Howdy! Sorry about the delay in getting the fresh content up and online, but I am still trying to get everything right and a lot of real life commitments have been hindering progress on the LIDF relaunch. I apologize to all of you for the delay, but I have a lot going on at the moment, but I am still trying to get these new articles up and out ASAP. The change is in progress, just slower than I had hoped for. Good stuff soon!
Onto other news, my first film emulation presets for Lightroom since the launch of Cold Storage 2 are getting ready to go live with the X-Equals+Digest tomorrow. As you all should know, my film presets will no longer be release here on LIDF (although everything that has been released already will remain here). From now on, all my presets will be distributed through X-Equals, where I am a major contributor.
Tomorrow when the X-Equals+Digest starts hitting mailboxes, it will have a download for my newest releases, Konica Super XG 100 and Konica Super XG 200 for Lightroom. The presets have a new design, a bit different than what I have been releasing here, but for those using Lightroom 3, these are the first presets to have proper Grain presets included with the download. The image above is the sample image from the digest, showing (from left to right) the untouched image, Konica Super XG 100 preset and the Konica Super XG 200 preset.
If you are a fan of my emulation presets, please be sure to sign up for the X-Equals+Digest, as that is the only way to ensure you get the newest film presets free! I have no idea if we will offer them for download elsewhere, so if you want to get these while they are fresh sign up!
As always, these new free presets are bound for the next installment of the Cold Storage Collection, so if you miss them now they will be available later. But you can’t beat free, so get them early.
Change, it is somewhat of a constant in life, as contradictory as that may sound. Since LifeInDigitalFilm’s inception about a year and a half ago, the blog has made many little changes, shifts if you will, but never strayed too far from the original purpose. That purpose was to distribute my film emulation presets. However, as with all things in life, its time for a change.
Over the past year and a half, the mere task of emulating film has led me back into the warm embrace of the darkroom arts. I actually shot multiple rolls of each film I emulated to get an accurate feel for each film, both objective and subjective. For a while I was shooting just for the purpose of emulation, but the old Minolta Maxxum 7000 felt wonderful in my hands, and when the test rolls came out of the rinse I started to feel that old magic reignite.
Since the inception of LIDF, I have went from shooting 100% digital to shooting 20% digital and 80% traditional (I truly loathe the moniker ”Analog” for film photography). I still shoot digital for my paying jobs mostly, but almost all my personal work originated in silver salts embedded in gelatin. Keeping a digital focus on LIDF became work, both because I was enamored with the old ways and a guest spot on X-Equals led to becoming a regular contributor to the site. With the gwoing interest in film and a constant workload at X-Equals, LIDF began to suffer.
So recently, while working with Brandon of X-Equals on some upcoming projects, we discussed the future of LIDF. As it is, I am a major part of X-Equals, both in writing and product production, but I didn’t want LIDF to fade gently into the night. We can up with a plan together, which I am going to lay out to you now.
LIDF has a new direction, one I have been slowly shifting toward over the course of the past year. LIDF is now going to focus on the needs and issues of the Hybrid Photographer. Those who choose to meld the strengths of film with the abilities afforded us by the digital darkroom. Using traditional and modern tools hand in hand to take the art of photography to the next level.
To further this direction, LIDF will no longer have any digital content. From articles on digital photography to presets, including my film emulation presets. My articles relating to digital will now find a home on X-Equals, as they have been for over a year now.
The film emulation presets will continue again in the future, they will be found at X-Equals from now on. Make sure to sign up for the X-Equals+Digest to be the first to get your hands on future Cold Storage film emulations. Also, sales of Cold Storage are no longer being done through LifeInDigitalFilm, X-Equals is the sole provider of my preset endeavors. The “Presets for Sale” link at the top of LIDF still works, but all sales are routed through X-Equals infrastructure. Or you can go to the X-Equals Store, instead.
As X-Equals and LifeInDigitalFilm come more instep with one another, one focusing upon digital whilst the other upon film, there will be changes to LIDF. A new theme is in the works, replacing the excellent Mono theme I have been using. Also a change in hosting is very likely as well. I’ll keep you updated on any expected down time as those events move closer.
So now you know what is changing, here is some of what you can expect.
Fresh articles on the arcane art of scanning. I started a series a while back on scanning, but other issues prevented me from getting it moving along, however they are well on their way to completion and posting.
More in depth coverage of the two preeminent pieces of scanning software on the market. SilverFast and VueScan. I have touched upon these before, but both will be recieveing 30-Day Reviews, where I review the software after an intensive month with the software, in the coming weeks. Beyond the reviews, look forward to in-depth scanning workflows for both of these fine pieces of software.
I’ll keep you up to date on new scanner releases as soon as I find out about them. Plus I will have reviews for the hardware I frequently use and share my thoughts and techniques with you.
I love Lightrooom, and I find it just as powerful for the Hybrid Photographer as the Digital Photographer. We will look at the non-destructive workflow Lightroom offers, as we use the tools made for RAW files upon our scans.
Plus, I will completely outline my personal scanning settings, which in the end become my fDNG files. 48-bit TIFFs wrapped up in a warm DNG blanket to provide additional security for your images as well as a litany of metadata to help you utilize your scans in Lightroom.
We will experiment with some alternative photography methods, from printing in the darkroom from digital “negatives”, “scanning” slides using a DSLR enabling the use of RAW and HDR, to some traditional techniques that you may have never encountered.
Dig deep into the world of development, from B&W to Color. We’ll even take a look at compounding our own chemisty to take our control of development to the next level.
And more that I haven’t thought of. There is over 100 years of traditional technique and everyday there is more technology we can apply to the old ways.
So hang around and see what you think.
So let’s see whats coming up in the next moth, as I copy from the draft panel in Wordpress.
The Hybrid Photographer’s Toolkit: A series of posts in which I share what equipment I use and recommend to fully setup both your traditional and digital darkrooms. The stuff I have to have every day for support my hybrid workflow.
30-Days Reviews: I got both SilverFast and VueScan on deck and I will share my thoughts and observations made over a full month spent with each of these killer pieces of software.
Film Photographer Profiles: As I recently introduced, I will continue to choose some of the most talented film photographers and share their work with you. To see what I mean, look back at my profile on the talented Nick Shere.
So keep dropping by and find out for yourself what I have in store for everyone. And don’t forget to add X-Equals to your required reading as well, especially if you were here for my presets and views on the digital world. Its been a great ride so far, I can’t wait to see where we go next.
Hey all, its been quite a while since my last update on LifeInDigitalFilm. Well, thats mainly because I have been insanely busy.Been writing a lot for X-Equals and working on a few special projects over there. Plus I have been doing some intensive work with testing SilverFast and VueScan in depth, to bring both complete reviews and complete scanning workflows.
I would like to than all of my readers for their continued support, especially through these times I get so busy with other work that I can’t find time to get fresh content up here. I am currently working with Brandon at X-Equals to bring LifeInDigitalFilm a bit more in step with the X-Equals operation, which would lead to more regular posts.
