Negative film facts for kids
Negative film is a special kind of photographic film used in cameras. When you take a picture with negative film, the image that appears on the film after it's developed has its colors and brightness flipped!
Imagine looking at a photo where dark parts are light, and light parts are dark. Also, colors are changed to their opposite, or "complementary," colors. For example, blue might look yellow, and red might look cyan.
This "negative" image isn't the final photo you see. It's like a special starting point. To get your actual pictures, you need a second step called making a print. This process turns the negative back into a normal, colorful, and correctly bright photo. You can make many copies of the same photo from one negative, and even change their sizes!
Another type of film is called reversal film. With reversal film, the developed film itself becomes the final, normal-looking picture, often used for slides.
How Negative Film Works
Color negative films are made up of several thin layers. Each of these layers is designed to be sensitive to a different wavelength of light. This means each layer "sees" a different color, like red, green, or blue. When light hits the film, these layers record the color information.
After the film is developed, the chemicals in the film cause the colors to invert. This is why you see the opposite colors on the negative.
Why Use Negative Film?
Most films used by people taking everyday photos are negative films. They have some great benefits:
- Very Forgiving: Negative film is quite tolerant if the camera's exposure isn't perfectly set. This means if your photo is a little too bright or too dark, you can often still get a good picture without losing much quality. It's harder to mess up!
- Easy to Develop: Getting negative film developed into prints is usually very simple and can be done at many photo labs.
Images for kids
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Picture showing a dust storm during the Dust Bowl period, Texas Panhandle, TX
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A negative of the previous image. Curiously, it appears to be the original photo.
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A strip of four color negatives on 35 mm film that show some images of what looks like a fire hydrant, lamposts etc.
See also
In Spanish: Negativo fotográfico para niños
