Wow! I can relate to everything you said in the video, so good to know that I'm not the only one doing 35mm and Digital. Just like Pieter , Gabriel and all the others, Thanks so much for the video!
Great video. I am going through similar situations exploring what works for me. I am also getting back into the darkroom after 25 years. Hearing your experience on your journey is comforting knowing I'm not the only flake.
Thanks Gabriel, us flakes need to stick together 😂 I’m also considering going back into the darkroom, setting up a darkroom for 35mm would be more doable for me than setting one up for 4x5.
David I feel you and I do have my 40 year old Nikon FG and old a Nikon D750 full frame and I am having the time of my life... I am 65 and I like B&W with my FG and then digitized my negatives with my D750.... 24 Mp is plenty for me...
I’ve done the same thing David. Sold my 4x5. I still have my Rollei for sentimental reasons, can’t bring myself to sell it But now thinking of a Nikon film camera again. They’re only tools to meet our approach to the art. Do what you love.
I don’t get to attached to my cameras, to many years using them to put food on the table has made me see them as only tools, I to have one camera I keep for sentimental reasons, I keep an old Exakta because it was my dads. I really don’t miss the 4x5 after selling it, I’ve been enjoying 35mm again, I think I work best in 35mm, I can already see the playfulness and experimentation coming back into my work, which means I’m making better photos, well better to me Lol
I think it's important to shoot with the equipment that brings joy to you and makes the experience of photography fulfilling. I'm an equipment geek and I'm lucky to have been able to collect different stuff over the years so I can head out for the day with whatever paintbrush fits my mood. Each format and medium brings a different set of experiences to my learning process. One thing that large format has given me is the skill to be decisive and picky in the field. I find that even when using digital, I still approach my subject with the same critical eye. So even if you choose a different brush to paint with, it's good to have the experience with several different brushes to add to your overall skill set.
I think a lot can be learned from using different formats and mediums, I have no regrets using any of the cameras and formats I’ve used over that last 40+ years, starting with an old all mechanical 35mm Exakta to the multiple 4x5 cameras through the years. Unlike many photographers, my favorite aspect ratio is the 3:2 that you get from 35mm, the squarer the frame gets the less I like it Lol which is another good reason for me to shoot 35mm. At this point in my photography journey I’ve decided to use the format that best suite how I do photography, I rarely know what I’m after when I go out for a photo, I like to explore and let my eyes and experience guide me to something I want to photograph, that unpredictability suits the small formats well. Unfortunately, because I worked so many years in the lower end of the financial side of photography (journalism) and I always had my photography gear provided, I was never been afforded the luxury of being able to collect a lot of camera gear (I’m jealous of those who can) and at this point if it’s not being used, it has to go so I can put the money towards gear that will be used enough for me to justify keeping it. Really, the only camera I have that never gets used is the camera I started with, that old Exakta, it was may fathers and the camera I learned photography on, that one will stay with me till the end :)
Great discussion David. I too, have gotten little use out of my 4x5. Bought a box of 10 sht. of T-max, over a year ago. Shoot 7 & 8 yesterday, with an issue with one sheet. Once the box is used, I'm putting the 4x5 away . I have the N70 with a 50mm lens, I picked up last year, cheap. Using Ilford Pan F 50 I can scan (Plustek 7600), and print 11x14, to grace my walls. Using good technique, it comes close to medium format. I have also, started using Pan F with medium format, to get close to 4x5. I scan at the optical resolution of 3200 on the Plustek, As long as I can print high quality 11x14's , I'm good. The 4x5 was fun, but just not getting the use, I thought I would give it. Looking forward to your future projects. KB
Thanks Ken, we are having a similar experience with 4x5, a problem I have is I can’t afford to keep photography gear that isn’t getting used, even though I’m taking a loss for selling the gear, it allows me to put the money into something I will use more. I figure the loss in money is payed for by the lessons I learned and the images I made with the gear, not a bad investment at all.
