Film, Positive, Negatives

 If you have vintage film that you have tried to have developed, with no success...call us! 619-397-7600. It is a good idea to save these images to CD because film deteriorates too.  On this page you will find samples of film we either develop or scanned then restored depending on the need.

On this page you will find samples of :

Debunking Myths About Negatives

Black and White Negative

Color Transparencies

Convert all your slides to CD

Myth #1- As long as I have the negative, I don't have to worry about damage to the photograph, I can just print another.

Myth #2 - Since I have a negative it should be in good condition since they have been in the same envelope forever.

Myth #3 - While holding it up to the light I can't see any damage, must be okay, only a few finger prints here and there.

Having a negative means that you have the ability to develop the first generation copy, which is the best you can get of that particular image. By scanning a photograph at your local copy place now you have a 2nd generation copy which is still good but only as good as the first one.  You would have a hard time telling the difference. 

You could have a negative that HAS been taken care of  but if the image was of a bad photograph then what you have is a first generation bad photograph. Very frequently people will say about negatives that they appear to be in good condition (to the human eye) only to find that they are very damaged from finger prints to fading like photographs and they always have LINT specks all over, not to mention the scratches from shuffling them like a deck of cards through the years.  The color quality also deteriorates, they get darker and the color become saturated looking.

The Library of Congress has this tid-bit to share: 

Nitrate film should be copied onto a new base before deterioration starts. Cans of nitrate film that have remained closed for some time should be opened in unconfined, well-ventilated spaces. If gasses given off by decomposing nitrate-based film are trapped in a confined space -- such as in a sealed can -- they can ignite at temperatures above 100° F. Nitrate film is highly flammable, ignites easily, and cannot be extinguished after burning has begun. Click here for the entire article.

These are black and white negative strips.

Photographs found in sequence like these make great colleges. See Custom Gifts. or Pet Portraits to capture the best pose.

We also print 4x6 hard copies from Color Negative Strips

This black and white negative measured 

2 1/2 x 4 1/2. See price per scan table below.

A 5x7 ratio

Circa 1950

You may own some photos that were simply developed black and white negatives developed as a strip instead of individual photos.  They can be restored and enlarged.  Some to a 4x6 and others much larger, depending on their clarity. This original measured only 1x1 inch.

If you like this effect, see "Colorizing"

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 The issue here is that, there is more in the lens view, than there is in a standard ratio for a 4x6, 5x7 or 8x10. If you want the whole photo, it has to be printed as "custom" size.  It is better to stay with a standard size to cut cost of custom matting and frames.

As you can see by the following examples showing different standard sizes.  

Film almost always needs editing of one sort or another.  This photo is too blue. The right hand side seems to be blurred too.

This 8x10 portrait view, will include the cabins but cut the sides are tight.

This 5x7 landscape, gives space on sides but cuts out the cabins.

4x6 ratio is tighter yet.

The undesirable issues with a projector is that, there is no way to share them with friends and family that do not have a projector.  You need to set up the projector from storage; which is sometimes unknown.  Let us do the gruesome work of scanning all your slides to CD/Memory stick, or just e-mail the files. 

Benefits:

1. Save time, money and aggravation not having to do it yourself especially if you don't have a scanner or the know-how. 

2. Save space by eliminating the old projector

3. Share images with friends and family that don't have a projector

4. Create your own PowerPoint presentation with music and graphics.

5. Share by E-mail

6. Scanned at 300 dpi you can create hard copies to share or scrapbook, add the CD to the scrapbook as a back-up.

7. Scan your photographs too and have them all in one place to pass down to the next generation.

8. No shipping your slides, we are here in San Diego.

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Turn around time is negotiable. To save money, photographs submitted for scanning must be removed from scrapbooks. If they remain in the scrapbook it takes more time and money.  We do not outsource our work. You can drop off the slides personally if you don't trust the mail, call for an appointment.

Minor touch-up includes- automatic color correction, minor cracks and spots on background. 

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