The first step I am taking with Brandon is moving all my preset packages that are for sale over to X-Equals, where Cold Storage is becoming part of the X-Equals Preset Platform. From there we will see what other changes may come, because I don’t know for sure yet either.
Next, there is going to be an even more decisive shift in direction at LifeInDigitalFilm. I feel that its time to move past the presets and become a full fledged film and hybrid photography blog. From here on out, 90% of everything posted to LifeInDigitalFilm will focus on film photography and scanning. There will be some Photoshop and Lightroom pieces, but there will be no more Film Emulations released on LIDF.
That is not to say the free emulations already up are disappearing, or that there will be no more. I will continue to make film presets for Lightroom, but I feel they no longer fit our scope here. So, to be sure you get my future film emulation presets please sign up for the X-Equals digest, where I will continue to release my presets for free. X-Equals is more centered on Lightroom than LIDF is, so its only fitting that I release my new presets there. So if you are not already signed up with the X-Equals digest, do so.
New posts will resume shortly here on LIDF, so please bear with the changes.
Hey all, been busy here at LIDF lately, getting a special preset collection made to help XeLerate all digital Lightroom workflows. Well, I need a break from the technical of digital, film, scanning and Lightroom. So I am going to finally do something I have been meaning to for a while.
Today I want to introduce everyone to a photographer whose work has made a deep impact on me, and has been affecting my personal projects quite a bit of late. This is not a profile on the photographer, that may come later; for now this is simply a presentation of his work he has shared with the public.
Today I would like to ask you to take a few moments and reflect upon some of my favorite photos by Nick Shere (@kukkurovaca on Twitter). Nick is primarily a film photographer, as you can see from his body of work, but can also weild a DSLR with equal style.
Nick’s work of most interest to me is his unique urban landscapes and his street photography. Follow along with me as I take a look at a few of his photos from the past year that make a particular impact on me.
Nimitz Construction
Koni-Omega Rapid // Koni-Omega Hexanon 60mm f/5.6
Kodak Tri-X 400 pushed to EI 1600
THis image shows what Nick easily accomplishes that I often strive for. Extraordinary in the ordinary. This image is one that many would simply pass by, not giving the scene a second thought. Here Nick created an image that creates great tension through great utilization of unique textures along with a series of converging lines drawing your eye right to the center of the image. An otherwise mundane scene, that would have unlikely worked in color, is transformed into an image of interest through great composition and the choice of black and white film, which removes the distraction of color and forces you to only consider the composition and textures within. The Tri-X film provided smooth tones with good contrast, pushing the film provided the additional shutter speed to freeze the moment, while the Koni-Omega (being medium format) allows for the push while still retaining a reasonably fine grain.
Church (IR)
Nikkromat FT-2 // 2.8cm f/3.5 H
Efke IR820 Aura exposed at EI 3
When creating an image on infrared film, choice of subject is important. You want to get a good contrast in the image, while making sure that you have something in frame that makes the IR effect bloom. Nick’s composition here is simple and straight forward. The church rides on the left third, the tree on the right third. The road at the bottom rises at an angle, leading you eye right up the tree branch into the infrared glow. A simple image, but with simple comes elegance. The angle of light in the frame further enhances the image, creating brightness in the shadow area that is the church, which primarily serves as a good backdrop for the beauty of the tree interpreted on infrared film. The interplay of highlights and shadows contributes to the image as much as the composition itself. One could argue that the expose could be more dead on, but the exposure presented showcased the unique aspect of the film well, and when shooting IR you have to always keep in mind the essence of your medium and utilize it.
Flood Control Station, Sunset
Voigtlander Bessa R // Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f/1.7
Kodak Portra 160NC Expired
Another one of those shots that is easy to pass by, however Nick saw it and conquered. The lighting of the day lend toward enhancing the water that rules the bottom two thirds of the frame. The reflection of the tree adds content to the otherwise spartan face of the water and the light provides a smooth gradient from bright white to deep blue. The structures across the top and right of the frame use their angular nature to move your eye to the primary subject of the image, the hose snaking through the water, with its diverging line causing your eyes to snake right along with it from the top to the bottom. An amazing image.
Rainy Morning Commute
Olympus XA
Portra 160NC
A unique take on street photography, from inside a vehicle to the outside, depicting the platform and rainy weather outside. The image conveys the feeling of dry warmth on the inside, while allowing the cold, wet environment of the outside seep through. The image captures the passengers going about their activities; drinking coffee, reading and apparently simply fidgeting. The rain streaked glass blurs away the people trying to stay dry outside… you can almost feel them shivering. The choice of film for this application helped to make a very natural feel, helping you to further immerse yourself in the scene.
Lightning
Koni-Omega Rapid
Kodak Portra 400VC
One look and ask yourself, would you have taken the shot considering the light? Nick did, and with great timing created a great image.At first you might think that the woman in the steps is the subject, but I would disagree. To me, the subject is the streak of light running across the frame. Most of the image is pure black, with less than a tenth of the image actually lit. A lit sign, person and some flare. That is the content of the light breaking the firmament of darkness. An unconventional image the impress thoroughly.
Welcome to Ferry Plaza
Nikkormat FT-2 // 50mm f/1.4 S
Kodak Portra 400VC
Street photography can be a technical skill, but to me it is more about conveying the feeling of a time and place, much like photojournalism. That is not to say that composition is not a prime component of street photography, it is simply more important to capture the moment. The mix of people and activity, the bridge spanning the top of the frame, all leads to a very interesting photo. What I believe makes this image special to me is the sign dominating the left of the frame, clearly announcing to the viewer exactly where they are and what they are viewing. Even have a photographer hiding behind the sign taking an image of her own at the same time. A simple moment captured, allowing the view to further extrapolate upon what is occurring at and beyond this single moment. Nick captured the essence of street photography here in my opinion.
Tourist Crossing
Bessa R // Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5
Kodak Portra 400VC
Another prime example of what I like in street photography. At first glance the image is mundane, but as you take in the atmosphere, notice the subtle complexity of composition, you can start to appreciate the moment frozen in time. Much like the previous picture, the image conveys feeling and location well. And the natural color palette of the Portra 400 VC lends the feeling of reality, allowing the view to be swept away into the scene. Simplicity sometimes can create excellence, and in my opinion that stands through here.
Long Halloween
Voigtlander Bessa R // Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f/1.7
Kodak Portra 160NC
Verging away from both street and landscape, this image is simply a still life. This is a prime example of choosing an interesting subject. The collapse jack o lantern and aged furniture create a homely feel, especially when framed against the rather modest home. The interplay of light and shadow add to the complexity and the reflections in the mirror even convey, slightly, the presence of the photographer. As you view Nick’s work you come to understand he really has an eye to make the ordinary something more. A large part of a photographers job is to choose interesting subjects and Nick is a master of finding interest in the mundane.