@@RidingTheEdgePhoto Thanks David. I bought this camera in 1990, and 3 lenses, so ill just put it on display. Who knows, I might bring it out, in the future, but cost of film and little use , will keep it on a display shelf. Speaking of shelves, is that a long board shelf, behind you , with cameras ? KB
Lol, keen eye Ken, yes that’s one of my kids snowboards from when they where little tikes, my whole family snowboarded when the kids were growing up. I would have used one of my longboard skateboard decks but the snowboard fit the spot better. 😎
Good talk about using different film formats and why you left 4x5. It is understandable to have tried large format then leave when the tool is not there to get the image that you want. I owned a few compact digital camera for snapshots then I wanted to be more serious about taking photos and a friend suggested the Canon AE-1, so I bought it and learned more about the camera, film, lenses and taking the shot. I find that film is great in capturing the natural light.
Thank you Agnetha, my very first camera was a Canon AE-1 and I’m old enough to have used it when they were selling them new 😂 I loved that camera, sadly, mine got destroyed when I took a hard fall on the ice while doing nature photography in the mountains many years ago, I thought it was the perfect size and such a pleasure to carry when hiking.
@@RidingTheEdgePhoto That is too bad for your AE-1, I bought mine used about 12 years ago and there are a large ranges of lenses for a great price online which is a huge benefit for shooting film.
Thanks for that video. I'm new to Affinity Photo and was looking for videos which explain how to "develop" b&w scans with Affinity to get some ideas and an impression of what is involved with that, and you delivered nicely. I actually have two large format cameras, a 5x7" and an 11x14". I use them to create b&w reverse processed paper photographs (mainly head and shoulders portraits with the 5x7 and 1:1 face portraits with the 11x14). With this, I get unique originals which I can actually hang directly on the wall. This can't be done with negatives, which you have make copies of to have a "real" picture, or with slides, which need back light to be seen properly. If I want to create unique originals like a painting with a camera, this is the only way. Thus I can't get rid of these cameras and of the process, since there is no alternative. I actually scan those pictures to create multiples which I can show on the Internet or to print and distribute, though. But these are all copies of an original, like you can buy lithographs of original oil paintings. My prints are also signed, limited and numbered and thus also rare, but to the original they are only second class pictures.
Another enjoyable video David. No need to feel apologetic about your various format excursions. As lovers of photography it's only natural for us to always feel the urge to dabble in different styles. My personal favorite will always be 35mm too because of its versatility. BTW, loved the Affinity Photo part as usual. ~Ron
+1. Second your points here - I keep my 4x5 camera, but rarely use it. 35 mm film is my most often used film followed by 6x6 cm medium format. When shooting with B&W film, it is not about resolution or detail. It is about the analog process - no matter if doing it with hybrid workflow by scanning/digitizing the negatives and/or making darkroom prints. To me film as medium complements my digital workflow. Each has its own pros and cons.
I agree Martin, shooting BW film isn’t about resolution or detail and someday I may return to making prints in the darkroom but the digital process will always be used, as you say each has its pros and cons.
Excellent video David! I really liked the explanation of your photography journey over the years relating to different formats. I too can identify with what you said about the romantic aspect of different formats, although for me it applied to camera gear, megapixels, resolution, etc. I think that kind of romanticism can apply to other things we might envision spending our time, money on too. Anyway, loved the video and the beautiful images at the end. Look forward to a photo trip video from you very soon. You know, gas would be a little cheaper if you took that photo trip on a moto. 😎
Thanks Bill, you are so right when you say that kind of romanticism can be applied to other things as well, if I had deeper pockets I would have at least 3 or 4 more guitars hanging on my wall, they won’t make me a better guitar player but it’s would be easy to convince myself that a new guitar would 😂 I could probably fit the motorbike into the same category, not sure I could sell my wife on it though, I already used the price of gas excuse to get her on board with my last motorcycle, I doubt she will fall for that one again Lol maybe someday, one can always dream.
