Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/05/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Great Tips Johnny - Thanks. Bill in Denver - -----Original Message----- From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Johnny Deadman Sent: Monday, May 29, 2000 8:56 AM To: Leica Users digest Subject: [Leica] scanning b/w -- workflow -- slightly OT In detail, here's how I do it on my Minolta Scan Dual. I'm not touting this as a 'right' way of doing it... but I arrived at this process after much trial and error, and found that it intuitively matched the way I work in the darkroom, which helps me visualise what I'm doing. NB all images are taken using a LEICA!!!!! - -- scan using either Vuescan for critical scans or the Minolta PS plugin for non-critical work. In either case, use NONE of the built in filters etc and scan at 2400 dpi. In Vuescan I choose 16-bit gray (in fact it's 10-bit with the Minolta). - -- go straight to Photoshop, do not pass Go, do not collect UKP 200 - -- If the image is from Vuescan, use Levels to set the b/w point as described in following, then convert to 8 bit. If image is already 8 bit, set black/white points so there is no clipping but no headroom (with the 'preview' box unclicked and the 'alt' key held down, moving the sliders shows you exactly where the clipping begins.) - -- now add a 'curves' adjustment layer. This is like choosing the grade of paper you print on, and should always sit above everything else. The curve is effectively the H&D curve of the 'paper' you're printing on... so the more 'S' shaped it is, the harder your paper. I usually add one point right in the centre, which I use to adjust overall lightness/darkness, then a point in the shadows which I lower to put some 'oomph' into the blacks, then adjust highlights if they need it. At this point you should have an ideal 'straight' print. - -- I like to 'burn in' everything that isn't essential, so what I do is outline my main subject using the lassoo, switch to quick mask (Q key), apply a very wide gaussian blur (200 pixels), invert (apple-I), switch out of quick mask, and add this as a 'levels' adjustment layer that sits between the background and the 'curves layer. By using the gray slider, you can now darken down your background to make the subject stand out. You can achieve the same thing in curves by selecting the middle of the curve and dragging down. (NB the point of using adjustment layers like this is that it's non-destructive and you can play with it later). - -- repeat the above step for separate areas if you wish. I usually add in one layer just to darken down the edges and corners a little, just as you would burn in the sides of a print - -- Now the 'dodging'. I usually use the dodge tool with the intensity set to 5% and the 'highlights' option selected, and just lighten up the highlights on faces etc, bringing some light in to eyes hair teeth cheekbones whatever. If you wish to do this non-destructively, enclose the area you wish to dodge in a rectangular marquee and use apple-J to copy it to another layer that sits above the main image, and dodge that instead. NB note that I generally don't dodge midtones etcetera... I set up the 'straight print' so that these look good, and darken down everything *else* using adjustment layers. The advantage of doing this is that the critical areas of your image -- the subject -- are the least mucked around with and so should remain high quality and good contrast etc. - -- similar process as dodging to burn down any distracting highlights -- arms, hands whatever - -- finally image repair... spotting and so forth. I guess you all know how to do this, but the point of doing it last is that if you do it earlier your tonal corrections can make your repairs show up unexpectedly. Hope this is of use to someone. - -- Johnny Deadman photos: http://www.pinkheadedbug.com music: http://www.jukebox.demon.co.uk