The Unseen Value of Your Analog Negatives
Film photography is a conscious choice, and the film itself holds immense value, especially with today's market prices. Many of us carefully choose our film, handle it with care, shoot with passion, and eagerly await our developed rolls. Yet, after that initial excitement, the negatives often end up tucked away in a box, almost forgotten. But what happens when you discover years later that those cherished images, those tangible memories, are ruined by improper storage? It is a missed opportunity, a loss that can be avoided. This post explores the silent threats to your film and how to ensure your precious analog captures last a lifetime.
Why Proper storing 35mm film negatives is a Non-Negotiable
Film photography is a choice and the film has value, especially considering the current market price of film. A lot of people buy film, handle it with care, specifically choose their film before shooting and then get it developed and are overly excited about their potential photos. They get their film back, with or without, a digital copy of it and store their film somewhere in a box without thinking about it ever again. Until they can’t find their digital copy anymore.
At that point in time the film is worth a lot. After finding your roll of film and then you realise the photos are ruined because of improper storage, you might not be as happy about it. Film lasts if stored properly, obvious the film can be affect by light, humidity etc. However, it will definitely last you a lifetime if stored properly. In this way I have been able to scan very old photos that people thought were lost in archives. Only then you often realise how much emotional and historical value you have tied to these personal film collections.
Additionally, when you make such an investment in film, think about purchasing it, developing it, potentially getting it printed, and then not storing it properly? Feels a bit like a missed opportunity. The storage allows you or others to later in life look through the archive and find gems that might have collected dust for too long.
Sleeving the film in non-acidic sleeves to make sure the sleeve does not contribute to the degradation
The Silent Killers: Understanding Film Degradation
When storing film there are a few things that can be taken into account to elongate the the lifespan of film. This means one needs to understand the degradation of film. I’ve broken the degradation down into 4 categories.
Heat & humidity
Any material over time looses its quality due to exposure of elements. However, heat and humidity are two that can kill almost anything. Since film is developed with a chemical process and is finished off with a “stop”, meaning the chemical process that was initiated to develop the film is stopped by another chemical. Even when this might be the case, the chemical process might still be ongoing but at a far slower then the eye can see. With any chemical process heat speeds up the process. Therefore isolating it from heat is recommended in case this chemical process is still ongoing. Humidity allows for mould to grow, mould will settle in anything that contains nutrients. It might not be obvious to us, but film is known to have mould growth when not protected well.
Light
Exposure to light will break down the film. Any light source includes a little bit of UV, no material can withstand UV. Longer light exposure will make the film fade. Darker area on the negative or positive film will become lighter. Therefore if used for print later the image will potentially have lost detail and information.
This panoramic film image is full of dust specs after digitising
Dust and Scratches
Since the negative is developed with chemicals, the image is actually a sort of emulation on top of the material. Therefore very receptive of damage. Exposure to long term dust could result in the dust being ingrained in the emulation. Which basically equates to physical damage that is irreversible. This will appear on the photograph, no matter how small the dust particle or scratch is.
Chemical contamination
As mentioned before, the processing of film requires the film to be exposed to different chemicals, these chemicals are stopped by another chemical and in the end washed off. When not done well, the residue can stick to the film not completely stopping the process. This will make not a huge difference in short term, but long term this can alter the image on the film. Some film is made of poor material, meaning that the material will not survive the test of time because it was exposed to harsh chemicals. Lastly, when developed in baths, which is often the word they use when referring to different chemical steps that the film will go through, with every roll of film some chemical will move from one bath to another. Then this can introduce other chemicals as well. Meaning the development process is polluted. Affecting the film long term.
Film degradation is shown in the colors and by the dark spots indicating film emulation breakage
How to store film negatives long term
Understanding Different Archival Materials
When archiving film there are a few elements that need to be understood and especially why it should or should not be used.
Sleeves and Pages
Archival sleeves for film negatives are great to hold your film flat and allows you to put them in a book of some sorts. However, there are different types of sleeves. Polypropylene is cheap and clear, but tends to attract dust. Polyethylene is soft and does not scratch the film, but is not clear for viewing. Due to its softness can also wrinkle over time. Mylar is expensive, extremely durable and crystal clear. Often used for museum storage. PVC is not recommended, due to the chemicals that keep it flexible, which can long term affect the emulsion on the film. The main point of picking the right sleeves is making sure you use archival sleeves and that they are acid-free sleeves to protect or not harm your film negatives over time.
Storage boxes
The assumption is often made that any box can be used, unfortunately that is not rue, because a lot of these contain acid. Which long term can affect your film. Also when considering a box, consider getting one that is slightly buffered, for extra protection.
Gloves and tools
When dealing with film you will need to hold on to film at some point. To make sure the emulsion is not affected, it is recommended to use gloves. This will make it less likely that you make oily marks on your film and reduces the possibility of scratching the film. When using gloves, preferably use lint-free gloves. Fibers and debris will in that way be kept at bay to prevent scratches to form over time whilst handling the film.
My kit consists out of non-acidic archival box with non-acidic sleeves, I always handle my film with gloves
Storing 35mm film negatives
The Unforeseen and the Indispensable Digital Backup
No matter how well you take care of your film, before and after developing, there are always unforeseen disasters one can not prevent no matter what. We all hope that it never happens, but in case it happens it is best to have digital backups of your images. It is not a bad thing to have them digitally, even when your preferred way of shooting is analogue.
Simple Safeguards for Film Survival
We can only take so many preventory measurements. For the rest we just need to hope the best, but there are some simple techniques that might give your film a more likely chance of surviving. In case of water spillage, due to a leak or whatever, it is recommended to keep your archives elevated. When we are talking about humidity, it is recommended to safeguard your film in an airtight box. If the humidity of the inside of the box is kept low. To elongate the film life span, there are some optimal temperature, humidity, ventilation and light exposure settings. However, to create these environments that are build to withstand such disasters, you will often need to “store” them remotely or have specialised equipment. In this case I am specifically talking about specific storage units that optimise for art storage, which also works perfectly fine for film and electronics.
Archival Storage: cold storage film negatives
In short, when opting for specialised storage and whether you build it yourself or not, cold storage is the best for maximum longevity. The colder the temperature, the slower the chemical reactions that cause the dye to degrade over time. The ideal temperature for film negative storage, especially long term (think lifetime) consider anything below -18. Whether storing them extremely cold or relatively cold by refrigerating them, be sure to prevent the film to be exposed to humidity and moist. Additionally, make sure the temperature is fairly consistent.
Ensuring Your Analog Story Endures
The journey of creating with film culminates not just in the capture, but in the careful safeguarding of your unique vision. We have explored the insidious threats that can diminish your negatives and the critical importance of understanding proper negative archiving. It is about more than just keeping film in a box; it is about protecting these precious artifacts from harm, ensuring they are stored correctly in acid free environments, and wisely embracing digital copies as an indispensable safeguard.
Your film is a tangible treasure, a piece of history imbued with your personal stories and artistic intent, and its longevity is profoundly in your hands. Embrace this responsibility, for it is through diligent preservation that we honor the medium and allow its magic to endure. Start your archiving journey today! Share your triumphs and challenges in the comments below; together, we can foster a vibrant community dedicated to sustainable analog practices. Imagine the joy of rediscovering forgotten gems in your archives years from now, sharing them with loved ones, and knowing you played a part in preserving this timeless art form for generations to come.
