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Traveling With Film
Are you heading off to some far flung,
tropical paddling paradise this winter?
Will you be taking a camera along to record
your adventure with photographs? Have
you thought about how valuable those photographs
will be to you and your paddling
companions when you get home?
It makes sense to treat your film as you
would any of the other valuable belongings
you travel with. Even more so, since
after you’ve taken your pictures you probably
won’t have the opportunity to repeat
that paddling trip and you will almost certainly
not be able to recapture those photographic
moments.
Unfortunately, film is perishable. Just like
that carton of milk going green in the back
of your refrigerator, it has a ‘best before’
date. There are also a number of other factors
that will speed up the souring of your
film (usually in the form of fogging, a shift in
color balance, loss of contrast or a change
in speed/ISO). The main culprits you will
likely be dealing with are heat, humidity,
abrasives and the dreaded airport security.
Here are some things you can do to help
ensure that the pictures on your film will
look as good as they possibly can:
• Always have film developed by its process
before date.
•Avoid the use of professional films.
Consumer grade films in general, are much
more tolerant of lengthy delays in processing
and less than perfect storage conditions.
• If you will be traveling/paddling in a
situation where you won’t be able to keep
your film out of the tropical heat, keep it in
a small cooler bag and open it up at night
when the air is a little colder.
• Keeping your film sealed in its original
plastic canister will help protect it from high
humidity levels. Once the film has been removed
from its canister, keep it in an airtight
container or bag with a packet of silica
gel.
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Nanaimo: 250 729-9500
Kelowna: 250 762-2110
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• Keep your camera
clean and free of grit at
all times. Pay particular
attention while you are
camped on that sandy
atoll in the South Pacific
or the desert
beaches of Baja. Be extremely
careful of
abrasives like dust and
sand while you have
your camera open to
change film.
AIRPORTS
The other issue you and your film will
have to grapple with, if you are flying to
your put-in, is airport security. Here is a list
of things that all travelers should be aware
of before heading out to the airport with
their bags packed full of film:
• Do not pack your film in luggage that
will be checked in. Checked bags are routinely
screened by Computed Tomography
(CT) and Explosive Detection Systems
(EDS). Film unlucky enough to be scanned
by these devices will definitely suffer significant
damage.
• The x-ray machines that inspect carryon
luggage in North America are, for the
most part, safe for film up to about 400 ISO.
However, the effects of the x-rays are cumulative;
most film will start to show fogging
after being scanned more than four
times.
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• Carry your film with you and politely
ask to have your film hand inspected. Pack
your film in a clear plastic bag to facilitate
an easy inspection. In North America you
shouldn’t have any problems having your
request granted.
• Outside of North America there is no
standard to x-ray machines and getting a
hand inspection done is definitely not guaranteed.
• Lead lined bags or pouches will help
lessen the damaging effects of x-ray machines
on film packed in your carry-on
bags. But the pouches will not protect your
film from the high intensity x-rays your film
may encounter in checked baggage.
• If possible have your film processed
before your flight home.
• The metal detector that you walk
through and the hand held device the security
guard uses will not affect film.
• Processed / developed film and digital
media are not affected by x-rays
Keep in mind that the security staff in airports
are not there to make your life difficult
or ruin your photos. They are performing
a vitally important and difficult duty.
Be as polite, patient and helpful as you can
and everyone will be better off for it. ❏
© Chris Hudson is a freelance photographer
recently replanted in Vancouver. He also runs
outdoor adventure/wilderness kayaking trips in
the Queen Charlotte Islands and on Princess
Royal Island. chris_hudson@canada.com.
A D V E N T U R E
Also 2-9 day summer trips to:
• Johnstone Strait/Knight Inlet
• Queen Charlottes
• Clayoquot Sound
• Nootka Island
• Broken Group
• or Gulf Islands Weekends
info@gck.ca
www.gck.ca
910 Clarendon, Gabriola Island, BC CANADA V0R 1X1
PH: 250-247-8277 FAX: 250-247-9788
Chris Hudson
O U T F I T T E R S
October/November 2002 www.WaveLengthMagazine.com
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