How To Process Film Digitally
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 19 окт 2024
- Had heaps of questions on how I process my black and white film, so hear you go. A quick look at how I take my negatives and scan and edit them in LIGHTROOM.
#filmphotography #shootfilm
Vuescan Tutorial: goo.gl/rvYBd9
Instagram: / paulcsmith
My vlog Facebook page: goo.gl/Qs5Nov
Photography Facebook page: goo.gl/xh2poY
My Website: www.paulsmithp...
My music is from: player.epidemi...
A F F I L I A T E L I N K S
The links below are affiliate links, it costs you nothing to use them but I get a small commission from Amazon if you purchase something, so thanks in advance!
My Gear:
Olympus E-M1 MK2 - goo.gl/e2eHkc
Olympus E-M5 MK2 - goo.gl/d8MGft
My Vlogging Camera - goo.gl/fyVNDi
My Lapel Mike - goo.gl/DkjQV7
On Camera Mike - goo.gl/7ypJNa
Audio Recorder - amzn.to/2KoO8Xy
DJI Mavic Pro - goo.gl/s2Xbzc
My Tripod - goo.gl/wVCpu3
Filter System - goo.gl/HWYLzP
Polariser - goo.gl/YvYbMu
IR Cut Filter for M8 - goo.gl/pUjtaL
Epson SCP600 Printer - goo.gl/PQn9Ed
Video Vlog Light - amzn.to/2LWslDG
My Bags:
Lowepro BP 450 - goo.gl/mSfT1K
Lowepro Hatchback - goo.gl/gTRNNp
Lowepro Top Loader - goo.gl/NvDf4u
Film Stocks I Use:
Ilford Delta 400 Pro - goo.gl/3p9ivJ
Ilford HP-5 Plus - goo.gl/PvrhQj
Fuji Pro 400H - goo.gl/tDjD2a
Kodak Portra 800 - amzn.to/2JHSPvX
Fuji C200 - amzn.to/2MvNq9a
Film Related Gear & Equipment:
Leica M6 - amzn.to/2MAaEuG
Film Developing Bag - goo.gl/axo9up
Ilford LC29 Developer - goo.gl/i7hgh6
Ilford Rapid Fixer - goo.gl/FoiCGJ
C41 Kit - goo.gl/BbRgRu
Kodak Photo-Flo - goo.gl/Frb2jh
Developing Tank - goo.gl/YAivps
Developing Tank - goo.gl/ePS1xM
Chemical Mixer Paddle - goo.gl/7t1DrL
Paterson Film Clip - goo.gl/hHoNje
My Scanner - goo.gl/6bE1rs
Inkjet Papers:
Epson Ultra Lustre - goo.gl/jjVwew
Epson Fine Art : goo.gl/Z1exMc
I used to use my old Epson v550 and also a Plustek 8200i negative scanner but these days I photograph the negatives with my Panasonic G9 with a Meike 85mm macro lens, using an electronic artist pad with brightness turned up all white. Normally works out at iso 200 at around 1/20 sec (on a tripod) and with my G9 in high res mode I can either shoot 40mp or 80mp raw files. I did purchase negative lab pro to convert the negatives which was £100 however, if you use auto tone in Photoshop it generally does a decent conversion. My Raw captures are so much better than any negative scan I've done using either the Epson or Plustek. I'd highly recommend trying it that way if you have time.
Nice video. I trained as a photographer using the Zone System and for me it all comes down to two things; making the subject brightness range fit the dynamic range of the capture and output mediums, and capturing as much detail as possible. As to how to process using a hybrid workflow well we used to use a lot of tricks such as dodging, burning, but also split grades, masking, cut and paste, knifing and spot removal, toning, split toning and perspective correction. If you want to see how extreme some work was may I suggest looking at the work of George Hurrell. Most famous for his work while the photographer for Shackleton's expedition to Antarctica, but it is his work as a photographer in the World War 1 trenches that really showed off his darkroom skills to produce composites that captured what he felt was the raw emotion of trench warfare. I use Vuescan, great piece of software and I really recommend "the VueScan Bible" by Sascha Steinhoff (rockynook). www.photrio.com is a useful resource and has a good hybrid workflow forum. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Paul I will look into the links you have suggested. Thanks for watching.
Thank you for sharing your ideas and thought process. I agree with your thoughts on scanning film vs general dark room techniques. The intent is the same and that is to make the photograph the best it can be based on the photographers vision when the image was captured.