Most enjoyable video today. I scanned another roll of B&W film today on my dslr. I enjoy it and it does a good job. I did have to chuckle a little though, when you were talking about scanning your old negatives. I have been doing some scanning of mine from back in the day also. The only difference being though, when I looked at mine, I thought, man, I really sucked at photography. That still may apply.😱 Hear ya on the gas. That Nikon should be nice.👍👍
Thanks Terry, oh I’ve got my share of stinkers from my old slides 😂 but it was nice to see when it started to come together some what, we all had to suck, that’s just how we learn, I still take crap photos, hopefully just not as many 😜
Great video! I really enjoy witnessing your journey. I am using 35mm camera’s myself and don’t have the urge to use larger formats any time soon. This video helps reassuring me! And thanks for explaining your workflow. Quick question, is it intentional that you don’t change the contrast of the negative with curves or contrast slider? You seem to set the black and white points and brightness and dodge and burn, but leave the overall contrast as is.
Thanks Pieter, to answer your question on contrast, first, the only time I use curves is when I’m inverting a negative, otherwise I don’t use curves, I’ve never been comfortable using curves, it’s never felt like a very precise tool for making adjustments, I know some people rely on them a lot, which is fine, I would rather adjust exposure and contrast a different way. When I’m starting with a RAW file in the Develop Persona, my main goal is to get the exposure close and make sure I have the highlight and shadow information I will need for the final image, I rarely make a contrast adjustment at that point, I save that for the Photo Persona. Not that it’s a bad thing to do, it’s just adding contrast in the Develop Persona is baking the contrast in before I’m ready to, just a personal preference. When I make adjustments using levels in the Photo Persona I’m actually adjusting the contrast, making the whites where I want them and the blacks, it is adding contrast to the image, you will notice that just by setting the whites and the blacks the image automatically became more contrasty. That doesn’t mean I won’t have to add a little more contrast with the brightness and contrast adjustment tool, in this leaf shot the contrast ended up right where I wanted it, just need to lighten the over all file about 10% and I was happy with the image. When I edit a file from my digital camera I tend to have to play with the contrast tool a little more, there seems to be a little more contrast baked into my film scans than my digital camera files. There are a lot of ways to approach editing an image, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen the one best way to do it, I guess if you are getting the result you are wanting, then it’s the best way for you. There is a lot more that could be said on the subject of adding contrast but hopefully this sheds a little light on what I’m doing, have a great day Pieter!
I'd have been interested in seeing you process a color image or two with Affinity from negative, inverting, etc....and getting the colors right. I"m dallying with this, using curves for all 3 channels to invert and set to the right space to get colors right...but would like to see how you did yours...
I'm not currently shooting color film, only B&W film at this time. I shot a lot of slide film in the past and that doesn't need inverted, if I can find some old color negative film shots I will give it a go, if I can get it to work I will make a video :)
Thank you for the video. Your inverted images look good--mine look off. I have both Affinity and Photoshop, and I can't get good color from either. My inverted negatives look very blue, which makes sense, but I've found it very difficult to get rid of the blue tint without hurting both the color and the clarity of the print.
This is really informative on how to do the scan using a macro lens. My question is on the front end of that process. How do you hold the negative flat and stable for the shot and what surface do you use under the negative? I presume it is a light table? Do you use a tripod to take the digital image or hand-hold the D810. I actually have a D810 I'm not using since getting the D850 and I am considering setting up something. Have you considered doing a video on that part of the process? That would be really helpful.
