PH-OTO From Netherlands, joined Mar 2002, 434 posts, RR: 49 Posted (5 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 719 times:
After a few rejections lately and seeing serious problems with older picture since I recallibrated my monitor, I was recently wondering if my photo editing sequence is as logical as I think it is. Also, these kind of topics are rare nowadays, so it's time to share your secrets. Here's my current recipe:
- Clean the slide from dust with a can of airspray
- Scan the slide at maximum DPI and factory default settings (Coolscan IV)
- Burn it on CD
- Open in Photoshop
- Apply levels manually by setting white and blackpoint
- Adjust blueish colour cast that the scanner causes
- Rotate using grid as a reference (ctrl+")
- resize to 1024*686
- Select the sky and apply gaussian blur (amount 1-2). Depending on what I think is fastest for that picture I use the famous Colin Work tool, polygonal lasso or magic wand.
- Invert the selection
- Sharpen (usually amount 275, radius 0,7, theshold 9)
- Save as .tiff
- View it a day later and if I'm still satisified save as .jpg and save in "upload" folder
- upload
- pray
Is this the same way you work? What creates the best results for you?
Martin Boschhuizen
[Edited 2004-01-14 10:13:28]
[Edited 2004-01-14 10:16:12]
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IL76 From Netherlands, joined Jan 2004, 2152 posts, RR: 57 Reply 1, posted (5 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 664 times:
Ok...
As I shoot digital, forget the first bit...
1. upload from camera and open in Photoshop.
2. Adjust levels/contrast. Either by setting black and white spot, or using auto contrast function (I know, people have critisised all 'auto' functions, but I like the result.). Fade auto contrast (50-75%). Adjust levels to lighten or darken the whole picture.
3. rotate and crop picture.
4. resize 1024x....
5. Select the sky and invert selection
6. Expand selection with 1 or 2 pixels to get all the edges in
7. Sharpen using either USM or 'Sharpen more' function. (Again, I realised people are very pro-USM and critisized other methods, but I kinda like 'sharpen more', as long as you don't use it 100%) Fade 'sharpen more' to 65-75% or so.
8. If it turns out nice, save and upload it. If not (jaggies, grainy, bland), don't save and just keep the original on the harddisk/CD somewhere.
Timdegroot From Netherlands, joined Apr 2002, 3654 posts, RR: 78 Reply 3, posted (5 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 660 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW PHOTO SCREENER
Hey Martin,
I was looking at some of your recent scans, and 2 problems appear to me:
1) Lack of sharpness in some areas
2) " washed out" white areas
For solving the first problem you might try different USM settings. I always use 0.2 500. Also you could select some areas where lack of sharpness is most noticable, i.e. parts with titles, and use extra USM on those areas.
The second problem would be more difficult to fix, moreso if the slides are overexposed? It's especially noticable on the KLM DC-10 and the SAL 747 in the background. Maybe try adjusting lightness?
You use a goos scanner and I'm sure the slides are ok. Must be the PS work then...
PH-OTO From Netherlands, joined Mar 2002, 434 posts, RR: 49 Reply 4, posted (5 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 644 times:
1) Lack of sharpness in some areas
I see two reasons for that
- Some curving of the slides. I use Hama mounts and the slide is not fixed on the top side. That causes some curving, mostly around the edges.
- The sharpness of the 1987/88 slides is definitely a problem. I used a Yashica camera with a very old 80-200 lens. It was a dog sharpness wise, and I was using it wide open as I was more afraid of camera shake those days. I switched to Olympus later in 1988 an it got better form there.
Selective sharpening is a technique that I haven't used in a while. I will have another go at that.
2) " washed out" white areas
Indeed, you are right. I hadn't noticed it until now.
Thanks Tim. What's your routine?
Martin
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Timdegroot From Netherlands, joined Apr 2002, 3654 posts, RR: 78 Reply 5, posted (5 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 647 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW PHOTO SCREENER
let's see
-Flick the slide for major dust to come off, I never use a brush or spray.
-Scan at max dpi
-open in PS 7.0 and rotate if necessary and crop accordingly
-got to a 66.67% view and remove any dust spots
-resize to 1024 or sometimes 1200
-select the sky and use smartblur radius 3 threshold between 2.1 and 4.0, but that amount can vary for each individual, depending on scanner/film used.
-Invert and use USM 0.2 500, if some areas need extra sharpening select and use 0.2 250 on it. Also if some edges might inadvertently have been blurred sharpen those.
-Use curves, white point. I don't use the others as they are difficult to use I think.
-Sometimes I try autolevels or autocolor, as it sometimes does a good job.
-If that doesn't work I work on the color balance.
-Save at max compression and upload
IL76 From Netherlands, joined Jan 2004, 2152 posts, RR: 57 Reply 8, posted (5 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 day 10 hours ago) and read 568 times:
Martin,
All actions can be faded in Photoshop. In PS 5.5 (which I use) it's under the filter menu. In PS 7 it's under 'edit' if I'm not mistaken.
I fade, because the basic 'auto contrast' command sometimes is too drastic. It all depends on how the shot was taken. Especially for bad weather shots with grey skies, auto contrast does change the levels very, very drastically. If that's the case, I will either fade it heavily, or undo and try something else. In normal sunshine shots, auto contrast doesn't do very much. I think it basically does the 'black and white point' you mentioned automatically.
BTW, when I use USM, I use 300-500 with radius 0.2. Doing a second attempt with USM usually increases grain quite a bit. Reducing the 2nd step of USM to 250 or so most of the time doesn't make much difference anymore, so I leave it at 1 step of USM.
BTW, editing a slide is completely different than a digital picture. A picture from a digital camera allows you to get away with a lot more sharpening (Am I right?)
Anyway, there are many ways the lead to Rome! I'm sure Tim can tell you more about editing slides than I can... Good luck!
EGGD From United Kingdom (England), joined Feb 2001, 12377 posts, RR: 52 Reply 9, posted (5 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 day 10 hours ago) and read 562 times:
Very simple really..
I used to have Photoshop 7 which was alot easier to use, but I currently have Elements which is a bit of a bitch because not all the functions are manual. I'll rotate the photo first if needs be, then crop it. Then resize to 1024x.. Or whatever size I need, then adjust the levels using the sliders until the picture looks good. Then, change the color cast if needs be, this is the most noticeably poor feature on Elements and any changes in colour aren't perfect.
Then i'll sharpen with USM from 70 up to 200 if needs be, I believe everything else is set to 1..
PH-OTO From Netherlands, joined Mar 2002, 434 posts, RR: 49 Reply 10, posted (5 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 529 times:
Anyway, there are many ways the lead to Rome!
There sure are, and by now I'm not really a novice anymore. I think I know most of the tricks in the book. But I am still searching for the best result.
Most of all because getting slide film accepted has become more difficult in the last few months. So I really want to to raise my game, to get the same acceptance ratios.
Martin
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