, Sarah) were both knowledgeable and experienced in film/digital processing – a rare commodity these days.
As I was waiting for my final batch of transparencies to develop, a picture montage on the wall caught my eye. The strange green hues it contained were so reminiscent of the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) that at one point I almost asked where in Alaska they had been captured.
On closer inspection, however, it was clear that this was x-ray-damaged film.
The staff noted that this was the result of an accidental placement of ISO400 film in the checked luggage of a major airline. Although I have witnessed some of my film being fogged to some extent by x-ray machines, I had not seen such a strong visual presentation of such damage. It turns out that the regular, sinusoidal pattern is dependent on both motion of the x-ray sensor head and the angle of the film/box to the inspected plane.
Top marks to Photowright for such a clear and concise demonstration of the perils of checking film into the hold!
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