Hi Philip, I actually did why I’m not showing the scanning process at this time, I just cut it out because the video was getting way too long. Lol so I will tell the reason why here, since I just started scanning with my DSLR my workflow feels pretty clumsy and will surely change as I do it more. My results are good but my setup could be refined a bit. To answer your questions, I’m currently using a tripod to hold my camera, fortunately my tripod head has a couple bubble levels that helps me quickly get camera focal plan parallel to the table I’m copying on, I also use a regular woodworking level to help with that process. I’ve used a couple different light sources, an iPad, tablet or even a cell phone will work as a light source, just make sure your film is held high enough above the light source that you do get a pattern of little dots on your scans, I use empty 4x5 film boxes to hold my film holder far enough away, I know, pretty sophisticated of of me 😂 I think I used the flashlight setting, I also took a picture of a white piece of paper and over exposed it in editing software to get a nice white background. I’m now using a small light table from my slide photography days, the light isn’t as even but since I’m only using a small part of it, it seems to work just fine, plus I can leave it set up for scanning and don’t have to re set it up every time I need to scan. I use a piece of cardboard to cover the part of the light table not being used to help keep the stray light from hitting the lens, degrading the image. If using a light table you could literally tape the edges of the film to the surface, and slides could just lay right on the table. I happen to have a negative carrier from an old dedicated film scanner that no longer works, it holds a strip of 6 frames and holds the film very flat. I could always use my flatbed scanner film holders but they don’t work as well. For medium format I’ve got the Lamography Digitaliza scanning mask that holds the film nice and flat. I probably don’t need to but I still use the empty film boxes to hold the film holder above the light table, just in case there is some dust or scratches on the surface, plus the boxes also help block the light from the sides. You could literally make a film holding mask out of a couple pieces of cardboard or dark plastic sheets, with the frame size hole cut out to hold the film or if you are going to lay the film on a light table one sheet would hold the film down on the table nice and flat, there are a lot of videos on RUclips that show a lot of different ways to hold the film in place. In the future I can see myself using a copy stand, instead of a tripod to hold the camera in place or I might try Nikon’s negative DSLR scanning adapter, the ES-2, that is mounted to the end of a 60mm macro lens, for me to use it with my 55mm I would probably have to modify it to make it work. The cool thing about that adapter is all you need is a light source, the adapter has the film holder and because it’s mounted to the lens, camera shake shouldn’t be an issue and since you already have a D850, you could even do the inverting in camera because I believe the D850 has that feature built in, the only down side is I think it will be a jpeg but I’d still give it a try if I had a D850. There is a lot of good information on RUclips that covers DSLR scanning if you are interested in giving it a try. Hopefully what I’ve told you makes sense Philip, have a great day!
You know you can invert the image simply by pressing Ctr/Cmd+i? That way you don't have to fiddle around with Curves at all, which makes life easier if you're not using Curves for anything else. (I approach photography as a frustrated artist, so I hope I don't offend 'proper' photographers!)
Thanks for the tip Steve, I’ll give that a try. I’ve never needed to invert images before so I will take all the info I can get, I’m not sure what a proper photographer is but I’m certainly not offended when someone is willing to offer up some useful info 😁
I could be missing something but this doesn’t appear to work with a raw file in the Develop Persona, in the Photo Persona, Command + i will invert the file but I like to invert the image first, so I can inspect the exposure before taking it to the Photo Persona, just a personal preference.
Oh dear, red face: of course you're right, it doesn't -- it only works in the Photo Persona. I'm used to scanning to TIFF files and editing them there. My RAW files wouldn't normally need inverting.
Lol no worries, I could see getting good results scanning to a tiff as well, it’s still a nice shortcut if I need to invert while in the photo persona, thanks for the information Steve.
Tools, tools, cameras, money negative formats and more blah blah. Please more art more depth please... Just wait and see, your next step is to use a phone. Say goodbye to art and hello complacency.
Sorry this video doesn’t meet your standards, there are plenty of photographers that can relate to what I’m saying… this channel is about my process of making images, with film and digital, you can’t make the art without the tools, sometimes I have to explain how I got to where I am in my photography journey, I know it’s pretty basic stuff , my photography and channel content isn’t for everyone. I’m sure there are plenty of other channels that can better meet your needs. I will probably never get use to such rudeness in the comments, luckily I don’t see much of this on my videos but every once and awhile someone will try to ruin my day 😂 if I hadn’t already paid my dues with a full and rewarding career in photography over the past 30 years, I might take it harder.
Wow! I can relate to everything you said in the video, so good to know that I'm not the only one doing 35mm and Digital. Just like Pieter , Gabriel and all the others, Thanks so much for the video!
You are not alone Sammy :)
Great video. I am going through similar situations exploring what works for me. I am also getting back into the darkroom after 25 years. Hearing your experience on your journey is comforting knowing I'm not the only flake.
