Disposable Film Camera Photographs Disrupted by Airport Security Scanner
In the world of film photography, an unfortunate incident has been making waves among photographers. TikToker @magdalanyc2 recently experienced the loss of her film due to a CT scanner at an airport, joining the ranks of professional photographers like Steven Broome who suffered a similar fate last year.
The culprit? Airport CT scanners, which can expose undeveloped film to high doses of X-ray radiation, chemically fogging or destroying the emulsion and making the images unrecoverable. Even newer CT scanners, which emit stronger radiation than older security X-ray machines, can cause damage in a single pass.
To prevent such losses, film photographers are advised to take certain precautions. First and foremost, always carry your film in carry-on luggage, never in checked baggage. Checked baggage scanners use higher doses of radiation and pose a greater risk of damage.
When going through security, request a manual hand inspection of your undeveloped film or cameras with film. Placing your film in a clear plastic bag labeled “undeveloped film, please hand check” can help communicate this to security staff. If a hand-check is not possible, consider using X-ray protection bags or pouches designed to shield film. However, some scanners may still damage film even through these.
Be especially cautious with high-speed film (ISO 800 or higher), which is more sensitive to X-ray exposure.
In summary, the best strategy is to carry your film as hand luggage and request hand inspection to avoid passing film through airport CT scanners altogether, preserving your film and images.
Mike Harris, a renowned photographer and Technique Editor on N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine, offers valuable insights into the world of photography. With a background in photography and Adobe Photoshop, Harris' expertise covers a wide range of subjects, including portraits, landscapes, abstracts, architecture, wildlife, and fast things going around race tracks. Harris has also written for several photography and consumer tech publications, including Digital Camera, PhotoPlus, Practical Photography, Digital Photographer, iMore, TechRadar, and more.
Harris is considered a top tutor for techniques on various photography equipment such as cameras, lenses, tripods, filters, and more. His advice for film photographers is clear: be mindful of your film when traveling and take the necessary precautions to protect it.
The incidents involving @magdalanyc2 and Steven Broome serve as a reminder of the importance of being cautious when traveling with film through airports. The loss of 39 moments for @magdalanyc2 and approximately 18 rolls of film for Steven Broome, amounting to a significant financial loss, underscores the importance of taking these precautions.
[1] https://petapixel.com/2021/03/03/airport-security-x-ray-scanners-can-damage-your-film/ [2] https://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/film-photography-airport-security/ [3] https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/tips-and-solutions/airport-security-and-film-photography [4] https://www.dpreview.com/articles/9226028423/airport-security-and-film-photography