Really enjoy your videos. I used to have a darkroom, shooting both 4x5 and medium format. I found the darkroom burdensome, and always had an issue with disposal of chemicals, noit feeling comfortable with sending them down the drain. I eventually switched to digital, but retained my love for film, especially black and white. I also shoot with a Leica (M10) but I am considering resurrecting my Hasselblad 500 C/M, and shooting film in addition to digital. I just love that camera, and it is really special . You've inspired me to return to my film roots.
Thats great to hear, keep it alive!
Lightroom/darkroom... same thing. As a long time darkroom user, I really enjoyed coming out into the light, leaving behind the extra set of chemicals, and having my whole setup fit onto the top of my desk. I perform the same operations on my photographs, but take advantage of the efficiency of my “ Lightroom”.
Stellar video, Paul. Some very good tips here. I have been gradually going back more and more to film myself. I just don't like that overly sharp, cartoony look I get in the images from my Fuji XT2. I much prefer those I get with my Contax 159mm and the Hasselblad 500cm.
Could not agree with you more, why?
Because, that is exactly how I do it!
Totally agree with your philosophy regarding using the tools available, dodge and burn using a keyboard...
No room for a darkroom, so this is the only way I can carry on using film.
Good video, I am sure it will help others.
Thanks for your time.
Good to see your scanning workflow Paul. I use VueScan some of the time too. I bought it because it was the only way to use my old Canon FS4000 35mm film scanner as the software isn’t supported by Canon for my Mac any more. VueScan handles so many different scanners so it’s a handy bit of software to have.
Hi Paul. Just wanting your thoughts on your Canon scanner, the main choices seem to be between this and the epson range. How do you find it? I'm just starting out in photography as a hobby, and have chosen to start with film. Having to think about the pros and cons of darkroom enlarging and scanning. I am very keen on your kaiser enlarger, but lots to think about including cost etc etc. Thanks for your help :)
Hey Scottie Im very happy with mine also tending towards the canon software fore scanning. If you are just starting I cant see you going wrong with it. Take care
This video is really, really great. I'm just starting out in medium format film/Lightroom post processing and this hit loads of questions and doubts that I had. Keep up the good work. PS I also loved the video on shooting medium format on the beach - so restful, I could watch it over & over! I like your style :)
Thanks Anthony glad its helped you.
A great different approach to the channel this week Paul, outside the NZ landscape photography track that you have been travelling. Good to see this behind the scenes, from A to B process & i think it gives a clearer picture of the passion you are following & sharing with us !! ... Good to hear your doing a bit of land base fishing again & may include this in one of your channel eps ... will be interest to see what you come up with mate & looking forward to watch next week as always .. Cheers !!
Cheers mate
Another excellent video, Paul. I learned something regarding scanning b&w as colour. Your philosophy and workflow in lightroom is almost exactly the same as mine. Good to have affirmation of that.
Thanks Richard
Nice clear vlog, done at the right pace. Editing vlogs either tend to be rushed through or feel as long as a week in the jail....ooow, sorry that's Australians not New Zealanders.
The only thing I can add to this is with dustspotting; someone once told me to invert the shot first, apparently we see white spots on black more easily as we are still designed to see the eyes of predators in the dark. I also quite often do this for sharpening, before inverting it back; especially useful when you've been staring at the screen too long.
THanks for sharing your workflow. I agree with your philosophy of using Lightroom to bring the image to the visualized idea we had when taking it. Respect the film, but take it to the best it can be, the closest it can come to our visualization. Thanks! Enjoy your channel (new subscriber).
Thanks Martin
Hi Paul, I recently subscribed and this video again is so timely. Contemplating digital or wet darkroom. Used to wet print many years ago and got half an enlarger (don't ask) somewhere in the garage. However I like the digital approach as a dual shooter and up to now have been sending my film off to be processed and scanned. Now looking at developing my own b/w again so interested in scanning, tweaking and printing. This video has answered a lot of questions of how I go about achieving that. Loved the Huntly video as well.
Thanks Andrew, glad it has helped. I contradicted myself on this video, shortly afterwards I went out and brought a few enlargers to start a darkroom,.. actually 9! Take care
That was the video that made me want to subscribe, all those multigrade heads! Been buying up old cheap film cameras from the 50's and 60's like there is no tomorrow, bad GAS. Got some real bargains but now want to use them hence reducing the cost of sending the film off to be processed and scanned by doing it myself.
