Slides to Digital (colour Correction)

[morrison]

I have started to take some of my slides and get them scanned into

digital files, mostly for critique and archiving. one thing I have

noticed is that they never quite look as good as the slide, colour wise.

 

I have noticed that many people on here still use slides and the

colour looks much better. PS i am assuming for most people. I have

PS 7 and would like to start working on my photo's to begin to bring

back some of the colours without making them appear as though they

have been retouched. The slides are generally in Kodak VS 100 film or

Fuji Provia 100f. scanned in with fuji Frontier at about 15mb a pic.

 

any advice you could offer as to typical ways to enhance the look of

scanned slides would help. I realize that each pic will be a little

different depending on colours and contrast.... just need a good

starting out point.

 

Cheers!

[scott_eaton]

<I>any advice you could offer as to typical ways to enhance the look of scanned slides would help</i><P>This is going to seem a bit trite, but your first quality improvement is to find better scanning services, or buy your own scanner. The Frontier is about as bottom end as it gets in terms of slide scanning.

[jason_fitzmaurice]

Just chiming in here t agree with Scott. If money is tight pick up a used Minolta Scan Dual III. They are available at a price that can pay for itself VERY quickly. You will neeed to spend a few minutes cleaning up the scan in photohop to remove dust spots etc; however, the scans produced by een this inexpensive scanner will blow frontier scans away! Also it will give you control through the scanning stage. A used Scan Dual III will pay for itself in no time. If you have the budget there are better scanners available, but this would get you started cheaply.

 

Now for the bad news. A scan will never look quite as brilliant asa slide, but that's okay because neither will a print from it. The image will still be beautiful.

[ellis_vener_photography]

Scott, as usual in these matters, has it right.

 

The basic rule of computing --GiGo --still holds; garbage in garbage out. The garbage

here isn't your images it is the scanning process you are using. Trying to fix what was

broke to begin with --the scan -- is a futile process.

 

It would also help to learn how to actually use Photoshop and color management.

[zachariah_edwardson]

I bought a Minolta Scan Dual IV new, and even my "lazy" slide scanning methods (I don't mind dusk specks on a scan, cus I am lazy, its not that I am going to make a print, which then I am not lazy...)

 

Here is a example of 100f scanned in the IV on the most basic setting, with no "touch up". My scanner is self paying really...

 

http://www.photo.net/photo/3132838&size=lg

[steve_castle3]

Make sure your monitor is profiled, and try and get a proofing profile for the Frontier. I have found Frontier scans to be lacking in colour, I use a lab that has a Noritsu. Better colour and sharper.