We know there are so many street photographers who love shoot on film.
Because your pictures are surely important to you, this information is presented as an alert to travelers carrying unprocessed film. If you’re flying through US airports with film soon, be aware – the new hand luggage scanners coming into service can destroy unprocessed film after just one scan.

Instagram’s account Freestyle Photographic posted an image of the new CT scanners at LAX Airport on Saturday 19 October, warning film photographers to request a hand search rather than let their film go through.

The post said: “Watch out for these machines at the airports. It’s a CAT scan and will absolutely destroy any film in a second. The equivalent of putting your film through the old scanners about a thousand times. Lead bags won’t save you. The nice #TSA agents at #LAX had no problem with a hand-check and seemed to be informed that this is no joke.”

Freestyle said in the post that the new scanners had been installed at LAX this month.

On the TSA’s website, the agency says the scanners have been unveiled in the following locations:

• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
• Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI)
• Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
• Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)
• Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)
• Houston Hobby Airport (HOU)
• Indianapolis International Airport (IND)
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
• Logan International Airport (BOS)
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
• Miami International Airport (MIA)
• Oakland International Airport (OAK)
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
• St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL)
• Tampa International Airport (TPA)
• Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD)

The scanners, which are also being installed in other airports across the use, subject the film to a similarly strong dose of x-rays to those used to check hold luggage. As many photography resources, the scanners in use since the September 2001 attacks will fog almost any film they come into contact with. The most recent models of non-CT hand luggage scanners in use in most airports are much kinder with film, yielding no discernible results even after a dozen or more scans.

However, more airports are likely to take on board the new CT scanners because they scan luggage faster – leading to faster queueing at security.
It’s worth noting, however, that no x-rays will damage film if it has already been processed, so any processed slides or negatives can safely go through the new scanners.

How to get film hand-checked

Here some tips on how to make a hand-check more likely:

1. Take film out of its box and plastic canister and put it in a heavy-duty freezer bag. Keep a empty few canisters so you can use them day to day. Put the freezer bag of film in your cabin bag. Do this before you leave home.
2. Make sure you arrive in plenty of time for your flight. Don’t be the person late for their flight who then holds up everyone else for 20 minutes to get your film checked.
3. When it’s your turn to bag screening, politely ask if it’s OK for the film to be hand-checked.
4. Politely present the freezer bag full of film.
5. One of several things could happen here, and one of them being barked at that the scanner is perfectly safe for your film and you’re holding up the line. But you’ve done yourself and the overworked airport staff a favor by making the film as easy to check as possible, out of its containers and in a clear plastic bag. Should they relent this will take them the minimum of time.

Pre-preparation is key. It doesn’t take more than 10 minutes to empty your film boxes and canisters and the upshot is you can carry more film because they weigh less and take up less room.

And remember the airport staff are trying to do a stressful job as quickly and as painlessly as possible. That they won’t – or can’t – isn’t down to them being jobsworths 99% of the time, and loudly stating your rights can prove more trouble than it’s worth.