Limits
Bessa R // Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5
Kodak Portra 160VC
Here Nick deftly combines both his natural feel for street photography with his take on urban landscapes and throws in a healthy does of “fine art” to boot. I could go on about how technically perfect the image is, the great choice of film for great colors, but that would be excessive. Quite simply this image is pure composition. It would work in any photographic medium; digital, film, color, black and white, 35mm, large format and even instant film. It is a composition of such complexity, with the added benefit of great timing that pulls a simple photo from the ranks of snapshot to a once in a lifetime image. The lines in the image are all straight, riging either the horizontal or vertical, with little diagonals present. The textures of the image come together to prove a sense of real depth. A splash of green upon rather earthy tones helps the image come to life. Col. Sanders is also dressed quite dapper for the photo. But the real subject here is the sculpture and the man seeming to walk into it, as if entering a portal. This image is magic and transcends technique and art… it simply is.
Hopefully you found my selections from Nick’s Flickr stream of interest. Don’t stop here, jump over to his Flickr stream and actually take a stroll through his body of work. There are other great nuggets to be found, especially some of his avian photography. I chose only his film shots here on purpose, both because Nick primarily shoots film and because I really wanted some of you to see what film can still accomplish. Hopefully seeing some of Nick’s work has given you a bit more appreciation for the capabilities of the film media.
For more from Nick Shere, take a look at some of his ongoings around the web:
On Twitter: @kukkurovaca - A great follow, especially if you are into scathing wit.
And finally, a new preset. In fact there will be a couple of presets in the next few weeks. Primarily to save me time. A release of a preset I already have done take very little time, whereas the longer posts I have been writing take a considerable amount of time. Right now I got some pretty special projects I need to pay attention to, so I need to ease up a bit on writing to focus on these tasks at hand. Of which completing the guide to Cold Storage 2 is at the top of my list. Yep, I finally got another batch of Film Presets ready to sell, but I need to make sure the guidebook had all the tips needed to get the most out of the presets.
And then there are a few more thing coming up that I will fill you in on as time gets closer. Something big is coming, but I can’t say more than that except don’t switch to Aperture!
On the note of other projects, LifeInDigitalFilm has teamed up again with X-Equals; this time providing a collection of presets to give your creativity a kick in the pants. X-Equals and LifeInDigitalFilm are proud to release our newest product, Creative Production Presets Vol. 1. This collection brings together many of the creative presets that have been provided through X-Equals, designed both by Brandon and myself. With more than 75 presets you should have plenty to experiment with to help you unlock your creativity. At $14.99 this collection is a bargain compared to many similar creative preset collections with the added bonus to LIDF reader, a selection of film emulations including some unreleased. Hop over to X-Equals and check it out and consider supporting both X-Equals and LifeInDigitalFilm by making that purchase.
Now onto the matter at hand. We got a unique preset today that you would never see in the real world, due to technical difficulties. You never see Kodachrome treated with bleach bypass development. First, only Dwayne’s of Parsons, KS still develops the stuff so special processing is hard to come by. Second, the K-14 process is unique and I am unsure if it is even possible to perform a bleach bypass on the film. Finally, there is already some residual silver present in most Kodachrome slides, and if completely lef tin, the silver may make the image too dense.
However, I can emulate the probable appearance of a Bleach Bypassed Kodachrome. Obviously this is a stretch, but the world of digital allows us some liberties with reality, right? The Kodachrome Bleach Bypass preset has a tone curve and other setting reminiscent of my other bleach bypass endeavors while stealing the basic color from my Kodachrome 25 preset. I had to adjust the color on the Kodachrome 25 settings to allow for reasonable skin tones for the bleach bypass look, but aside from that it is still fairly faithful.
This is designed to be a fun, creative preset whilst staying in line with the film focus of LifeInDigitalFilm. The concept is firmly rooted in the traditional photographic world in theory if not in practice.
Have fun, and if you are interested in my more creative presets, not limited by the confines of traditional photography, check out my preset work over at X-Equals.
Months ago, I reviewed a fine piece of Web Gallery Engine for Lightroom from The Turning Gate, the one-man creation of Matthew Campagna. That piece of software, TTG Highslide Gallery Pro, made creation of high quality, attractive galleries simple. Plus, the added benefit that these beautiful galleries can be generated and uploaded directly from Lightroom.
TTG Pages is a complimentary product to TTG Highslide Gallery Pro. However instead of creating galleries, TTG Pages lets you create elegant websites, easily, right from Lightroom. Now understand, these are not Dreamweaver masterpieces; but solid, simple, elegant websites. TTG Pages is a great front end for the varying TTG Galleries. TTG Pages makes it easy to create specialty websites, such as weddings, online exhibitions and even your online portfolio. TTG Pages is the go to software for quick design, creation and deployment of small, custom sites directly from Lightroom.
Installation of TTG Pages is a simple affair, although if you are not familiar it can seem intimidating. Web engines are not a simple menu click affair like importing presets, you have to manually move the files directly into your Lightroom settings folder. Instructions for installing Web Engines can be found on The Turning Gate site. Along with the Web Engine, the TTG Pages download includes a number of preconfigured Web Templates, allowing a quick redesign of the elements that make the web page with a simple click. Installation instructions for the template again can be found at The Turning Gate.
Once the installation is complete, just fire up Lightroom. Select a few photos you want to use to decorate you webpage and click on the Web Module. From here, simply click on TTG Pages in the Web Engine palette on the right tool panel of the Web Module.
Give Lightroom some time now, as it is prepping your selected images and rendering a web page viewable in the preview panel. From here you can select from a selection of pre-made web templates for TTG Pages, or mosey on over to the right tool panel and start scrolling through your options.
TTG Pages provides a myriad of settings to help create the perfect website for your needs. Everything can be adjusted from the right tool panel, leaving you no HTML that you have to deal with. Not saying you can’t tweak the resulting web page, it is just that you don’t have to. It will be fully functional on export.
What is tricky is text. In most tools, not designed for Lightroom, you would simply type text onto the web preview. Formatting already would be applied. However, due to limitations of Lightroom’s design (I mean, Lightroom is not really a webpage editor) you cannot format paragraphs on you pages. However, Matthew found a nice way around that and has separate text boxes on the tool palette for up to five paragraphs on a page. Most times this will be all you would need.
TTG Pages automatically generates a number of pages automatically. The bare basics are a front page, an about page, a gallery page and a contact page. From here you can also add hotlinks for linking to other pages and TTG Pages even has an easy to use contact form for the contact page that can forward comments and questions directly to an e-mail account.
The gallery page automatically takes one of your selected images and creates a link to a gallery. TTG Pages does not create galleries; you would need to use another TTG gallery engine such as TTG Highslide Gallery Pro. However, TTG Pages is designed to automatically link to galleries you produce when you follow the simple instructions on the TTG pages site.
I am really just touching the tip of the iceberg here, TTG Pages is a powerful tool and used in conjunction with TTG Highslide Gallery Pro it was to be the quickest way to create stunning websites to show off your images. Once you finish you website you can either save it locally to fine tune and upload, or you can directly upload your new site directly from Lightroom.
This review is rather brief, as I do not want to go too in depth, as I am working on a complete tutorial walking you through the use of TTG Pages and TTG Highslide Gallery Pro, from start to finish, to make a “boutique” website, such as that for a wedding or portfolio. It is shaping up to be quite in-depth in both applications, but quite easy to follow. So if this does not generate interest in TTG Pages, I am sure the walkthrough will. In fact I am working on my own special project currently utilizing both of these tools.