Good luck with the processing
Nice video Paul ! I agree with you, I also shoot sometimes film and develop,scan and then process it little bit through software. Its your way and its your picture and you can do what ever you like to do with it. Amsel Adams also manipulated his negatives in one or the other way. Its crazy to shot in film, develop, scan and make it digital again. But in my eyes the whole process is fun. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us !
Your welcome! Thanks for watching
what an insightful video!
thanks for sharing this with us
always love learning from you :)
I liked this video a lot, I still shoot the odd roll of film on my Leica M6, and this has given me inspiration to take it with me on my next vacation, Keep up the video content, compulsive viewing for me.
Cheers from Ireland :-)
Kia Ora Roy, glad you enjoyed
Your thoughts on processing the scan are right, as Ansel Adams and the like dodged and burned multiple images / prints before the final prints that we love and know. The F64 principle and the zone system was what this was all about, and the dodging and burning was exactly what we do now. ....... Great video Paul.
Vuescan is great, and it's what I used to use with my Canon flatbed and my Nikon ED IV scanner. I like the way Vuescan is great from the point of view that it's updated with various film profiles.
Thanks for watching and your comment John, appreciate it!
I enjoyed this, and I previously found Mr. Stevenson and liked his scanning workflow. I have had a darkroom since 1984, 2 enlargers, but not a wet darkroom (no plumbing), that is too expensive. So much darkroom equipment is cheap now on ebay, etc and I now own things I only dreamed about back before digital; like a sensitometer and an Omega xl 4x5 enlarger (+ my Beseler MX 4x5 enlarger) with the variable contrast light source.....premium equipment for B&W. It definitely is more time consuming than digital and silver gelatin photographic paper is not cheap and it will expire. I really hate wasting sheets getting my exposures, dodging and burning just right; and there is dry-down effect to consider too. I too have Vuescan but I have not scanned a single negative yet, I've been busy shooting digital and learning Photoshop so I can keep my options open. Digital allows me to shoot color. If I really want a class b&w image, I shoot it with film and print it in the darkroom. I get a lot of satisfaction from a fine print out of the darkroom.
Hi Steve, so glad you said you shoot film if you want a quality B&W, I'm of the belief that if you are going to produce a black and white you do it from the start and do it with film, not shoot it in colour and convert. I just brought out a High Schools darkroom here in New Zealand, 10 brand new enlargers for $250 unbelievable. Thanks for watching.
Good luck and happy printing. I am now a subscriber, so looking forward to future episodes. If you don't know of him, Steve O'Nions, Craig Prentis, and Nick Carver have channels and they primarily shoot film and convert to digital, very good vlogs.
As always, amazing content, thanks ! - Martin
Thanks Martin
You use the same scanner as me. How do you get such good results?? Mine always has a slightly glazed, flat look to them, like it's a little out of focus. I've tried changing the height of the negative nothing works. Honestly drives me mad, they incomparable to the lab scans I get done.
Hi Tom mine has always been sweet. Are you using Scan Gear Advanced Mode??
@@PaulCSmithPhotographer Yea I do. I've tried changing the height of the negatives too to no avail. I assumed the scanner just wasn't very good, but everyone gets much better results than me so much be mine
Great vid mate love the imafe
Hello, which printer do you use for your photos ?
Epson P600
How come your negative image shows up as a positive? I thought the software indicated "negative" so that you would have to invert in PS.
No it inverts the image during the scanning process
I don't see the link on how to use Vuescan software that you mention will be in the links for this video. Am I overlooking something?
Sorry Danvil I thought it was in there. Anyway I have added a playlist to the video, comes up as one of the pop up cards, and have also placed the link in the notes below the video. Take care!
Hiyas Paul luv the lesson...
Please share your colour film workflow next!
Dear Paul, as always, congratulations for your very interesting video. I photograph only in black and white with the film, because I believe that it still manages to transfer a three-dimensional that digital can not offer. Although many simulators or plugins try to emulate the films, you see a mile away when a picture is taken digitally for that aspect postcard offering. Photographer in color with digital because I believe that today there is no story between color photography in analog and digital. Therefore, I do not think foolish to take pictures to film to reduce the whole to a digital file, also because the celluloid support is not that of the file that can be destroyed behind even a carelessness or a technical defect. In addition, the film makes me feel like an amateur photographer, because it is the challenge of the unknown that exists after a shot. What have I done?? I've been good? I evaluated everything without neglecting anything? Digital can not give you all this, even if the Leica has put a digital without a display on the market to revive all of this. It seems really ridiculous and offensive to the intelligence of those who buy a device so expensive ...