Thanks Gabriel, us flakes need to stick together 😂 I’m also considering going back into the darkroom, setting up a darkroom for 35mm would be more doable for me than setting one up for 4x5.
Wow! Amazing, thank you for this post, I'll try with my own old negatives.
Thank you Claudio, give it a try, you might find you like your results!
Brilliant video, really enjoyed it, thank you. Love the frosty leaf image.
Thank you Darren
David I feel you and I do have my 40 year old Nikon FG and old a Nikon D750 full frame and I am having the time of my life... I am 65 and I like B&W with my FG and then digitized my negatives with my D750.... 24 Mp is plenty for me...
I’ve done the same thing David. Sold my 4x5. I still have my Rollei for sentimental reasons, can’t bring myself to sell it But now thinking of a Nikon film camera again. They’re only tools to meet our approach to the art. Do what you love.
I don’t get to attached to my cameras, to many years using them to put food on the table has made me see them as only tools, I to have one camera I keep for sentimental reasons, I keep an old Exakta because it was my dads. I really don’t miss the 4x5 after selling it, I’ve been enjoying 35mm again, I think I work best in 35mm, I can already see the playfulness and experimentation coming back into my work, which means I’m making better photos, well better to me Lol
I think it's important to shoot with the equipment that brings joy to you and makes the experience of photography fulfilling. I'm an equipment geek and I'm lucky to have been able to collect different stuff over the years so I can head out for the day with whatever paintbrush fits my mood. Each format and medium brings a different set of experiences to my learning process. One thing that large format has given me is the skill to be decisive and picky in the field. I find that even when using digital, I still approach my subject with the same critical eye. So even if you choose a different brush to paint with, it's good to have the experience with several different brushes to add to your overall skill set.
I think a lot can be learned from using different formats and mediums, I have no regrets using any of the cameras and formats I’ve used over that last 40+ years, starting with an old all mechanical 35mm Exakta to the multiple 4x5 cameras through the years. Unlike many photographers, my favorite aspect ratio is the 3:2 that you get from 35mm, the squarer the frame gets the less I like it Lol which is another good reason for me to shoot 35mm. At this point in my photography journey I’ve decided to use the format that best suite how I do photography, I rarely know what I’m after when I go out for a photo, I like to explore and let my eyes and experience guide me to something I want to photograph, that unpredictability suits the small formats well.
Unfortunately, because I worked so many years in the lower end of the financial side of photography (journalism) and I always had my photography gear provided, I was never been afforded the luxury of being able to collect a lot of camera gear (I’m jealous of those who can) and at this point if it’s not being used, it has to go so I can put the money towards gear that will be used enough for me to justify keeping it. Really, the only camera I have that never gets used is the camera I started with, that old Exakta, it was may fathers and the camera I learned photography on, that one will stay with me till the end :)
Great discussion David. I too, have gotten little use out of my 4x5. Bought a box of 10 sht. of T-max, over a year ago. Shoot 7 & 8 yesterday, with an issue with one sheet. Once the box is used, I'm putting the 4x5 away . I have the N70 with a 50mm lens, I picked up last year, cheap. Using Ilford Pan F 50 I can scan (Plustek 7600), and print 11x14, to grace my walls. Using good technique, it comes close to medium format. I have also, started using Pan F with medium format, to get close to 4x5. I scan at the optical resolution of 3200 on the Plustek, As long as I can print high quality 11x14's , I'm good. The 4x5 was fun, but just not getting the use, I thought I would give it. Looking forward to your future projects. KB
Thanks Ken, we are having a similar experience with 4x5, a problem I have is I can’t afford to keep photography gear that isn’t getting used, even though I’m taking a loss for selling the gear, it allows me to put the money into something I will use more. I figure the loss in money is payed for by the lessons I learned and the images I made with the gear, not a bad investment at all.
