Topic: The mystery of the backing paper number bleeding solved?

[Indofunk]

So we've had a couple of threads about Shanghai 120 film that suffered from the backing paper numbers imprinting themselves upon the film itself:

http://www.filmwasters.com/forum/index.php?topic=9073.msg122242
http://www.filmwasters.com/forum/index.php?topic=9655.msg130427

A few weeks ago I shot a roll of expired Ektachrome EPP100 that I got off of eBay. It came out completely fogged. I could barely discern some images on it, but my poor Epson V500 couldn't see anything

I have 3 more rolls from the same lot, so for the next roll I decided to give it my "desert stored" treatment: Shoot it 4x slower than box speed and pull it about 1.5 stops in C41. I shot it in my WPC (pinhole) camera, so the ISO was very approximate at best, but after developing it for 2.5min in C41, I was able to pull some images off of it:





Backing paper numbers! But how did they get there? Then I remembered ... a couple of months ago, I had a film fridge accident (it tripped my circuit and warmed up overnight, and the stupid little freezer thing melted water all over my film). This particular batch were the only rolls that weren't in a box/canister/wrapper, so the film actually got wet. Since I let them dry with the backing paper still on, that must have somehow imprinted the numbers (and the black dye/goop?) onto the emulsions. Maybe the same thing happened with those unfortunate Shanghai rolls?

Anyways, a lesson is to be learned here: Keep your film dry!!

[Bryan]

I just had a similar problem with the fridge I store my film in.  The door was slightly ajar and everything got condensation on it.  Most of my film is sealed but there are some rolls I'm worried about.  Time will tell. 

[Francois]

Morale of the story: Ziploc bags are your friends

[Indofunk]

Morale of the story: Ziploc bags are your friends

The planet's enemy, but a photographer's friend... 

[Moto-uno]

 And I , after more than a few years of developing all my films , cross processed 2 rolls of c-41 in e-6 chemicals 
 Irony is they were pictures of my wife's amazing garden and all those colourful flowers are gone .
 Stupid is as stupid does ! Know of any programs that can correct this ?   Peter

[Francois]

You won't be able to bring back colors as they were. So all that's left to do is embrace the mistake.
I remember an article in Leica magazine where the guy shot some fashion accessories like that. The colors are not completely gone, just very different with no really subtle shades.
Playing with the curves in Photoshop should allow you to get some back.

And why not go for a negative look?