Here is a sample site, created with TTG Pages. I did not fill out the page at all, used the standard design and did not upload galleries. Since there are no galleries in the gallery folder, there is no previews shown in the Gallery Index. This is just a sample to play around with, and is only temporary, as I will link my project I am working on here to show exactly what TTG Pages can do.
Overall, I found TTG Pages to be a well-rounded piece of software. It is fast, simple and create fine website. Using TTG Pages on its own has limited appeal, but in conjunction with another TTG product or two you have a complete design solution for quick and elegant websites. If you already have a TTG gallery product installed, TTG Pages is a must have. TTG Pages makes it easy to create an great frontend to present your galleries.
TTG Pages is available at The Turning Gate for $25 USD.
Later,
Michael
P.S.
US Legal BS: I was provided with a review copy of the software and received no other form of compensation for this review.
Alright, let’s get this going. The most important step in setting up your scanning workflow is your choice of scanner. However there are so many scanners out there, it would be impossible for me to guide you towards the best scanner for your needs. I use and love my Epson Perfection V500 and my Plustek OpticFilm 7200. Both are fine scanners, but technology passes and hardware improve with time. They are both a little behind the curve now days, but still produce great scans. If money is no object, just throw down on a Nikon Super CoolScan 9000 ED, otherwise you have some research to do.
Later I will write a basic guide to help you choose the scanner you need. However today I want to look at the next most important variable, scanning software, where I feel that I am able to provide some good feedback to help you made an informed choice.
As it is, when you buy a scanner, it always comes with software that allows you to start scanning. Usually the software is fairly bare bones, with limited options. Other times, especially with high end scanners, you will be provided with some robust software to get you running quick. Nikon scanners ship with Nikon Scan, which is a robust piece of software, and may be all you need. However most other scanners on the market ship with the manufacturer’s software, such as Epson Scan with the Epson scanners.
From here we will assume you chose to but a mid-level scanner, such as an Epson Perfection V500 or Epson V700. The V500 and V700 both ship with Epson Scan. The V700 also ships with a piece of software called LaserSoft Imaging’s SilverFast SE. This is a high quality piece of software, but is crippled in comparison to its sister product SilverFast AI. You may find that SilverFast SE is all you need, or maybe EpsonScan provides you with good enough images for your needs. But either way, you may find you desire more options and more horsepower.
If you find yourself in that situation, I have two options for you to look into. The first option is LaserSoft Imaging’s SilverFast AI, which is an expanded version of the SilverFast SE software often included with mid-range scanners. The other option is Hamrick’s VueScan, a veritable Swiss Army Knife of scanning technology. Let’s look a bit closer at both, of which I have used both frequently, and then I’ll give you my take on the situation.
LaserSoft Imaging’s SilverFast AI
The SilverFast line of scanning software offers tools for any scanning need, from amateur to professional needs. SilverFast AI is there middle of the road software package, with most the pro features the average photographer would need. SilverFast AI Studio and SilverFast Archive Suite are the higher end offerings, but they offer features above and beyond what is needed for my scanning workflow. So I am going to dig deeper into SilverFast AI.
SilverFast AI is specially configured for each model of scanner. This allows SilverFast to consistently provide the highest quality scans from your hardware as the software is tailor made for your scanner. The base software download costs $119 USD for the Epson V500, you can add a custom IT8 calibration target to your software, brining it to $218 and even add in printer calibration software to guarantee accurate printing for $317. Calibration is not required, but is a must for accurate scans. SilverFast comes with both a stand-alone application and a TWAIN compliant Photoshop plug-in.
After the initial purchase, SilverFast is a workhorse when it comes to scanning. It can use your scanner’s Digital ICE technology and has its own built-in scratch and dust repair capabilities as well. A big plus is SilverFast’s ability to scan “HDR” scans from film and they offer a separate piece of software specially designed to manipulate these custom scans. SilverFast is not merely a scanning app, but is expandable to a full suite of scanning tools, called SilverFast Archive Suite. The sky is the limit, but so is your wallet.
SilverFast is full of features, from their excellent NegaFix optimization, which optimizes color and contrast of film scans based on profiles for individual stocks of film. Adaptive Color Restoration helps you bring the color pop back into old shots that have faded. Selective Color Correction allows you to make up to four layers of adjustment, allowing you to selectively alter objects of the same color inside the same image. GANE is an excellent Grain and Noise Elimination tool, allowing you to make clean images from even the grainiest negative. SilverFast’s USM sharpening tool sharpens better than any other scanning application, as it can compensate for your scanner’s sensor and scan motion. MidPip allows for the easy removal of color casting at time of scan and SilverFast’s Multi-Sampling tool combines multiple scans of the same image at different exposures to aid in creating noise free scans, from the deepest shadow to the brightest highlight.
In actual use, SilverFast has a slightly odd feel. If you are used to how the image program GIMP is configured, you have a general idea. Each pane of SilverFast is in a separate, undocked window. At first this is disconcerting, but can easily be adjusted to. Once you get used to the strange layout, SilverFast’s scanning workflow is simple and easy to get used to. It is easy to get high quality, true to the film scans. Even Kodachrome, notoriously one of the hardest film stocks to scan, is handled well by SilverFast, and LaserSoft even offers a complete Kodachrome workflow for sale with Kodachrome IT8 targets.
You will not be let down if you choose to utilize SilverFast as your primary scanning application. While not overly customizable, SilverFast is solid and knows your scanner inside and out.
Pros
Excellent scan quality
Awesome tools to tweak your images into perfection.
Allows a bit of layer editing, allowing you to perfect you image before you get into Photoshop.
Excellent handling of scratches, dust and excessive grain.
Beautiful color rendition.
With the IT-8 target, calibration is a breeze and guarantees accurate colors.
Fast scanning, including multi-sampling scans.
Cons
Disconcerting workspace.
Limited level of customization for scan settings.
Software is tied only to one make and model of scanner. Cannot upgrade to a new scanner and still use SilverFast without new purchase.
Relatively high cost, rapidly increasing by adding calibration targets and additional software.
Hamrick VueScan
Hamrick VueScan, as mentioned before, is a veritable scanning Swiss Army Knife. With a single purchase, you have one software package that can be used with almost any scanner, old or new. VueScan is a stand-alone application, with no Photoshop plug-in, but the relative ease of use more than compensates for the lack of a plug-in.
VueScan is developed and maintained by Ed Hamrick, and he built the software from the ground up, by himself in C and C++, to allow him a better interface to manipulate his scanners, getting better quality out of them by accessing them at the hardware level, by passing the normal scanner drivers. He still maintains VueScan on his own, rapidly updating the software for new scanners and fixing bugs on a regular basis. VueScan is updated frequently, with a new version out about every one or two weeks.
Unlike Silverfast, VueScan supports a multitude of scanners. As opposed to configuring special versions for each unique scanner model, Ed Hamrick has profiled many scanners and their capabilities into the VueScan software. While this does not allow the familiarity that SilveFast and its custom versions allows, VueScan is more than capable of getting a lot of your scanner. Plus, since you are able to use VueScan with any scanner, you get more from your purchase as time goes on.
