How to make digital negatives 'filmy'?

DadaKopf

How do you make your digital photos (from RAW) to take on the deep, rich, velvety consistency of film?

I'm having trouble achieving the depth of tones, shadows and colours that a nice professional film (whether print or slide) can achieve.

I would especially like to know how to achieve a convincing Kodak Elitechrome 400 cross-processed effect.

I know some (Fajitas) have great techniques, and I was wondering if some wouldn't mind sharing.

I really want to print some of my photos, and would also like some information on calibrating for print.

By way of example, how to achieve nicer photographic qualities with these photos: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055081844 (the second one is much closer to what I'm aiming for).

pete4130

There is a program called Alien Skin Exposure which allows you to take on the look and colour richness (for colour films obvisouly) of most of the popluar films (velvia, provia, TX, neopan etc....) and you can use the software to put in the amount of grain you desire, how large the grain is.
You can download a 30 day trial for your PC and its a simple plug in in CS2. It is really good. If you have a Mac you should be able to dump the cache for the demo every 30 days to renew it, although I'm not sure if the newer dowload trial has resolved this. I know for sure I have the older version where this is possible if anyone is interested that has a Mac?

DadaKopf

That's interesting alright.

How about similar techniques through Photoshop?

Zillah

DadaKopf wrote:

How about similar techniques through Photoshop?

The reference above to "CS2" means "Photoshop CS2"

DadaKopf

Yes, I know. Clearly, I meant without the need for 3P plugins. '3P' is 'third-party'.

Zillah

DadaKopf wrote:

Yes, I know. Clearly, I meant without the need for 3P plugins. '3P' is 'third-party'.

That wasn't clear at all

Have you gotten any high quality prints of your digital shots yet? They look completely different once they're rendered in rich ink on glossy paper. Monitors don't really do justice.

DadaKopf

No, not yet. Haven't had the bottle. Maybe I should.

Where should I go? And... how can I calibrate a monitor on a laptop?

I asked about calibration 5 years ago, and not a single lab could help me.

Zillah

I print in college where everything is maintained by technicians and free, so I can't really help you there

But I can tell you that shots look much richer and velvety when they're done as a high quality print. I think your complaint is more to do with ink versus monitor as opposed to digital versus film.

Previous threads that might help:

- One where someone posted a list of the photoshop settings to recreate the values of various well known films. Many people mentioned saving the file so if someone sees this, please repost it.

- There's been handfuls of threads about printing. Most people use online sites where you send them the file and they'll print it and mail it. Try the People's Photography sticky on the main forum, they all have to get their photos printed.

mathias

Regarding calibration , there are two devices that you can use for your laptop that I know of , one is the Spyder , and the other is the pantone huey , I prefer the spyder as the huey relies on suction cups , ( the spyder has em too , but only for CRT's )

http://www.dabs.ie/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=417R&SearchType=1&SearchTerms=spyder&PageMode=3&SearchKey=All&SearchMode=All&NavigationKey=0

http://www.dabs.ie/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=42H7&SearchType=1&SearchTerms=huey&PageMode=3&SearchKey=All&SearchMode=All&NavigationKey=0

both are similar in price , both work with any operating system ( including Vista ) better than win2K or OS9 , and both do a good job.

Keep in mind that although most monitors can be calibrated , some cant , but these would be the cheapest of the cheap , so you should be OK.
Either way its a good device to have , if you cant calibrate and do a lot of photo work , then at least you know you need a new monitor !

Just for the record , my cheap as chips Tesco laptop from Iqon calibrated no problem. ( I only use it for stashing photos while Im in the field , not editing , but it calibrated nonetheless !! )

Oh and by the way , the difference between a properly calibrated monitor and one straight out of the box is usually huge , thats why most prints look nothing like people expected , as they probably colour corrected on an uncalibrated display.

Fajitas!

Printing really is the proof.

I'm always told my work online is too dark (accusations of underexposing everything :rolleyes: ) but I have three screens callibrated to print up to A1 and get perfect quality.

I haven't used any third party plug in's, and rarely use noise ninja in photoshop, I rather have more control myself, but I find lightroom gives really nice results.

In lightroom, I usually push the exposure up a bit, then bring it back down with the Recovery tool, then work the blacks up as high as I can go, followed by a quick play with the curves and then clear/add vignetting.

Photoshop - (for colour photos) Use Curves adjustment layers for foreground/main interest contrast, monochrome channel mixer adj layers on varying blending modes for the sky, and usually have a hue/saturation adj layer for colours.

Dodging and burning, healing and other localised effects on a duplicate background layer.

I don't do it too often, but in lightroom I'll work away on my normal exposure, then do a quick darker but equally contrasty version, and bring elements into the final image...but I rather not do it unless nessicary.

My B&W work is in a thread a page or two back...but it's evolved more...but get about to editing it...

DadaKopf

Thanks, Fajitas.

Have you any information about how to go about calibrating for print? I should really get around to printing some of my stuff alright. I find it quite daunting - not sure where to go, how to supply photos etc.

I'm most inteterested in colour.

How have you gon about setting up for print to print whopping A1 size prints (photographic prints I assume?)?