Any advice from seasoned users re: post processing dSlr scans ?

Software darktable
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Hello everyone on the forum. I’ve joined as I’ve recently started using DarkTable and although I’m just starting out, already I’m seeing some great results.

I’m mainly interested in using it for archiving transparencies and up to now I’ve used Lightroom for color matching the slides shot on a light panel. For normal photography it’s not bad but for color matching it’s very ‘biased’ - changing exposure & tone throws off the colour etc. I’m already finding DarkTable much better in that respect. In a matter of a few clicks I’m already getting some close matches.

I’d love to hear any good user tips from other users who are also using it in their workflow for post processing dSLR scans. Any advice on settings for Color Calibration & White Balance in particular, along with other modules you commonly use would be great to hear about !

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I don’t do this sort of thing but this was shared on the forum some time ago and might also be of interest to you…

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Thanks, that looks interesting. At the moment I’m working with positives but there’s a whole drawer full of c41 negs that I’ll need to also scan !

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Transparenies? As in those things we used to use with overhead projectors? Like these

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nah, that’s what we called E6/ Kodachrome process here in the UK. Either that or just Trannies :joy:

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Got it…I had visions of some marketing exec being overzealous with their “Brand Consistency” lol

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I feel your job is made easier because you have transparencies. The negatives will be more challenging. I would recommend putting a suitable image in the playraw category if you want to see how people handle it.

For myself I would shoot the image as a raw and JPG. I would then see if the JPG was true to the original image. If it was then I would create a style that would replicate the JPG look from your RAW. If the JPG didn’t look good then I would still create a style that made your RAW look like your original slide. This style should then speed up your workflow for the rest of the images you are processing.

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I got on idea that many younger people my get confused by this terminology and presume you where talking about something other than color film. :wink:

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I mostly scan negatives, using the “negadoctor” module. The densities can be a bit tricky to get right, but once they are, a single setting can easily be copy-pasted to the entire roll.

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That’s certainly true ! I’m usually aiming for a colour match to the slide when viewed on a lightbox, so I usually find the jpeg and the burnt in picture styles are best avoided. Even without the orange mask I find it tricky to get an accurate match for tone and colour on certain hues. Good advice to post something on playRaw. Would be interesting to see how others approach this even without seeing the original.

Plenty more learning to do in DarkTable. One thing I’m noticing that I need to research is that the raw files from slides seem much more contrasty on import to the Darkroom module than others taken of a more normal photographic scene. These are always much flatter and darker in the midtones and highlights

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My experience with slide film is that if it is a little dark it is also very contrasty. When I was a professional photographer for some shoots I would do bracketed exposures because of this very issue. The darker ones were the better ones to view in a projector but correct exposure was essential for scanning. While a slightly over exposed was better for direct printing onto photographic paper. It is easiest enough to control the high contrast in DT.