Done it! Now I can proudly claim my place among the esteemed members of the “film wasters club”. And rightly so, for how could one better destroy a good roll of film, unless one is reusing the same film roll, over and over again. Perhaps this is the secret to save some film and resources. If only this would be possible…
I have shot this roll of Ilford HP5 in an Olympus OM10, in the summer of 2022, Germany (Rothenburg). Somehow, the shot roll of film ended up in my fresh film box. Because the film leader had the crimp somehow smoothed out, I disregarded this, thinking (and rightly so) that if this film is in the fresh box, then it must be fresh. Otherwise, why would it be there. Sound thinking, plain as day light. Not really.
Come spring of 2023, load it in a Nikon FM3A and shot it in Moldova, Eastern Europe, during the Orthodox Easter. Many photographs were taken in some old cemeteries, for this is where they choose to celebrate and commemorate their departed ones. Imagine my shock when I examined the film negative, and noticed weird crosses flying all over the Rothenburg medieval roofs 🙂 🙂 🙂 .
Negative processed in Rodinal 1+50 @20*C, for 11 mins, 1st min inversion / agitation / rotation, then 5 inversions of the tank, at every minute, last 2 minutes left to stand. Fixing was by a 1+9 dilution for a total of 9 mins, 1st minute inverting the tank, then 5 inversions of the tank, at every minute, last 2 minutes left to stand.
Right! Rothenburg, I would suggest you’d call an exorcist; strange things are happening in your old town !