The Slanted Lens

Tutorials, Reviews and Tips for Photographers & Filmmakers

PHOTO & VIDEO TUTORIALS & REVIEWS

Online Courses, Giveaway, Mentoring

  • Online Courses
  • Mentoring
  • Giveaway
  • About
  • Members
  • Buy Gear
Home / Film Photography / 6 Tips on How to Get GREAT Film Scans!

6 Tips on How to Get GREAT Film Scans!

February 21, 2019 By Morgan Leave a Comment

We are out at Richard Photo Lab today talking about different scanners and 6 different ways you can get great scans at your local Photo Lab. We have Bill Pines here with us, who is the general manager at Richard Photo Lab.

#1 Scanners

So we are looking the Fujifilm Frontier SP3000 scanner here and it’s been around for what seems like ages. We started transitioning out of transparency film to negative film, this is the first scanner we started using for that purpose. It’s limited in terms of scanning because you can only look at 1 image at a time.

When we scan images one by one, we have a reference portfolio up so we can compare their scans with their existing photos. This is to ensure that the processing is consistent throughout the photos.

The major difference with the Noritsu HS-1800 scanner is that they can preview up to 6 images at the same time. The scan results are much better from scan to scan and roll to roll.

#2 Communication with the Lab

Make sure you are talking to your lab to about exactly what kind of style you are going for. If you like a particular photographer and you want your work to emulate that same mood, it’s a great thing to let them know. Also in terms of color temperature, whether you like your photos warmer or cooler, makes a huge difference. You are also welcome to send sample images to them from another photo shoot or that same photo shoot to reference as they scan. If you aren’t happy with the scan, make sure that you talk to them about it!

#3 Exposure

Making sure that the negatives you take have the right amount of exposure is crucial when developing photos. Light in the shadows is really important to watch out for. That is why a lot of photographers will meter for the shadow and overexpose a stop or two to help it scan well.

#4 Consistency

While you are shooting, consistency is helpful to make sure your scans turn out consistent. As you exposure and meter, don’t change it all the time because you’ll never get a consistent read on which are the best settings for you to shoot.

#5 Film Choice

It’s important to stick with one for a whole shoot. This will help to make sure that all the image scans are consistent with each other. It’s a great idea to test out different film stocks, but within one shoot it’s best to stick with one stock. If you are interested in seeing how different scans react to different exposures and film stocks, Richard Photo Lab has a blog online that discusses those options.

#6 Test, Test, Test

It never hurts to test out different films and exposures to pick out the style that you’d like before going into an important shoot. Shoot some Portra 800 or Portra 400 or Portra 400H! Pick the film that you like the most to work with and then test out different exposures. Try pushing and pulling your film to see what kind of exposure you prefer the most in different lighting situations. Find your sweet spot for shooting film and then shoot it consistently.

Check out Richard Photo Lab for all your processing and scanning needs! They have been processing film for over 40 years. Just ship in your rolls to get them processed and printed all in one place.

Shop Jay P’s Gear: https://www.amazon.com/shop/theslantedlens

Jay P’s Gear @ B&H: https://bhpho.to/2ES90Eb

Share

Filed Under: Film Photography

About Morgan

With more than two decades of experience Jay P. Morgan brings to his commercial studio two special qualities: a keen appreciation of the bizarre and a knack for flawlessly executing elaborate shots. Through The Slanted Lens, Jay P. shares his knowledge about photography and videography.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

TAMRON’s MARCH MEGA SALE

Click on the image above to find out more about Tamron's March Mega Sale!

Enter the Giveaway for a chance to win a Tamron 28-75mm G2 Lens!

Shop Our Affiliate Links

Our Sponsors

SKB cases

 

 

Datacolor_logo

 

 

 

Categories

  • Advanced Lighting Tutorials
  • Architectural Photography
  • Beginning Lighting Tutorials
  • Behind the Scenes
  • Business Tips
  • Camera Comparison
  • Camera News
  • Camera Review
  • Camera Settings
  • Camera Settings & Lens Choice
  • Celebrity
  • DIY
  • Equipment
  • Film Photography
  • Foto of the Week
  • Funny photo
  • Gear Sweepstakes
  • Intermediate Lighting Tutorials
  • Intervention
  • Jay P's Shorts
  • Landscape
  • Laws of Light
  • Lens Comparison
  • Lens Review
  • lighting diagram
  • Lighting Tutorials
  • Making Money In Photography
  • Meet the Photographer
  • Photography & Video Articles
  • Photography & Video Business Tips
  • Photography & Video Lighting Articles
  • Photography Tutorial
  • Portraits
  • Posts
  • Product Review
  • Quick Tip
  • Special Effects for Photo and Video
  • sponsor
  • Stop Motion Photography
  • test
  • Time-lapse
  • Travel Photography
  • Trends
  • Uncategorized
  • Videography
  • Wedding Photography
  • Workflow
  • Working with Talent

Thanks for your support. When you click on a logo or link you help support The Slanted Lens. Some links shared on our website may be associated with sponsors or affiliate programs where we benefit from a commission.

Instagram

This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: No connected account.

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to connect an account.

Instagram Feed

This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: No connected account.

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to connect an account.

The Slanted Lens Copyright © 2023

Subscribe to our Newsletter!

Get Updates, Latest Trends, Specials and other goodies

x