Dust is forever the biggest enemy of the large format shooter. Seems that no matter how meticulous you are, that one little speck of dust sneaks in and plants itself right in the middle of some nice smooth area. . . like the sky. It is a never-ending battle and requires continuous attention.
It is obvious that you need to keep your camera clean and it is imperative that you vacuum out all of your film bags and equipment cases. Dust gets everywhere, and it is good practice to vacuum everything before you go out to photograph. But, there is one area we have found to be extremely important for dust control, and that is keeping your film holders clean.
We have found that a thorough cleaning of every holder just prior to loading film keeps the dust problem to a minimum. If the inside of the holder is clean, then the outside is the only place where dust resides. Realize that the most critical time is before and during exposure. If a dust speck gets on your film after exposure, at least it is no longer a threat for making the dreaded pinhole which leads to the black spot on the print. After exposure, the worst a dust speck can do is possibly scratch the film during handling.
Everyone has their own methods for cleaning and loading film holders, and here are my main concerns and how we prepare our holders for loading. I will begin by saying that every holder is cleaned and inspected just prior to every loading session. Even on the road, we never load a holder with fresh film without cleaning. My biggest concern is dust inside the holder. I want the inside to be as clean, and dust free as possible. No matter how clean your film bags and cameras are, dust will always settle on the outside of the holders. If you thoroughly clean the inside of the holder, you will have a better chance of keeping the film dust free. I begin by cleaning the work surface with a damp towel and after dry I vacuum the area just to be sure. I always use the round brush on the end of the vacuum hose and before attaching I vacuum it well to make sure the bristles are free of dust.
I work each holder individually and begin by vacuuming the entire outer surface of the holder with the dark slide still in place. I pay particular attention to the entire area around the parameter of the holder where the slide meets the holder. I want the exterior of the holder as dust free as possible before I remove the slide.
One area that collects dust is the light trap area. Any dust on the dark slide will be wiped off by the felt in the trap. It is imperative that the dark slide be completely removed and the light trap vacuumed thoroughly. Also, while the dark slide is out of the holder, I vacuum the inside of the holder and the entire parameter, paying special attention to the film hold down and dark slide slots along the sides. I open the loading flap and vacuum under it also. The last thing I do before reinserting the dark slide is vacuum both sides of the slide and inspect it for dust or any possible damage. Each dark slide is removed, one-at-a-time, and always replaced in the same side of the holder. I never mix up slides, they always go back into the same holder and same side. . . always!
Once the holders are cleaned we immediately load them with fresh film and place them into their film bag. It is a good idea to vacuum the film bag before placing newly loaded film holders back inside. This is a good idea, especially if you have been in a particularly dusty area.
This is the ritual we go through every time we load film and we have little problems with dust on our film. Everyone has their own way of doing things and this is the procedure we use when loading film. There are a few things that we have found that greatly improve the odds of keeping your film clean. Remember, the vacuum is your best friend when it comes to dust. See my previous post titled “DUST. . . A Four Letter Word!” for more information.
JB
