Found a ruined roll of film from Yellowstone... and it taught me a lesson about loading in bright sun

Last week I dug out an old roll of Fuji 400 from a hike at Yellowstone's Upper Geyser Basin, and half the frames were totally fogged because I loaded it on a sunny picnic table. Turns out film can get exposed through the cassette end if you don't shield it, even for a few seconds. Has anyone else ruined shots this way, or do you always load in the shade or a bag?

2 comments

2 Comments

paulb981mo agoMost Upvoted

Does the changing bag thing actually block the sun well enough or does it still leak a little?

paige_martin1mo ago

Hold the cassette tight while you're feeding the leader, that little gap on the spool end is basically a pinhole camera. A dark changing bag is cheap insurance and saves you from babysitting the sun.