Color cast and photoshop

[AndrewNYC]

I'm trying very hard to get a neutral color out of Kodak Ektar 100. I've tried various techniques, finally settling on http://cgdclass.com/downloads/find-neutral.pdf which uses a nuetral gray layer and "diffierence layer" to mark the most neutral point on the image. Here is the result. I'm not sure at this point if I've managed to get neutral....seems blue-ish to me. Anyone here have a best method for neutral grey?

Or better?

Help?

 

[Roger Hicks]

To me, 1 looks cyan and 2 magenta or possibly red -- but that may just be the cheap screen I use on my internet computer.

DON'T overexpose Ektar 100 by more than 1 stop, or better still, 1/2 stop. Colours go to hell otherwise.

Cheers,

R.

 

[AndrewNYC]

Roger, I think you are quite right about the cast. I just cannot seem to get to neutral.

 

[Pete B]

I'm not very good at this stuff but does this look better?
Pete

View attachment 85874

 

[Roger Hicks]

I'm not very good at this stuff but does this look better?
Pete

View attachment 85874

Yes. A tiny bit green, maybe.

Cheers,

R.

 

[AndrewNYC]

Okay, last try. I'm not looking for perfection, but a solid B+ would be nice

 

[charjohncarter]

Color correction drives me nuts. I use PSE6 color correction, CFS color perfect, Picasa 3.8 color correction. And I still, if one of them doesn't do it, I go to the Color Variation in PSE6. Add to that mess, the seemingly always on auto color on scanners.

 

[AndrewNYC]

This Ektar is going to be the end of me. Not only do the colors suck, but my scans are VERY grainy. Has anyone used Vuescan here for Ektar that is willing to share their setting with me? Please?

 

[craygc]

Given the links to the originals were broken, I used Pete B's version as a starting point. I also assume the Pete B's adjustments were global in nature.

So a couple of things; if in PS I apply <levels><options><find dark and light colors<snap neutral tones> I will get a global colour correction on the image. However, as I guess most are finding, there still exists a colour cast. This is something I frequently find in colour images and it cant be corrected this way. Here I find the skin tones seem to have a different cast to the rest of the image.

With the attached version, I performed a global correction, which didnt do much as I assume Pete B had already done this. I then performed some manual adjustments globally but had to resort to making corrections just for the skin tones then painting those areas back in with the history brush.

I walked away then came back and I could still perceive a colour cast, especially in the skin. For the final image attached, I needed to go to L*a*b mode and perform colour adjustments in the curves to get it reasonably neutral. And, if I was being more serious about a final full size image I think there is still a little more green and yellow that could be removed.

This is a tough one..

This Ektar is going to be the end of me. Not only do the colors suck, but my scans are VERY grainy. Has anyone used Vuescan here for Ektar that is willing to share their setting with me? Please?

Ektar can be a tough film to tame. Horrible when you get it wrong and magic when you get it right. Roger has a good write up about it on his web site. This below is the guts of my Vuescan ektar.ini file so justs puting it in a text file and naming it accordinly will give it to you. It does, however, have the exposure lock and colour base set, and those values will be individual scanner specific. Focus is also set as manual, and its also for a Nikon 4000.

[EDIT] Also, I find with Ektar that adding some localised desaturation to skin tone can help a lot in controlling these colour casts.