VueScan comes in two flavors, standard and professional. The Standard edition has most all capabilities of the Professional version and allows for free upgrades for one year for $39.95. The Professional version is the same as the Standard, but allows you to save raw scans, define color spaces for your scanner, monitor, printer and file output and calibrate your scanner using IT8 targets, much like SilverFast. If those additions are not enough to persuade you to choose the Professional edition, then consider this. For $79.95 USD you get all those added features and unlimited upgrades past the one year mark. Pay for VueScan Professional once and you have a scanning solution well into the future.
VueScan also has a different interface than you may be used to, as it is very vanilla. However this lack of visual polish allows for an easy to maintain software package for Ed and allows for easy porting to other systems. VueScan works natively on Windows, OSX and Linux (and usually in BSD as well). While Spartan, the interface is very utilitarian, allowing an insane amount of customization to scan settings.
VueScan also has different levels of use. There is a very basic interface, allowing only the most basic of tools to be available, to keep scanning as easy and straight-forward as possible. Then as you step through, you add more features of VueScan to the interface, until you reach the Advanced set-up that allows you precise control over all scan and image processing settings.
VueScan come packed with features for you to utilize. Batch scanning works great, allowing you to define differing areas of your scan platen as separate images and scan them all at once. A life saver when you are scanning a roll and you can scan the maximum amount of negatives your scanner can hold at one time. Multi-sampling and multiple passes are additional options, for scanners that are capable, allowing for an average of scans of multiple exposures with multiple scans of the image. When compiled these multiple passes allow you an image with less noise and more dynamic range, surpassing the normal capabilities of your scanner.
VueScan also supports infrared scanning, i.e. Digital ICE, and does an exceptional job of reducing scratches and dust using it. Upon scanning a preview or even a whole resolution scan, VueScan has a strong editor, allowing for setting white and black points, adjusting color balance and contrast. VueScan has built-in profiles for a variety of common film stocks, although not as large as SilverFast’s NegaFix offers. However, VueScan has a procedure allowing you to sample a film’s base color and lock in exposure and base color for an entire roll, allowing custom profiling of film with no additional need for target.
With the pro version of VueScan you have the ability to define ColorSpaces for your scans. This comes in handy, as your scanner normally has a wider gamut than that of sRGB, so you can save your scans in Adobe RGB or ProPhoto, allowing for more color depth in Lightroom and Photoshop. If you happen to have an IT8 target or purchase one, you can custom calibrate your scanners for more consistant scanning, beginning to end. Raw film scans are also possible with VueScan (which is much like SilverFast’s HDR scans) allowing you to save the scan generated by the sensor, in full color plus infrared in a 48/64-bit file. This allows you the most perfect conversions of your scans in Photoshop.
Of importance to my workflow, VueScan allows you to directly save TIFF scans directly to DNG. Many would disagree with my use, but native DNG compatibility is a big plus in my book and integral to my workflow.
The biggest drawback of VueScan is also one of its strong suits. Frequent updates. The current version of VueScan is not playing nicely with batch scanning, with its automatic multi-frame feature not working right with my V500. This is easily remedied by downgrading to a prior version of the software, however the prior versions are not available on Hamrick.com. You will need to save copies of the installer for “known good” builds for your needs. While the occasional update will break your scanning, the quick revert to a known-good copy will fix your ailments. Plus, Ed is always working on new updates, so if he knows something is broken, it will be resolved rather rapidly in an upcoming update. In fact, the latest release alleviated psrt of the problem, however the feature is not back to 100% yet, on my V500 at least.
While not as intertwined with your scanner as SilverFast, VueScan will get more out of your scanner than the manufacturer’s software. At the cost, especially when considering the compatibility, VueScan is a must have. With this software, you will be scanning for years, even as you upgrade your hardware.
Pros
Inexpensive, $79.99 for the Pro version with unlimited updates.
Insanely compatible, with over 1200 scanners working and more to come.
One purchase and you have high-quality software for all your scanners.
Very customizable scans, with many adjustments and variables to pull the most out of your film.
Cross-compatible. The software supports Windows, OSX and Linux. In fact, VueScan is the only real contender for high-quality scanning in Linux.
Exposure and base-color locking ensures consistent results for scans from the same roll.
Cons
Not as good as SilverFast in manipulating your hardware, but not far behind.
Spartan interface takes some getting used to.
Stand-alone only, no Photoshop plug-in.
Not as good as NegaFix in SilverFast at correcting scans based on film profiles, but exposure and base-color lock more than compensate.
My Verdict
If you couldn’t tell by now, I whole heartedly recommend VueScan over SilverFast. Four big reasons weighed my choice.
Price – For a one-time $79.99 purchase, I have updates for life and can use it on any scanner attached to my computer.
Compatibility – I use two scanners on a regular basis and I own four. VueScan is my one-stop shop for my scanning needs, regardless of the scanner I am using at the time.
Customization – The amount of variables VueScan allows me control of allows me to take the quality of my scans into my own hands. SilverFast does not even come close to the level of control VueScan gives me over my scanner.
DNG out of the box – I have to convert TIFFs from SilverFast to DNG in Lightroom. This is a step I would rather not take. VueScan allows me to wrap my TIFF scan directly into a DNG wrapper, allowing for segregation from other images, protection of my original scan, and allows me to carry Lightroom edits and snapshots directly in the DNG wrapper.
Those four reasons where the reason I chose VueScan. For the rest of my scanning series and impending e-book, I will be utilizing VueScan for my tutorials and workflow. I feel if you chose to use VueScan you will not be let down and have a solid workhorse application day in day out for years to come.
That is not to say SilverFast will let you down. If you choose to go that route you will get high-quality scans easily, without having to concern yourself with the myriad of options VueScan allows you. SilverFast is solid, and comes just behind VueScan in my book. I some areas it is superior to VueScan, and I feel it generates better scans with less work. However, I feel with the tools VueScan gives me, I can consistently create better scans with that software.
In the coming days, I will post an in-depth review of both SilverFast and VueScan. They will delve deeper into the software than I did here and even do a basic workflow for each, so you can get the gist of how to use each. So if you are still up in the air hang around for that.
Hopefully this gives you some insight into third-party software for you scanner. You can still use your OEM software that came with your scanner, but you will get better results easier with either VueScan or SilverFast. Choosing your scan software is the cornerstone of your scanning workflow. You have to get the image data you need at time of scan, and these two pieces of software guarantee you will get the most out of your negative and slides.
I would like to apologize for the lack of updates in the past month, as I have been rather busy on a litany of projects and LIDF kind of slipped to the ways side. Primarily I have been trying to polish up my scanning series, so that as the articles drop, they will be solid off the bat.
Good news though. Saturday will be the first official post in the scanning series and it will be looking at software. For those of you activly scanning already it may not be of much interest, but I feel that the choice of scanning software is second only to choosing you scanner. I won’t touch on what scanners to use, as there are differing needs and differing capabilities. However I have a few reviews waiting in the wings of the units I am familiar with, and if any of you have a scanner you would like to review, e-mail me what you got and I will run it on LIDF for all to see.
