The Scanning Project-2: Outline

2) An Outline

My approach to this project is not overly technical, yet some technical discussion is unavoidable. I have always regarded technical matters as more “benefits” than the technical “thing” onto itself; in a sense mine is a practical approach and in that way hopefully accessible and applicable to anyone who wants to take on a similar task.

This project is not aimed at archivists at large institutions who have access to very high end scanning systems, but is more suited to those with medium-size image collections who want to digitize their film work within a budget and with equipment that does not require an advanced degree to operate. It is also aimed at those who remain dedicated to film capture but want to output on inkjet printers or for web albums. The procedures discussed should also be useful for small museums, historical societies and collectors who have  negatives, prints and even glass plates and want to preserve and perhaps enhance those images. That’s why I will include a section on print and larger negative scanning procedures as well.

Scan from a 6x7 Fujichrome shot in 1996 made on a flatbed scanner. Dedicated medium format scanners can be quite expensive, and a good flatbed will deliver high-resolution scans from larger format film. Photo copyright George Schaub.

In addition, access to lab facilities that handle reproduction of film on prints is becoming increasingly difficult, and, when available, quite expensive. That’s why scanning, converting film materials to digital files, makes sense in terms of both “saving” those images as well as being able to do something with them, be it making prints or sharing on the web or even making photo books to pass on to future generations.

Project Outline

The project begins with a discussion on editing, and while, this is a personal affair, I will offer some guidelines on the process and encourage creating groupings that will help you focus on a particular body of work (and film type) which I found helped in not being overwhelmed by the task. I’ll also discuss what may make an image a “lost cause.”

I’ll then briefly cover the mechanics of a scanner, including certain criteria to use when obtaining the best scanner for your type and scope of work. There are various types of scanners available, and while budgets are one criteria (and again, this project is aimed at the enthusiast or at those individuals and institutions with “small” collections) using a poor or low-quality, limited option scanner is simply a waste of time.

I’ll then outline what you might call a “philosophy” of scanning, an approach that I find yields the best results, and then get into the main body of this project: scanner workflow. This includes step-by-step procedures for negatives, transparencies, and prints. I’ll explore matters such as calibration, resolution, profiling, dust removal, sharpening, contrast, color balance and more.

The only things I can talk about are my own experiences with scanning and what I have learned through that experience. Like me, you will find that a certain degree of trial and error is necessary, including modifying (or hopefully exceeding) your expectations and procedures, depending on the scanner and software you own and the shape your film and prints are in.

Scan from a 35mm black and white negative shot at the New Orleans World's Fair in 1984 made with a dedicated film scanner. Copyright George Schaub.

My hope is that this project will encourage you to respect your work by using scanned images to share and continue to manifest your vision for others to see. I feel it is important to preserve and enhance your images as well as those images made by those in the past.

One note: It is unfortunate that scanning older photographic material is necessary at all. But as we have learned, photographic materials are transient and subject to decay, be it density loss, color shifting or the deterioration of the image due to poor processing procedures. The paper base of prints, poor storage materials and the film emulsion itself can be at fault and cause not only the loss of image quality but of the very image itself. Scanning stops that progressive loss at the moment you perform the scan.

Next posting: The Edit