@@RidingTheEdgePhoto Thanks David. I bought this camera in 1990, and 3 lenses, so ill just put it on display. Who knows, I might bring it out, in the future, but cost of film and little use , will keep it on a display shelf. Speaking of shelves, is that a long board shelf, behind you , with cameras ? KB
Lol, keen eye Ken, yes that’s one of my kids snowboards from when they where little tikes, my whole family snowboarded when the kids were growing up. I would have used one of my longboard skateboard decks but the snowboard fit the spot better. 😎
Good talk about using different film formats and why you left 4x5. It is understandable to have tried large format then leave when the tool is not there to get the image that you want. I owned a few compact digital camera for snapshots then I wanted to be more serious about taking photos and a friend suggested the Canon AE-1, so I bought it and learned more about the camera, film, lenses and taking the shot. I find that film is great in capturing the natural light.
Thank you Agnetha, my very first camera was a Canon AE-1 and I’m old enough to have used it when they were selling them new 😂 I loved that camera, sadly, mine got destroyed when I took a hard fall on the ice while doing nature photography in the mountains many years ago, I thought it was the perfect size and such a pleasure to carry when hiking.
@@RidingTheEdgePhoto That is too bad for your AE-1, I bought mine used about 12 years ago and there are a large ranges of lenses for a great price online which is a huge benefit for shooting film.
Thanks for that video. I'm new to Affinity Photo and was looking for videos which explain how to "develop" b&w scans with Affinity to get some ideas and an impression of what is involved with that, and you delivered nicely.
I actually have two large format cameras, a 5x7" and an 11x14". I use them to create b&w reverse processed paper photographs (mainly head and shoulders portraits with the 5x7 and 1:1 face portraits with the 11x14). With this, I get unique originals which I can actually hang directly on the wall. This can't be done with negatives, which you have make copies of to have a "real" picture, or with slides, which need back light to be seen properly. If I want to create unique originals like a painting with a camera, this is the only way. Thus I can't get rid of these cameras and of the process, since there is no alternative.
I actually scan those pictures to create multiples which I can show on the Internet or to print and distribute, though. But these are all copies of an original, like you can buy lithographs of original oil paintings. My prints are also signed, limited and numbered and thus also rare, but to the original they are only second class pictures.
Thanks for sharing, sounds like an interesting way to do photography.
Interesting and informative. Thank you.
Another enjoyable video David. No need to feel apologetic about your various format excursions. As lovers of photography it's only natural for us to always feel the urge to dabble in different styles. My personal favorite will always be 35mm too because of its versatility. BTW, loved the Affinity Photo part as usual.
~Ron
Thanks Ron, I appreciate the kind words!
+1. Second your points here - I keep my 4x5 camera, but rarely use it. 35 mm film is my most often used film followed by 6x6 cm medium format. When shooting with B&W film, it is not about resolution or detail. It is about the analog process - no matter if doing it with hybrid workflow by scanning/digitizing the negatives and/or making darkroom prints. To me film as medium complements my digital workflow. Each has its own pros and cons.
I agree Martin, shooting BW film isn’t about resolution or detail and someday I may return to making prints in the darkroom but the digital process will always be used, as you say each has its pros and cons.
Excellent video David! I really liked the explanation of your photography journey over the years relating to different formats. I too can identify with what you said about the romantic aspect of different formats, although for me it applied to camera gear, megapixels, resolution, etc. I think that kind of romanticism can apply to other things we might envision spending our time, money on too. Anyway, loved the video and the beautiful images at the end. Look forward to a photo trip video from you very soon. You know, gas would be a little cheaper if you took that photo trip on a moto. 😎
Thanks Bill, you are so right when you say that kind of romanticism can be applied to other things as well, if I had deeper pockets I would have at least 3 or 4 more guitars hanging on my wall, they won’t make me a better guitar player but it’s would be easy to convince myself that a new guitar would 😂 I could probably fit the motorbike into the same category, not sure I could sell my wife on it though, I already used the price of gas excuse to get her on board with my last motorcycle, I doubt she will fall for that one again Lol maybe someday, one can always dream.