But that is coming this weekend, so look for it.
Also, since I already have you here, I would like to direct you to one of my favorite blogs I have came across in recent months. 1/125 (http://one125.net) is the creation of Nick Shere (@kukkurovaca ) and Karl Gunnarsson ( @kalli) and is a refreshing view on the world of photography. It is a tum-blog, so the posts are usually short, full of opinion and entertaining as hell. Both guys are good photographers with unique outlooks on photography, both the act of and the photographic world in general.
I highly recommend you give 1/125a look. It covers opinions on classic works, current events and thoughts on photography. Much like me, both Nick and Karl are hybrid photographers, utilizing both film and digital in their work, so I feel their opinions may well be of interest to many LifeInDigitalFilm fans.
Also, while you are purveying the web, make sure to drop by X-Equals and check out my latest piece there, covering a quick workflow to fix bad exposures.
Anyways, just wanted to check in since I had a few minutes, I’ll see ya this weekend when we take a look at scanning software.
[Image scanned by ScanCafe from old, cheap 3M film shot on Minolta Maxxum 7000 ]
I really don’t know what triggered this, but it seems the great film vs digital debate has risen from the depths of Flickr groups and message boards and surfaced in the photo blogging community. In the past few weeks I have read pieces from all over focusing on film, and casting it in either a positive of negative light in comparison to digital. Frequently the comments below these posts have exploded into heated discussions from both sides of the aisle.
Film vs Digital seems to be the great argument in the photo community, and has been for a while. Much like the Windows vs Mac debate in the computer world and the right-wing vs left-wing squabbles in politics, film vs digital seems to never die out and occasionally rises to prominence. It seems to be a prominent discussion at the moment.
As a self-described hybrid photographer, using both digital and film in my work and even blending the two together, I fail to understand the need for this discussion. Both have advantages and disadvantages, and a reasonable person can see this. There are cost, creative and stylistic issues for both.
As you can plainly see from my work on LifeInDigitalFilm, from my film emulation presets, to discussion film and scanning, I love film. From my articles on X-Equals, it is plain to see I am just as devoted to digital. I feel as such, I can give a fairly balanced overview of the argument and show, in the basest terms, there really is not debate at all.
I could discuss this on a point by point basis, but that is asinine and could make this article drag on forever. So I am going to make this quick and do a quick pros and cons list for both digital and film photography. This is by no means a thorough listing, but the points that come to mind most frequently when I find myself in this discussion.
Digital Photography
Pros
Lower cost per shot. You pay for the camera up front and take virtually unlimited shots with no encumbrance of development and scanning costs.
Highly flexible. Digital allows you liberties with your images that film simply cannot offer. Shoot in Raw and the world is your oyster, you can do most anything your heart desires with Raw processing programs and graphics editors (Lightroom and Photoshop in particular).
Consistency. Once you understand your camera’s operation, you can consistently get great results, controlling almost all variables. Be it ISO, noise or even color … digital gives you consistent results from frame to frame and shot to shot. You normally know what you will get before you even push the shutter.
Virtually unlimited shots. With just a few memory cards, you can go out and shoot all day. Each card allows literally hundreds of shots with little to no down time while shooting. Aside from full buffers and the occasional change of card, you can shoot all day without interruption. No need to change film. Plus you get multiple renditions of any particular scene, allowing you the freedom to choose exactly the one you want.
Shoot now, process later. Digital does not force you to commit to a style beforehand. You can shoot away, in Raw format, and worry about stylistic decisions later. Make a black and white image, boost saturation, re frame shots via cropping. You are not locked in at all, the Raw format free you to make those decisions later.
Cons
Overabundant options. Nothing can stifle creativity more than unlimited processing options. Upon reviewing each photo, you have to consider your processing options. This process can be more time consuming than actually carrying out the process. This creates the photographer’s version of writer’s block, you don’t know what you want to create because there is little to constrain you. Constraints are challenges, and challenges encourage creativity to overcome them.
Virtually unlimited shots. Many of use frequently fall back to a “run and gun” mentality when shooting digital. When take countless photos of the same subject, at differing angles or exposures. A simple afternoon outing can translate into thousands of photos quickly. From this glut of images, you have to take time to find the images you really want. If you do not have self control, you can quickly overwhelm yourself when it comes to processing time.
No surprises. Consistency is a pro, but also a con. Frame after frame, upon import the images tend to have a similar feel, even from shoot to shoot. Your Raw files will have their own feel, unchanging until you start your processing workflow. Before, different films would give you different feels, and that would impact your shooting and change things up. Again, it is easy to fall into a rut without even realizing it.
Upfront costs. Now this is a bigger issue for some than others. Digital systems can get expensive, as good DSLRs get quickly up into the multi-thousand dollar range. Obviously you don’t have to stay on the cutting edge, but to maximize returns on digital photography, you still want to stay close to the blade. New models drop frequently, each with new desirable features, better noise handling, higher ISO and larger resolutions. And lets not forget the cost of the top-end lenses required to get the most out of these bodies, check the price on good Canon L glass lately? If the prices on those lenses don’t make your checkbook cringe, then this is not remotely an issue. However, for the average photographer it is an issue. And don’t forget flash units and other must-have accessories. I won’t even touch on Digital Medium Format
Development cycles. Tying into the cost scenario, the rapid development of DSLR technologies keeps bringing out better tech each year. Obviously no one is holding a gun to your head trying to make you let go of your D40, but you have to admit it is getting rather long in the tooth by today’s entry level technology. In the film era, the only real upgrade you had to worry about was new. better film. You rarely had to upgrade bodies, instead you simply changed film. To stay up on image quality in the digital era, you have to be ready to sacrifice some cash to the camera gods, as a DSLR is essentially one huge roll of film that only runs out when you replace your gear or it dies. You can just push your DSLR film speed further and easier than you could with film.
Film Photography
Pros
Incredible variety. In direct opposition to digital, where your sensor defines how the image you are shooting is rendered and cannot be changed, film photography allows you to change your film at your whim. This leads you to entirely different interpretations of the scene, each unique to the particular film emulsion and format you choose to shoot. Even today, in what many consider the waning days of film, there is still a wide variety of film stocks each providing their own unique rendition of the world on the other side of the lens.
Wider variety of equipment. As it appears we are in the waning days of film, it is surprising the bargains that can be had on great gear. From 35mm to Large Format, great deals can be found on great cameras and excellent lenses due to the rapid migration of many to strictly digital. I, for example, shoot Canon for digital and Minolta manual focus for film. I have a small selection of lenses for my Canon gear, primarily due to the cost of the equipment … I have just the lenses I need for weddings and portraits, and they ain’t “L” glass either. Now, for less than the price of a Canon Rebel, I have an extensive Minolta collection, anchored by an SRT and an X-700 with a wide variety of Rokkor lenses. These old lenses are every bit as good as most lenses on the market today, and some can put “L” lenses to shame with the right film behind them.
