Preventing Dark (underexposed) Photos

Old film will eventually lose its ability to accurately record light. While film technology has improved drastically since the day of Daguerreotypes, it is still not an eternal medium. Film stored in its original containers under good conditions (room temperature) will generally last at least a couple of years. However, it will eventually go bad. When film goes bad due to age it can produce interesting but unpredictable effects. One roll may produce dark images and another old roll may produce streaked images. There is just no way to predict with certainty what old film will do.

Damaged film, like old film, tends to have unpredictable flaws. Sometimes this flaw is dark photographs.

Film can be damaged by:

• Temperature
  Acceptable temperatures vary by manufacturer and film - be sure to check the film package for limits.
  
• X-Rays
  Use a lead-lined package that has been airport approved for transport.
  
• Water
  This includes condensation - keep your film well sealed and insulated.
  
• Light
  If unintended light strikes film before, during, or after the initial exposure it will create image problems. Generally this is more of a problem of overexposure than underexposure but it bears mentioning as a cause of film damage.