scanning a neg developed using Pyrogallol

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KenS

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I have just 're-found' a negative that was part of my 'portals series' for my last class. It was developed on Pyrogallol (but looks kind of 'heavy") and I'm having a BIG problem scanning the negative as either B/W or.. as a colour negative...

Has anyone got any suggestions as how to 'proceed' to 'creating' a digital negative

Ken
 
My scanning software allows a negative to be scanned twice in cases like yours, had to think (as it's o a PC in the darkroom) it's SilverFast from LavaSoft, Ive never needed to do this though with my Pyrocat or Xtol/Rodinal negatives.

Ian
 
Silverfast has a couple of options for dealing with difficult negatives: Multi-Exposure and AACO (Auto Contrast Optimization), but these tools may be dependent on the version of Silverfast and your scanner model. Another technique that I've heard about though never done myself is to make two scans--one for the high values, one for the shadow areas, then combine with masks in PS. Another idea, again probably depends on the hardware/software combo, is to generate a linear scan, then convert with a plugin like ColorPerfect.
 
David M said:
As a last resort, there's always bleaching.
Click to expand...
David, I'm not sure "bleaching would 'do what I need... It is not 'ever-exposed.. or over developed" But I am going to try and 're-scan' scan as a colour negative and 'change it to a B/W and see if that might work. I had some 'trouble' a number of months ago' and scanning as a colour negative then changing that scam to a B/W digital negative worked quite nicely.

I did have some 'recent' problems getting my Silverfast "up and running' and found that I 'needed' and HAD to install their 'free' Upgrade....after my Mac's OS had to be updated to the latest version of Catalino....worked like a 'charm' once 'installed. (the original software was 'included as a 'freebie' when I purchssed my scanner and I am more than happy with how nicely/easily it is to use with my Mac. what surprises me more is how well my El Cheapo Cannon... (at $75 Canuckian) prints my Pictorico OH film digitized negative for my VDB and other 'alternative' print processes using my home built UV light source.

Ken
 
KenS said:
David, I'm not sure "bleaching would 'do what I need... It is not 'ever-exposed.. or over developed" But I am going to try and 're-scan' scan as a colour negative and 'change it to a B/W and see if that might work. I had some 'trouble' a number of months ago' and scanning as a colour negative then changing that scam to a B/W digital negative worked quite nicely.

I did have some 'recent' problems getting my Silverfast "up and running' and found that I 'needed' and HAD to install their 'free' Upgrade....after my Mac's OS had to be updated to the latest version of Catalino....worked like a 'charm' once 'installed. (the original software was 'included as a 'freebie' when I purchased my scanner and I am more than happy with how nicely/easily it is to use with my Mac. what surprises me more is how well my El Cheapo Cannon... (at $75 Canuckian) prints my Pictorico OH film digitized negative for my VDB and other 'alternative' print processes using my home built UV light source.

Ken
Click to expand...
 
Silverfast is not the most intuitive software, I find it a muddled interface, overly complex.

Ian
 
Ken,
I think I must have misinterpreted the word "heavy".

Ian,
Yes, Silverfast came bundled with with my scanner. I've tried it and it seems to work, but so does Epson's software. I found Silverfast confusing too, but some people swear by it. I don't like their pricing policy. Does anyone?
VueScan seems to work well with any scanner that I've owned.
 
David M said:
Ken,
I think I must have misinterpreted the word "heavy".

Ian,
Yes, Silverfast came bundled with with my scanner. I've tried it and it seems to work, but so does Epson's software. I found Silverfast confusing too, but some people swear by it. I don't like their pricing policy. Does anyone?
VueScan seems to work well with any scanner that I've owned.
Click to expand...

Well after spending 'that' amount of my scarce 'pennies' on the Viewscan 850 pro' unit there was no 'room' for having to pay more
for software. I managed to get 'through' the learning process.. and have 'benefited from the two 'free' up-grades. Having never had any experience with any 'alternative' scanning software i cannot make any valid comparison. That being said... I am now 'quite comfortable' with the'combination. The one problem I had was scanning a Pyrogallol neg (not the HD) that I HAD to scan in 'colour mode' and convert to a B/W... and eventually 'got' what I needed even tho' there seemed to be a little 'problem' around the outside few millmeters of 'edges' of the scan whre it did not seem tho 'want' to go B/W.. but a freebie phone call to their 'rep' in Florida seemed to 'clear the problem up'. Since changing over to Pyrocat HD I have never had any 'problems'.. and don't get 'angry' at myself for being somewhat 'stupid'

Ken
 
Ian Grant said:
Silverfast is not the most intuitive software, I find it a muddled interface, overly complex.

Ian
Click to expand...

I guess after 20 years of Silverfast use I've become very comfortable with it. Funny...I find Vuescan to be totally confusing and not the least bit intuitive; multiple tabs of long lists of parameters. And, for me, many of those parameters make absolutely no sense.
 
David M said:
VueScan seems to work well with any scanner that I've owned.
Click to expand...

Not so for me. At one point, I had to do a significant downgrade in order to get it working, again, because the software would simply "hang" during the initiation step. I exchanged many e-mails with the developer who eventually took the position that it was my fault; his software was fine. Sure......... ;)
 
David M said:
Ken,
I think I must have misinterpreted the word "heavy".

Ian,
Yes, Silverfast came bundled with with my scanner. I've tried it and it seems to work, but so does Epson's software. I found Silverfast confusing too, but some people swear by it. I don't like their pricing policy. Does anyone?
VueScan seems to work well with any scanner that I've owned.
Click to expand...
Ian Grant said:
My scanning software allows a negative to be scanned twice in cases like yours, had to think (as it's o a PC in the darkroom) it's SilverFast from LavaSoft, Ive never needed to do this though with my Pyrocat or Xtol/Rodinal negatives.

Ian
Click to expand...


"My 'problem' was eventually solved.. its amazing what 'thinking different' gets you to 'where you want to be"
I decided to scan that negative as a 'colour' negative and made the 'change-over B/W with PS ("when the needs Must... the Devil drives" as my father used 'quote'to when I 'HAD' to get a 'something' done (to meet 'his) needs
I was pleasantly surprised as how well actually turned out

and I will no longer even "think" about using 'straight' Pyrogallol now that I have 'found happiness' with my home mixed Pyrocat HD

Ken
 
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