Simple limitations. As mentioned earlier, limitations can enhance creativity. Shooting film automatically limits you to the film you chose, and the film’s speed. If you are shooting black and white, you will never have a color image from those shots. If you shoot color negative, you will never get the same vivid colors slide film can provide. High-speed film produces some wicked grain, and virtually grain-free film are painfully slow (try shooting at ISO 6 – EI 6 for film purists). You know these limitations going into your shoot and create your images accordingly, sometimes having to get creative to express what you desire to be conveyed to the eventual viewer.
Forced deliberation. Film had no preview and rarely allows a second chance. To nail a shot you have to expose carefully and still you bracket your shots. The known limit of shots forces you to slow down and work more deliberately. Sure you can do this with digital, but temptation to chimp and delete bad images is overwhelming. Shooting film, you won’t know if you got it right until you develop your film or develop a large degree of faith in your photographic skills.
Freedom from post. If you sent your film out for development, scanning and prints; your post processing ends at dropping the film off at the lab. What you get is what you get. Now this benefit does not apply to me, as I develop, scan and print my own images from film. This is why I shoot digital for weddings, I would hate to have to develop and scan 25 rolls myself. If you are not going to do any of the developing or scanning yourself you are done. This can be liberating and the excitement of seeing your images for the first time is beyond description.
Cons
Backside costs. You can easily put yourself in the poor house buying film and paying for development, scans and prints. This cost can be mitigated by going develop only and scanning for yourself or even go all out and start souping your own negatives. However the money saved is offset by time lost. If you shoot a lot and are not restrained in your snapping, you will quickly abandon the thought of film photography and seek sensible refuge in the low cost per shot world of digital.
Film lock in. Unless you want to get into the rather advanced techniques (although quite simple really) allowing you to change out film mid-roll, you are locked into one ISO and one color rendition for anywhere between 12 and 36 shots. You lose a lot of flexibility by going the film route.
Technique. Film photography really requires a lot more technical skill to get consistent quality results. Quite a few older cameras have no light meter, so you have to use a handheld meter, use the “Sunny 16″ rule or get good as guessing exposure. Then you have to account for your film’s reciprocity and it’s inherent reciprocity failure, exposure based color shifting and compensating for light temperature by using filters and flash gels. None of this is remotely a concern in the digital world, and these rules and techniques can slow a shooting pace to a crawl until you warp you brain around them. Although understanding these quirks can improve your digital skills, not knowing them will not hamper your abilities as a spectacular digital photographer. And I didn’t even mention the cocepts of pushing and pulling film.
Filters, filters everywhere. And keep in mind, you will need a lot of different filters for film photography that are simply not needed for digital. In digital photography, all you really need are a few Neutral Density filters and a good Circular Polarizer. For film, you will want split ND’s, color correcting filters, ND’s, Polarizers, Circle Polarizers just to get started. Delve into black and white and you will want a variety of color filters, ranging from reds to blues. I guess you really don’t need these, as you can just shoot straight on, but for advanced techniques you will be wanting them. That said, once scanned you can simulate many of these effects in Photoshop, much like you would with digital, but the desired effect is rarely as good as if you shot with the filter or faked it with a digital image.
Freedom from Post. Lets not kid ourselves, Photoshop and Lightroom are great tools and can really make an image sing. If you take the hands off approach to photography, you are precluding yourself from utilizing these tools to their fullest ability. Albeit it is freeing to drop off a roll and wait for the final results, you loose a lot of control over you images. Again, you can go the scanning or self-development routes. But again, those methods require an investment of time. While rewarding and giving a great feeling of accomplishment, the do it yourself methods are painfully slow compared to the all-digital methods.
So there, a fairly balanced list of pros and cons for each. There is no right answer for the question of film or digital, so I compromised and use both. For work shots I shoot about 80% digital and 20% film. For personal work its about 80% film and 20% digital, so more or less I am 50/50. When shooting film, I develop myself and then scan in myself, digitizing my film early in the process and working up the images as I would any shot from a DSLR. I still step in the darkroom once and a while and make some optical prints, but I have also been known to make a transparency print from an inverted digital shot and make contact prints on photo paper from my digital work. I blend both photography techniques together on a regular basis, working towards what I envision my final product to be, not limiting myself to a chemical or digital workflow at any time. I do what works best. There is no film vs digital debate in my book.
One other benefit of film I forgot to mention is resolution vs cost. I can much more affordably shoot medium format or large format film and scan in for a high resolution image than invest in a digital medium format system. a $300 dollar camera and a $6 roll of medium format film can easily be scanned into a 40+ megapixel image at home on a consumer grade photo scanner. To get comparable results in the digital world would require an prohibitively expensive setup. Sure, comparing 35mm film to digital is one thing, digital has won that war years ago. But comparing Medium Format and larger film to digital is another situation entirely. When I know I need to go large, I still shoot larger format film.
From my point of view, film and digital where equivalent in resolution around the 10 megapixel mark in DSLRs. Now this is a generalization, as maximum resolution in film really depends on the film used. I would still put 35mm Velvia up against any Pro level DSLR today. Velvia’s resolving power and resolution is still insane to this day, but the DSLR will still win out in the end, especially if you include color accuracy in your rating matrix. I shoot a lot of 35mm film still, but the argument really leans in digital’s favor in this film format. I still love the unique look of each film available, and I love using the inexpensive, high quality gear at my disposal, so I still shoot 35mm film. But as I just alluded to, digital will not be displacing my Mamiya gear any time soon.
So, those are my arguments both ways, take them for what they are. I love both methods and use each every day. I see no need to debate film vs digital, as in my consideration photography is both film and digital. With proper technique, even 35mm can compete with digital any day of the week, and like it or not there is a certain feel to film that digital does not have. Same as records vs CD’s, there is a certain warmth to film.
Now let me know your thoughts on the matter. Fire off your thoughts in the comments below. I would also love to run a series on why you use film still today, so if you would be interested in writing up a piece telling why you still love film, email me at michael@lifeindigitalfilm.com and let me know, I’ll get your opinion up for the world to see, along with some of your work if you would like.
Hey all, today marks the first in an on-going series on LifeInDigitalFilm focusing on the art and science of scanning film. Unlike most scanning resources on the web, I am going to focus on scanning for a RAW workflow, targeting Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw in particular. Today is a short introductory piece, but for those adventurous souls out there, this may get you a quick jumpstart into scanning for RAW-style processing.
Normally when most people scan film, they are doing so to simply produce an output JPEG or TIFF, and most recommend scanning in at the resolution and color depth required for desired output. However, after shooting digital and discovering RAW, it seems an absolute shame to throw away perfectly good data but scanning at a lower quality than is capable by your scanner. So, my recommendation is to max out on the settings in your scan software before you start scanning. You can always throw away unneeded detail when processing, but you cannot magically bring back detail you chose not to scan in the first place.
So let’s look at some basic settings that you should pay attention to at time of scanning. Most scanning software will allow you to use these suggestions and most all modern scanners are capable of using these settings. If you find your scanning software lacking, I highly recommend you check out Hamrick’s VueScan. It is high-quality software at an extremely affordable price, and will most likely work with any scanner you own.
