Lumière d’Argent

Last year, Colin Jago talked on his blog of an interesting software for negative scanners: Colorneg.

I downloaded the trial version and gave it a go. It did indeed produce fine results but at that stage I was reluctant to add yet another software. Moreover, at the time, I was not really using film all that much.

Since then I have started again to use my Leica and so the question of B&W film scanning and processing became current for me too.

For digital processing, depending on my inconsistency among other things, I currently use Aperture, Photoshop CS3, Bibble Pro, QuadtoneRIP and some nice PhotoShop plugins.  Still reluctant to add yet another software piece, I tried different things. Clearly, VueScan is best at driving my Epson scanner. Its B&W output is adequate but not exactly great and the control it offers does not suit me. Besides, I like the idea of scanning to RAW. I find the curves to apply to VueScan RAW files quite steep and I produced unwanted effects that way.

I then noticed the DNG option in VueScan. It produces a DNG raw file, just ready for Adobe Camera Raw. That software was designed precisely to do what I need: correctly map a gamma 1 file to the more useful gamma 2.2 or 1.8 or whatever is in QTR Lab space. It works beautifully. The trick to invert the picture in ACR is to use the point curve, select the Linear setting and invert its slope. The controls in ACR allow to produce a very good starting point for further finishing in PhotoShop.

Stephane :: Oct.19.2008 :: Film, Scanning, Software :: No Comments »

Lurking around some film forums, I find a number of threads about airport X-rays fears. I would have thought the matter was settled a long time ago.

In a word: they are harmless.

The films will get more rays in the cabin during the flight than from the inspections. Heck, they even get more ray just sitting on the ground.

That’s for carry-on luggage. Checked-in baggage gets scanned by much more powerful rays and they are deadly for film. So, always carry your film with you and it will be safe.

Protection cases are a bad idea. For carry-on luggage the operator just increases the power until he/she sees through the case. For checked-in baggage it will most likely result in manual baggage inspection.

Stephane :: Aug.13.2008 :: Film, Locations :: 2 Comments »

Many things going on photographically:

• got an Olympus E-3 with its seemingly obligatory 12-60mm zoom. Works amazingly well.
• went through a printing session that made me want to shoot some film again (above is HP5+)
• ordered chemicals, film and the few items I needed to develop
• shot very little recently but still have a backlog of the Spring shootings to process

Stephane :: Aug.09.2008 :: Film, Gear, Lens, Photography, Random Thoughts, Scanning, Software :: No Comments »