What causes light leaks to produce different colours?

I always found that the question was ever more sneaky depending on how high a level the qualification you were working to,, and what the tutor asked is often not 'quite' the question they want you to answer....

And there;s actually two or three pretty fundamental questions in there.

a) As sort of discussed, whats a 'light leak'? Are we talking flare or unwanted non image forming light in the ;lens, or are we talking fogging, the film exposed to light not through the lens, but from 'holes' or cracks in the camera case, or canister or poor handling prior to development? Or are we talking other colour 'aberrations', or which there are many, that can be caused by many reasons, that may or may not include strict flare or fogging.

b) What causes 'colour' in ANY photo? How does colour film 'work'... do you get colour patches from light leaks or fogging on B&W prints? Do you see the same anomalies on colour-slide as colour print film?

c) The use of heavy orange 'base' filter on C41 print film, to counter blue cast in printing.....
THIS I think may be what the tutor likely wants you to ponder. You wont get that orange cast on slide film or B&W, because opening the back and fogging the film, there's no heavy orange filter to tint the fogging....​

This begs the bottom line 'answer' which is that the colour patches are created like any other colour... depends on the colour of the light that gets to the emulsion, and that depends on what colour it is to start with, and what colour filters it has to pass through to get there.... and on conventional C41 print film, you have four filters in the film itself to consider.... CYM in the gelatin between the emulsion layers that give the colour seperations, plus that heavy orange pre-filter compensating for the blue response on colour print-paper.....

Research, condider, expand and provide discussion/conclusion... but that is where the question is basically headed.
 
Teflon-Mike said:
This begs the bottom line 'answer' which is that the colour patches are created like any other colour... depends on the colour of the light that gets to the emulsion, and that depends on what colour it is to start with, and what colour filters it has to pass through to get there.... and on conventional C41 print film, you have four filters in the film itself to consider.... CYM in the gelatin between the emulsion layers that give the colour seperations, plus that heavy orange pre-filter compensating for the blue response on colour print-paper.....
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pretty much where I was gently pointing the OP in my post #17 - though I didn't want to give the answer... I'm a firm believer that people "should do their own homework" - especially when it IS homework he's been set. ;)
 
TheBigYin said:
pretty much where I was gently pointing the OP in my post #17 - though I didn't want to give the answer... I'm a firm believer that people "should do their own homework" - especially when it IS homework he's been set. ;)
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But where would you go these days to find the information as part of your research effort? I think Sam has shown initiative in seeking information from the sort of people who might know the answer. (y)

Anyway, I think he's paid the price for that by having to wade through the usual banter and mirth the F&C regulars tend to engage in when discussing things! He's also probably learnt that it helps to have a sense of humour if you're a film photographer, if only as a coping strategy for when things go pear shaped! :D
 
Mr Badger said:
But where would you go these days to find the information as part of your research effort? I think Sam has shown initiative in seeking information from the sort of people who might know the answer. (y)

Anyway, I think he's paid the price for that by having to wade through the usual banter and mirth the F&C regulars tend to engage in when discussing things! He's also probably learnt that it helps to have a sense of humour if you're a film photographer, if only as a coping strategy for when things go pear shaped! :D
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Agree esp on keeping a stiff upper lip as in 101 ways to ruin a roll of film :D
I always have the same answer for my wife when she says something like "call yourself clever when you can't fix the central heating" and I always reply "Einstein wouldn't know either unless he found out by asking someone what to do".
 
excalibur2 said:
I always have the same answer for my wife when she says something like "call yourself clever when you can't fix the central heating"
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Well she married you Bri so obviously saw some qualities in you…..



I just can't for the life of me figure out what!:exit::D:D:D
 
Asha said:
Well she married you Bri so obviously saw some qualities in you…..



I just can't for the life of me figure out what!:exit::D:D:D
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Well once upon a time I was interesting and exciting..h'mm something has gone wrong over the years :D
 
This shot has both red and blue leaks on the sides (220 Ektachrome 100VS). These were added deliberately to add features to the edges of the photo which would have otherwise been uninteresting, and help generate a sort of 'ethereal' atmosphere.................or I was half-way up a mountain on a windy day, and messed up loading the film which become loose on the spool.

Choose the story you prefer ;)

46135684982_be69abdd3c_b.jpg
 
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