Film and Slide Scanner
When I first started to learn photography, I was using a film SLR and slide film. Digital photography changes the playing field substantially. In order to use some of those images I’d taken on slide and negative film, I wanted to scan them to create a digital file.
I ended up getting a Qpix digital film scanner, which while not the best on the market, suits my purposes. Now I can manipulate my slide and negative film images digitally!
Here is an image I took while I was studying photography that I wanted to use:
There are a number of things wrong with this image, not the least of which is that I scanned it around the wrong way!
But, thanks to Photoshop that is easily fixed (Image > Rotate Canvas> Rotate Horizontally). I also lightened it a bit, as the colours are very saturated. That is one of the main differences between digital photos and slide film, the colours are much stronger and more vibrant when using slide film…
I also wanted to then add back some contrast, and crop the image. Here is what it turned out as:
The difference is relatively subtle, but it was good to be able to do. Particularly if you want to restore old family photos yourself, or make a family history photobook, you’re going to need to scan film to give you a digital file to manipulate.
It’s a time consuming process, but well worth the effort.