@@RidingTheEdgePhoto 👍Yes, my wife is harder to convince that I need another ‘toy’ as the years go by. 😂
Most enjoyable video today. I scanned another roll of B&W film today on my dslr. I enjoy it and it does a good job. I did have to chuckle a little though, when you were talking about scanning your old negatives. I have been doing some scanning of mine from back in the day also. The only difference being though, when I looked at mine, I thought, man, I really sucked at photography. That still may apply.😱
Hear ya on the gas. That Nikon should be nice.👍👍
Thanks Terry, oh I’ve got my share of stinkers from my old slides 😂 but it was nice to see when it started to come together some what, we all had to suck, that’s just how we learn, I still take crap photos, hopefully just not as many 😜
Great video! I really enjoy witnessing your journey. I am using 35mm camera’s myself and don’t have the urge to use larger formats any time soon. This video helps reassuring me! And thanks for explaining your workflow. Quick question, is it intentional that you don’t change the contrast of the negative with curves or contrast slider? You seem to set the black and white points and brightness and dodge and burn, but leave the overall contrast as is.
Thanks Pieter, to answer your question on contrast, first, the only time I use curves is when I’m inverting a negative, otherwise I don’t use curves, I’ve never been comfortable using curves, it’s never felt like a very precise tool for making adjustments, I know some people rely on them a lot, which is fine, I would rather adjust exposure and contrast a different way. When I’m starting with a RAW file in the Develop Persona, my main goal is to get the exposure close and make sure I have the highlight and shadow information I will need for the final image, I rarely make a contrast adjustment at that point, I save that for the Photo Persona. Not that it’s a bad thing to do, it’s just adding contrast in the Develop Persona is baking the contrast in before I’m ready to, just a personal preference.
When I make adjustments using levels in the Photo Persona I’m actually adjusting the contrast, making the whites where I want them and the blacks, it is adding contrast to the image, you will notice that just by setting the whites and the blacks the image automatically became more contrasty. That doesn’t mean I won’t have to add a little more contrast with the brightness and contrast adjustment tool, in this leaf shot the contrast ended up right where I wanted it, just need to lighten the over all file about 10% and I was happy with the image. When I edit a file from my digital camera I tend to have to play with the contrast tool a little more, there seems to be a little more contrast baked into my film scans than my digital camera files. There are a lot of ways to approach editing an image, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen the one best way to do it, I guess if you are getting the result you are wanting, then it’s the best way for you. There is a lot more that could be said on the subject of adding contrast but hopefully this sheds a little light on what I’m doing, have a great day Pieter!
I'd have been interested in seeing you process a color image or two with Affinity from negative, inverting, etc....and getting the colors right.
I"m dallying with this, using curves for all 3 channels to invert and set to the right space to get colors right...but would like to see how you did yours...
I'm not currently shooting color film, only B&W film at this time. I shot a lot of slide film in the past and that doesn't need inverted, if I can find some old color negative film shots I will give it a go, if I can get it to work I will make a video :)
Thank you for the video. Your inverted images look good--mine look off. I have both Affinity and Photoshop, and I can't get good color from either. My inverted negatives look very blue, which makes sense, but I've found it very difficult to get rid of the blue tint without hurting both the color and the clarity of the print.
This is really informative on how to do the scan using a macro lens. My question is on the front end of that process. How do you hold the negative flat and stable for the shot and what surface do you use under the negative? I presume it is a light table? Do you use a tripod to take the digital image or hand-hold the D810. I actually have a D810 I'm not using since getting the D850 and I am considering setting up something. Have you considered doing a video on that part of the process? That would be really helpful.