However Photoshop is nothing so blasphemous when used with respect for photography because even in the dark room nothing was as it was taken ...
I love to photograph like this, in the old way, until God keeps my head, my heart and my hand to continue. :)) Thanks dear Paul you're in our hearts, a little kiss to your beautiful dog. :))
Thankyou Ninni, I agree totally the only way to REALLY shoot in Black and White is to shoot film. Thankyou again!
Great video!!!!
I have been darkroom printing for 40 years. I currently also do the hybrid approach but I still do some darkroom printing. In other words I’m a mixed bag both traditional and digital. My response to those who say “You must not post process your scans” is simply ... nonsense! Anyone who does darkroom printing will tell you we adjust exposure, contrast, dodging and burning at the enlarger... in other words we post process. When I’m importing digitized negatives into Lightroom, I do exactly the same kind of post processing that I would do at the enlarger. No one who does correct darkroom printing will process a negative as is with zero adjustments. At the very minimum you play with exposure via test strips. Many, myself included, use split grade printing for separate control of highlights and shadows.
As for the scanning I don’t scan at all. I digitize which means using a digital camera and macro lens to take a photo of the negative. It produces much higher quality images in a fraction of the time for 35mm film. This is the process used by museums for archiving negatives. Medium format scanning is comparable to digitizing with regard to quality. Large format 4x5 or 8x10 actually is better with a scanner.
Hi Jim thanks for taking the time to provide an in depth comment and share your process. Glad you have confirmed my thoughts on processing, take care.
Interesting to see. Your using a Canon scanner.......Most people rave over Epson
Good little scanner
Really interesting stuff once more. I was intrigued (if not a bit puzzled), however, when I saw the histogram of the photograph after you finished processing it. Almost the complete highlights and whites area was not used and yet the print you made was bright and shiny. Usually, when I print images with such a histogram, they turn out much darker...
Hi Christian, good point you make. Actually to be honest after recording the video I realised the contrast was not quite to my liking so tweaked it a fraction, my mind was more on demonstrating what I do typically in Lightroom when editing film, so I overlooked the histogram a bit. I also put a LUT over that section of the video showing the image being printed that blows the whites and blacks out of the stratosphere so that's why it looks sooo contrasty. Thanks for pulling me up on that one LOL, take care!
A minute and a half exposure? Wow , did you have to use an ND filter?
Yes
Are there still photographers condemning digital post-processing in 2018? Listen, I love film photography but that "I'm a purist and refuse to use LR/PS" philosophy is absurd. Denying yourself available tools just so you can call yourself a purist and feel superior is nothing more than elitism...something photography doesn't need.
I also suspect it covers for their fear of learning a new, and often intimidating, technique.
Ditto
First of all, I have to tell you that I was at the forefront of digital photography. Secondly, I'm not familiar with contemporary scanners. Course I didn't care for film photography too much for years. However, from my experience, results with flatbed scanner, using an actual photograph / print are 10x better than those with directly scanned film. You can still edit your photograph in Lightroom or Photoshop later, but actual film paper can always give you something more what a machine (scanner) can't. Just like film. So I would like to encourage you to try out working in a real darkroom, with real photographic paper. It doesn't need to be anything fancy. My guess is you could buy an entire darkroom equipment for a just a couple of hundred dollars. And just DON'T tell me that you don't have a place for it. I had a darkroom in the cellar, in the kitchen, in the bathroom an in the built-in closet. Yes, in the closet. I could barley move in it, but it was my space and I couldn't fear that I would be interrupted in it. Unlike the kitchen :D
Thanks Tonislav, yes I could definitely see how a direct scan from a darkroom print would make sense and be a far better more traditional looking reproduction. Re the darkroom yes it will happen, but I just don't have enough time for another all consuming OBSESSION! LOL but it will definitely happen, I constantly am on the lookout for a setup. Thanks for watching take care!
Hi Tomislav, just thought I'd let you know first that today I purchased an enlarger, thanks for making me change my mind!
🤗👏🍷🎉🎉🎉👍👍👍