Color or Black and White
This seems obvious; if you are scanning color, choose a color scan mode. Scanning black and white, select a monochrome scan mode. However, I don’t see things so cut and dry. When you are scanning color negatives or slides, obviously you want to configure your scanner to scan color … scanning color as monochrome is borderline insane. On the other hand, when scanning black and white film, I say scan in color mode anyways. Let the disagreements flow.
Here is why I propose scanning black and white negatives as color images … more data. Scanning monochrome images records only one color channel, black (and in direct opposition white). However, most all black and white negatives will have a certain amount of stain in the negative. It may be almost unnoticeable to the eye, but it is there.
I have not exactly figured out why, but scanning in this stain, and its affect on the actual image leads to an improvement in image quality in the end. I believe the stain makes it easier for the scanner to pull out fine tone, but I could be wrong. Either way I get better results in a RAW workflow by scanning my B&W negs in as color images. Plus, the stain itself can often contribute to an even more intriguing image, kind of a built in image toning.
Color Depth / Bit Depth
Depending on what software you utilize, this setting can be referred to as either Color Depth or Bit Depth. This refers to how many bits of data are assigned to each pixel for each color channel. Scanning software tends to refer to the bit depth in terms of the combined bits for all color channels, Photoshop (and most other software) refers to bit depth in terms of the amount assigned to a single channel. In other words to create a 16-bit image in Photoshop you must set your scanner up to scan at 48-bit (16-bit/channel x 3 color channels = 48-bits). Traditionally, most recommended to scan negatives or slides in at a 24-bit color depth to result in an 8-bit JPEG, however that removes way too much data to properly adjust your scans in Lightroom.
Even if you do not feel you image requires the additional leg room a higher bit-depth provides, Lightroom craves that extra data. The extra color data that can be stored in a 48-bit file allows more available colors in your image and finer gradations, both of which are vital to treating your linear TIFF image like you would a RAW file in Lightroom or ACR. Don’t cripple yourself by scanning at a lower bit-depth to save on file size … storage is cheap and time is money, save on time editing by using more disk space.
Color Space
Now this is dependent on your scanning software, VueScan Professional and SilverFast both can allow you to define your output color space. Lesser software may limit you to outputting in sRGB but if you can you want to create your final output in ProPhoto RGB. This is a shame, as your scanner is most likely able to scan in many colors that fall outside of the sRGB color space, and you are throwing away that color data, even if you are scanning to a 48-bit file.
So, if you are able to, be sure to set you output color space to ProPhoto RGB and if that is not an option, Adobe RGB at the very least. Most modern scanners internal color space will fall between those two color spaces, with only the high-end scanners able to reproduce colors filling or exceeding the ProPhoto RGB gamut. You simply do not want to waste that data if you can avoid it, Lightroom will eat it up if you can serve it up.
This gets tricky, as it is different for every scanner, as each has its own optimum resolution, which is what you should use. I will cover this more in depth in the actual series, but if you are able to scrounge up your scanner’s native resolution on the internet, that is the most likely resolution that you would want to scan to. A scanner’s native resolution is the highest resolution the machine can produce without interpolation ( i.e. uprezzing). You simply do not want to have your scanner resizing your image with interpolated pixels when you can do a far superior job yourself with Photoshop or Genuine Fractals. You will get sup-par results.
For me, using my Epson V500 of Plustek OpticFilm 7200, I find the optimum resolution for scanning 35mm film to be 3000-3600 DPI. Although VueScan offers me much higher resolution options, the image quality starts to fall off past this point for both scanners. Scanner manufacturers advertise their Maximum resolution, not their Native resolution, so check to see what the masses recommend for your scanner, or run a series of tests to see what looks best to you at 100% zoom in Photoshop.
File Format
Next, there is only one option for you to even consider for you output format for your scans … TIFF. TIFF is capable of handling your 48-bit scans without losing an ounce of data. TIFF can handle and color space you can throw at it, including ProPhoto RGB, which needs to have a 48-bit file to be effective. TIFF is superior in almost every way to JPEG. JPEG can only handle 24-bit scans, as it is an 8-bit format. It would be dumb to scan in at 48-bit only to save as a 24-bit file.
You will need to make sure that you set the TIFF bit-depth to 48-bit (will sometimes be listed as 16-bit), otherwise you may inadvertently save your image to a 24-bit file anyways.
Another plus, TIFF wraps up nicely in the DNG format.
So, to generate the best results from your scans when using Lightroom as your primary editor make sure to set, scan and save files with the settings discussed.
Scan Mode – Color
Color/Bit Depth – 48-bit
Color Space – ProPhoto RGB
Resolution – Your scanner’s native or optimum resolution
File Format – 48-bit TIFF
The next section is optional but highly recommended.
After scanning your images in with these settings, import them into Lightroom. When importing, make sure you choose the import option Copy photos as Digital Negative (DNG) and add to catalog. This will wrap your TIFF files and compress them into the Adobe DNG format. This adds a few layers of convenience and security to your workflow.
Most will ask, why convert TIFFs to DNG, its not like the magically become RAW files? That is true, they are still simply TIFF files, just wrapped in all the metadata goodness of the DNG format. Here is my list of reasons for converting to DNG on import.
Your original scans will stand out from regular images.
You cannot accidentally overwrite you TIFF when wrapped in DNG. The TIFF stays just the way you scanned it, only metadata changes.
Metadata edits in Lightroom or ACR can be saved right to the DNG file, not stuck in a sidecar XMP file.
DNG has some dang good compression, squeezing down those huge TIFF files a bit, in a lossless manner.
Did I mention that DNG will differentiate you original scans from other TIFF files, making them stand out to you?
In a way, although these are rendered images, these scans are the equivalent of RAW data … they are the starting point from which you will make further edits, give them worthy recognition.
It is another excuse to use DNG in your workflow.
Plus, you can call the above specs for a TIFF scan wrapped in DNG Film DNG or fDNG (I would call it RealRaw, but that might piss off Ken Rockwell).
I always convert my scans to DNG before further editing. It protects the vital data in the scan from the rigors of Photoshop editing. Even if I accidentally open a scan DNG in Photoshop, it will fire up ACR before allowing me to edit. Without the DNG wrapper, I could accidentally make edits and save, overwriting the TIFF file. DNG prevents that.
In general I like DNG and it works well in my workflow to use it for my scans as well as my DSLR RAW files. And if you use VueScan, you can avoid the Lightroom conversion and save directly to DNG from VueScan.
Although not the deepest article on scanning, I think that this may help many of you get started in scanning for Lightroom editing. All this will be covered more in depth, with a variety of scanning software, as this series continues culminating in my ebook on scanning. Stay tuned for more, and hopefully this gets you thinking about your scanning workflow.
Howdy! Sorry about the delay in getting the fresh content up and online, but I am still trying to get everything right and a lot of real life commitments have been hindering progress on the LIDF relaunch. I apologize to all of you for the delay, but I have a lot going on at the moment, but I am still trying to get these new articles up and out ASAP. The change is in progress, just slower than I had hoped for. Good stuff soon!