---------------------------------

[VueScan]
[Input-LS-4000-35mmSlide]
BitsPerPixel=5
ScanResolution=2
AutoSave=0
NumberOfSamples=8
RGBExposure=5281
ExposureClipping=10
AutoEject=0
AutoFocus=0
Focus=430
Media=2
Rotation=3
LockExposure=1
PreviewExposure=5281
[Crop-LS-4000-35mmSlide]
XOffset=163
YOffset=54
CropSize=0
XSize=3667
YSize=5497
FocusXOffset=1298
FocusYOffset=3839
AutoOffset=0
[Filter-LS-4000-35mmSlide]
InfraredClean=1
[Color-LS-4000-35mmSlide]
ColorBalance=0
FilmBaseColorRed=74
FilmBaseColorGreen=74
FilmBaseColorBlue=137
ScannerICCProfile=/System/Library/ColorSync/Profiles/Generic RGB Profile.icc
NeutralRed=800
WhitePoint=0
[Color]
NegativeVendor=3
PrinterColorSpace=1
MonitorColorSpace=0
NegativeBrand=2
OutputColorSpace=1
Options=2
MonitorICCProfile=/Library/ColorSync/Profiles/Displays/Gamma 1.8 - 02.01.06-4247844.icc
NegativeType=1
[Output-LS-4000-35mmSlide]
PrintedUnits=0
PrintedSize=0
TIFFFile=1
JPEGFile=0
[Output]
TIFFFileType=4
TIFFCompression=0
TIFFProfile=0
DefaultFolder=/Volumes/Mirror RAID/Digital Images/---Work in Progress---
TIFFFile=1
JPEGFile=0
Options=2
TIFFFileName=neg4.0251.ekta.01+.tif
[Prefs]
ExternalViewer=0
WindowXOffset=24
WindowYOffset=153
WindowXSize=1438
WindowYSize=864
EnablePopupTips=0
PreviewMem=121
ScanMem=211
Options=1
GuidedMode=0
GraphType=2
TopPanel=4
AbortMode=0
[Input]
Options=2
[Crop]
Options=2
[Filter]
Options=2


---------------------------------

 

[Ranchu]

Clicked around on the kiddo's hat in Canon DPP's curves, it has a grey eyedropper. It basically just raised the midtone red curve. Looks ok I think... The blush in her cheek and the browner tone of the kiddo's skin are both well handled imo.

 

[bensyverson]

Here's my version... Just a few seconds in Curves...

 

[AndrewNYC]

craycan you explain quickly how to lock the film base color? I did the following : step 1 I did a preview, step 2, after the preview, I locked the exposure. Then I did another preview that locked the film base color. But how does Viewscan know what the film base is?

 

[tlitody]

Well here's my version for what its worth. I use colour balance tools and hue saturation tool rather than curves. First thing to do is decide what colour the cast is. If its cyan then you want to apply the opposite of cyan which is either minus cyan (which is same as plus red), or minus both green and blue.

And/or Hue stauration tool which is similar but also allows control of brightness and saturation.

View attachment 86146

 

[JamesFromSydney]

This is why I've stopped shooting color

 

[craygc]

craycan you explain quickly how to lock the film base color? I did the following : step 1 I did a preview, step 2, after the preview, I locked the exposure. Then I did another preview that locked the film base color. But how does Viewscan know what the film base is?

Do everything - exposure lock & film base lock - on clear leader

 

[tlitody]

Another question, I cannot seem to find my monitor profile to tell Vuescan where to pull it from. Anyone here with Windows 7 know where it is stored?

don't have windows 7 but you could try in your system spool/drivers/color folder if you have one.

 

[craygc]

Another question, I cannot seem to find my monitor profile to tell Vuescan where to pull it from. Anyone here with Windows 7 know where it is stored?

Haha... didnt even check the embedded paths - default save and profiles. However, I really don't think the monitor profile matters that much. And I just realised looking at my own profile that its wrong - I moved to a Gamma 2.2 environment long ago and Im still pointing to an old (now no longer existing) Gamma 1.8 profile :bang:

 

[AndrewNYC]

Do everything - exposure lock & film base lock - on clear leader

Do I click on the clear leader? Right click to point Vuescan to that spot? This may be the primary problem I'm having. How do I mark the clear leader for vuwscan?

 

[craygc]

Do I click on the clear leader? Right click to point Vuescan to that spot? This may be the primary problem I'm having. How do I mark the clear leader for vuwscan?

I just stick it in the FH-3 holder preview scan the clear leader and then set the crop area to ensure that it contains nothing but clear leader - nothing outside the frame (or even less than full frame works). Then preview scan again before setting the locks.