If I have a bunch of film that hasn't been developed yet, is there a way to turn them into digital pictures?

Question

While still owning the copyright to the pictures? I now have a digital camera and haven't used my film camera for about a year. However, I have rolls of film going back a couple of years that hasn't been developed yet. I think that it would be nice to put some of the pictures on Facebook and some other areas, but I don't know if that would be a problem if I go to one of those places that make digital CDs for your film. I know that if you get a professional portrait picture done of yourself, the store still owns the copyright to it and so you can't make additional pictures or post pictures in on the web (without making a link to their place), unless you pay about $100 to get the copyright.

Are there some good options if I want to take my undeveloped film and make digital pictures out of them, while owning the copyright so I can put some of them on Facebook? If I've had film already developed that but still have the negatives, can I do the same thing?

Thanks so much!

Answer 1

Any picture developed has an automatic copyright. As far as I know, on the wildly off chance there any dispute, the negative will prove your ownership.

Answer 2

develop and scan. presto chango alakazaam, they are now digital, and you have the advantage of still having real negatives and prints.

Answer 3

You own the copyright to your own work no matter who develops the film.

You can have already processed negatives put on a CD, but it will more than likely cost more than having it done with your original order.  At my lab, it is $2.99 for the CD at time of processing.  Cut negatives are $2.99 plus .50 per scan.

An alternative is to scan your prints with a flatbed scanner.

Answer 4

The copyright to a picture is owned by the person who TOOK the photograph, not who developed the film.  The only reason why a photography studio in a store would have the copyright to a portrait is because their photographer took the picture.

If you take your film to a photo lab to have it developed, YOU own the copyright to the pictures.  They are only providing a developing service.  Take your film to a photo lab to have it developed, and then scan the prints.  Once you scan the pictures, just upload them to Facebook or wherever you want.  You own the copyright to the pictures and can do whatever you want with them.  

By the way, your film that is 2 years old should be fine.  You might have a tiny bit of color shift or the colors might be a little bit dull, but they should still be okay.  If you kept the film inside, out of extreme temperatures, then you shouldn't have any problems.  I've had film developed that was about 5 years old and the pictures still came out fine.

I use both film and digital...but I use film for 90 percent of my pictures.  I just like the way film looks, the pictures have a much better tone and the colors are warmer.  I develop black and white film myself at home, but I take color film to a photo lab to get developed.  I own the copyright to all the pictures.  The moment you press the button and fire the shutter, YOU own the copyright to the picture.  In fact, even if you used someone else's camera, you still own the copyright to the picture.  It becomes your "intellectual property."              

Answer 5

you scared me for a moment there.