FILM SCANNING

Studio Workshops  –  Live and Interactive via ZOOM
•  2023 Dates TBA

This workshop can also be time-shifted for anyone unable to attend on the days it is presented, or time zone is too offset to comfortably attend in real time.

This intermediate/advanced workshop explores the unique qualities and advantages of film in the age of digital photography. BW and colour negatives and transparencies are scanned and processed for inclusion in digital imaging workflows. Traditional photographic values combine with state-of-the-art digital techniques to produce exquisite images of a quality that is almost unimaginable in a digital only workflow. Dedicated film scanners and contemporary camera systems are compared and evaluated, along with specialist techniques including oil/vacuum mounting, automated dust removal, batch scanning, and camera scanning solutions. Specific topics that have been covered in this workshop include:

Pre Production Calibration
•  Film cleaning and physical restoration
•  Antistatic air and handling systems
•  Linearising a scanner or camera system
•  Profiling a scanner or camera system
•  Determining a scanner’s true optical resolution
•  Calculating file sizes and ppi resolutions

Digitisation
•  Drum scanning versus linear CCD/CMOS scanning
•  Scanning film with a digital camera
•  Light sources – diffuse versus specular density
•  Wet versus dry mounting and custom film carriers
•  XY stitching – manual and automated systems
•  High dynamic range scanning

Processing
•  Bit depth and histogram shaping
•  Unsharp masking versus deconvolution sharpening
•  Dissolving film grain and reducing artefacts
•  Automated dust removal and spotting
•  Luminosity and spatial masking
•  Custom tone response curves

Colour Management
•  Proper Proof scanning
•  Colour spaces, file formats and metadata
•  Gamut mapping and compression
•  Conversion of C41 colour negatives
•  Scanning B&W pyro stained negatives
•  Archival film and digital storage solutions

The workshop is conducted through practical experiments, custom calibrations, and real-world applications.  Roll film and sheet film is scanned for specific destinations, from digital preservation and archiving, to high end digital printing and pre press, and online distribution. Of particular consideration is the management of colour, both scene and output referred, and the enhancement of ‘presence’ and spatial dimensionality in the scan. The aim is to include the advantages of film capture within an efficient digital workflow to achieve the highest quality outcome. Video conferencing and remote desktop software enable every aspect of a contemporary workflow to be explored via live scanning and processing, while file sharing/transfer enables test scans and processed files to be evaluated by each attendee via their own equipment and working environment, and in comparison with their current workflow.

The workshop is also supported by a resource rich website including detailed course notes, videos, and images.

Updated 26 November 2022