p.3 #1 · What is the point of digitally post-processing film?
old_hikingman wrote:
The original image was a 6x6cm Ektachrome transparency that was taken 59 years ago. The Berkeley, CA Kodak lab at the time often screwed up the processing of my 6x6 film and this image had a color cast issue from the get go and deteriorated more in my possession.
Thank you for the reply, and again for the conservation work. (Tens of winters have passed since I visited RNF.)
I've had my Z5ii since last autumn so I'm a newbie when it comes to processing digital pics, especially from color film. (FWIW, I also use a Tamron 90mm macro, F-mount w/FTZ to scan film.) My Ektachrome slides from 50+ years ago still look the way I remember them, and scan to be accurate. It does make a difference if White Balance isn't correct, but in most cases, especially with outdoor pics, the Auto-0 setting works just fine. In the film itself I've never seen color shifts as dramatic as yours, in fact none at all that I can detect.
For fun, here are three pics from 1971, 55 years ago. Sequoia NP, not Redwood, but similar enough. Scanned last October. IIRC, these are all Ektachrome but I might be wrong.
(I'm the skinny guy on the left. The guy on the right is my twin.)
On the road heading west. The VW van is a retired school bus so the color is accurate.
Negatives are a different game however. Subtle changes in the base color correction make visible changes in the final positive. That's why I wondered about yours.
p.3 #2 · What is the point of digitally post-processing film?
Desmolicious wrote:
Absolutely lovely Dave! I actually like both - they just have a different vibe.
My only criticism is the sky in the second one looks too cyan/saturated on my monitor. I would see if reducing the saturation a little and adding a little pink tone helps.
And you will be fine this fall! I predict many more happy and productive years! Especially since you have now joined us here
Thank you for guaranteeing an extension of my life - I've been looking for a good medicine man
I see the cyanish aspect in the sky you refer to. As time allows I will try and polish the rough edges!
p.3 #3 · What is the point of digitally post-processing film?
jimmuller wrote:
On the road heading west. The VW van is a retired school bus so the color is accurate.
Negatives are a different game however. Subtle changes in the base color correction make visible changes in the final positive. That's why I wondered about yours.
You have some spotting left to do on that sky
No doubt that my preoccupation with just getting scans done and some major correcting work finished, has left me with some "errors" you guys are quick to notice - Good job!
Here are a few more of my scans to show a bit more of the scope of my project. Only showing the "corrected" version.
1) A majority of my work is actually B&W and are aerials. In this example early road building and logging above Redwood National Park 5 years after creation
2) Color aerial showing nearly completed clearcutting to boundary of new park. Originals were grossly red
3) Eroded slope above a small side stream flowing into the new park
4) When I had opportunity for human scale, I tried to use it. Here a woman stands down in a cat track
5) Shot negative film a few times, which resulted in better color recovery. Log truck emerging from the fog. Finding neutral color in the fog and on dusty log road helped find the right balance for the scene
EDIT: I confess that a couple of these are scans by an Epson V750 Pro and processed first in Silverfast, then photoshop. In some instances, I've found no need to go further but I've gotten far better results in most instances using my Z7ii camera.
Photo taken June 11, 1973 of east slope Redwood Creek
Photo taken May 1971
Photo taken Oct 25, 1971 ln afternoon sometime
Photo taken Nov 06, 1971. Ground is wet so soil is darkened
