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What might've caused this and how can I fix it?


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The original capture from which this version was derived is a 35mm color neg that was scanned at 3600PPI, cropped to size, edited in PS, converted to grayscale using B\W option, with some minor (post conversion) adjustments added. You'll notice in the sky starting at the left where that tower (don't know what else to call it) is sticking up and proceeding from left to right 3 or 4 thin vertical bands (don't know what else to call them) to that round white tower with the parapet and the tree above it. What might've caused that, but more importantly how do I fix it? I've tried several different methods but the results have (at best) been mixed. The bands are in the color version too, but nowhere near as noticeable.....Izzy

 

 

 

 

 

N027A90HiRez36x22A-1GSmall.jpg.e93668662b7515e2e55ef2864f345372.jpg

Izzy From Brooklyn
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Hi Izzy

Thanks for providing the color version. As it turns out the supplied images are highly compressed JPEG images. To have a decent chance of fixing the image having the full resolution image without compression (e.g. PNG or preferably TIFF) would be really helpful (a link to an online sharing site or dropbox etc since the file will no doubt be large in size). This will help rule out that the JPEG artifacts are contributing to the issue.

Also, do you remember when the banding showed up

Was it in the original scan, after some PS post processing , or after resizing and compression with JPEG. Those would be good clues.

Or having the original scan.

Did you scan in 16 bit and post process in 16 bit. That goes a long way in reducing the banding and also there are pretty easy fixes when converting to 8 bit at the end if needed.

Hard to know without more info and better image for corrections yet the spacing of the vertical bars were at 64 pixels which is a multiple of the standard 8 bit compression JPEG blocks (it may not be that yet worth fulling out.

I have attached copies of your color version that you posted showing only the Hue Channel and then the Saturation Channel. It shows where JPEG is hiding the compression which is in the color components especially where the image colors are pretty consistent (e.g. relatively flat skys). As you see there is not much of the color components to work with as it is all blocked up. Hope this helps for the next steps

i-gHgwV2B.jpg

 

i-5wRtJ4D.jpg

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In answer to your questions John. I'll have to check the original scan for the banding. Don't recall seeing it at the time but I wasn't really looking.

Don't recall if I scanned at 16 bit, but pretty sure I edited at 8. This was edited (as I said) from a 3600 PPI scan. I do have an earlier (lower rez) scan. I think what I'll do is start over with both scans and see what happens....Izzy

Izzy From Brooklyn
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Just checked the HiRez scan. Far as I can tell there's no banding. I'll check the lower rez scan and the neg just to make sure, but I expect they'll be ok too, which means the banding was something I did in the editing phase, so. Back to the drawing board.
Izzy From Brooklyn
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The black and white scan is very contrasty, which will emphasise any banding.

The streaking almost certainly originated during processing of the film, and is quite common to a small degree, but even a slight variation in density will be far more obvious if the contrast is increased.

 

Aim for a less 'punchy' monochrome conversion. Maybe reducing the tone of the blue sky with Hue/Saturation sliders before conversion to B&W.

 

Here's a less contrasty B&W conversion from the colour version you posted.

IMG_20221002_224549.jpg.8cdc22e1c8b85906697dd99e5480303f.jpg

The streaks are still there, but much less obtrusive in a more gently toned conversion.

Edited by rodeo_joe|1
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Hi Izzy

Glad you are looking for where the banding was introduced as that is usually the best fix. Just to show that there are options when you have done all you can and still have banding, the image below was created by adding the splatter filter to the sky.

I created a copy layer of the original and then separated the scene from the sky into two spearate Layers and then grouped those separated Layers (original Layer on bottom of stack was not included in the group.

I added full spatter with the minimum smoothing on the sky Layer and then used a Layer Mask on the group to adjust the boundary where the splatter took effect using a very soft brush.

I believe it removed most of the banding and simulated the original sky noise in the image.

Hope that helps some

John Wheeler

 

banding-color-version-of-image-with-splatter.jpg.76e548aec71fd7e5bec04d6e75f8bd8b.jpg

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Thanks all for the help. Took a close look at both original scans. Not sure about the HiRez scan (hard to tell). LoRez (1200ppi) definitely had it. Faint!, but it was there. Took the hint from Gary and checked the original neg but didn't see it there. Like John and Rodeos rework. Going to incorporate both suggestions in the redo. Aside from that. Both scans were done some time ago when I didn't have a whole lot of storage space so they were both done as jpeg. Low compression jpeg, but jpeg just the same. Storage situation has changed and since I still have the neg I'm going to rescan it as tif. Don't know what kind of difference that'll make, but I figure it can't hurt. Again, thanks all for the help......Izzy
Izzy From Brooklyn
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Here's an attempt to fix the color version using AI tools. Topaz Denoise AI followed by Retouch4me Clean Backdrop, then a little negative clarity to get closer to the original image. This may not help you, but I appreciate the chance to experiment.

esperiment.jpg.4001a6f2a36dd071fe57bc54ce7814f2.jpg

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Here's an attempt to fix the color version using AI tools. Topaz Denoise AI followed by Retouch4me Clean Backdrop, then a little negative clarity to get closer to the original image. This may not help you, but I appreciate the chance to experiment.

[ATTACH=full]1440898[/ATTACH]

 

You're welcome!!!!!

Izzy From Brooklyn
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