Hi Philip, I actually did why I’m not showing the scanning process at this time, I just cut it out because the video was getting way too long. Lol so I will tell the reason why here, since I just started scanning with my DSLR my workflow feels pretty clumsy and will surely change as I do it more. My results are good but my setup could be refined a bit. To answer your questions, I’m currently using a tripod to hold my camera, fortunately my tripod head has a couple bubble levels that helps me quickly get camera focal plan parallel to the table I’m copying on, I also use a regular woodworking level to help with that process. I’ve used a couple different light sources, an iPad, tablet or even a cell phone will work as a light source, just make sure your film is held high enough above the light source that you do get a pattern of little dots on your scans, I use empty 4x5 film boxes to hold my film holder far enough away, I know, pretty sophisticated of of me 😂 I think I used the flashlight setting, I also took a picture of a white piece of paper and over exposed it in editing software to get a nice white background. I’m now using a small light table from my slide photography days, the light isn’t as even but since I’m only using a small part of it, it seems to work just fine, plus I can leave it set up for scanning and don’t have to re set it up every time I need to scan. I use a piece of cardboard to cover the part of the light table not being used to help keep the stray light from hitting the lens, degrading the image. If using a light table you could literally tape the edges of the film to the surface, and slides could just lay right on the table. I happen to have a negative carrier from an old dedicated film scanner that no longer works, it holds a strip of 6 frames and holds the film very flat. I could always use my flatbed scanner film holders but they don’t work as well. For medium format I’ve got the Lamography Digitaliza scanning mask that holds the film nice and flat. I probably don’t need to but I still use the empty film boxes to hold the film holder above the light table, just in case there is some dust or scratches on the surface, plus the boxes also help block the light from the sides. You could literally make a film holding mask out of a couple pieces of cardboard or dark plastic sheets, with the frame size hole cut out to hold the film or if you are going to lay the film on a light table one sheet would hold the film down on the table nice and flat, there are a lot of videos on RUclips that show a lot of different ways to hold the film in place. In the future I can see myself using a copy stand, instead of a tripod to hold the camera in place or I might try Nikon’s negative DSLR scanning adapter, the ES-2, that is mounted to the end of a 60mm macro lens, for me to use it with my 55mm I would probably have to modify it to make it work. The cool thing about that adapter is all you need is a light source, the adapter has the film holder and because it’s mounted to the lens, camera shake shouldn’t be an issue and since you already have a D850, you could even do the inverting in camera because I believe the D850 has that feature built in, the only down side is I think it will be a jpeg but I’d still give it a try if I had a D850. There is a lot of good information on RUclips that covers DSLR scanning if you are interested in giving it a try. Hopefully what I’ve told you makes sense Philip, have a great day!
You know you can invert the image simply by pressing Ctr/Cmd+i? That way you don't have to fiddle around with Curves at all, which makes life easier if you're not using Curves for anything else. (I approach photography as a frustrated artist, so I hope I don't offend 'proper' photographers!)
Thanks for the tip Steve, I’ll give that a try. I’ve never needed to invert images before so I will take all the info I can get, I’m not sure what a proper photographer is but I’m certainly not offended when someone is willing to offer up some useful info 😁
I could be missing something but this doesn’t appear to work with a raw file in the Develop Persona, in the Photo Persona, Command + i will invert the file but I like to invert the image first, so I can inspect the exposure before taking it to the Photo Persona, just a personal preference.
Oh dear, red face: of course you're right, it doesn't -- it only works in the Photo Persona. I'm used to scanning to TIFF files and editing them there. My RAW files wouldn't normally need inverting.
Lol no worries, I could see getting good results scanning to a tiff as well, it’s still a nice shortcut if I need to invert while in the photo persona, thanks for the information Steve.
No justification is necessary! Shoot what pleases you and fits your needs and desires. The image is the thing and not the equipment
Thanks Erich, so true, I just need to remind myself of that from time to time :)
Tools, tools, cameras, money negative formats and more blah blah. Please more art more depth please... Just wait and see, your next step is to use a phone. Say goodbye to art and hello complacency.
Sorry this video doesn’t meet your standards, there are plenty of photographers that can relate to what I’m saying… this channel is about my process of making images, with film and digital, you can’t make the art without the tools, sometimes I have to explain how I got to where I am in my photography journey, I know it’s pretty basic stuff , my photography and channel content isn’t for everyone. I’m sure there are plenty of other channels that can better meet your needs.
I will probably never get use to such rudeness in the comments, luckily I don’t see much of this on my videos but every once and awhile someone will try to ruin my day 😂 if I hadn’t already paid my dues with a full and rewarding career in photography over the past 30 years, I might take it harder.