I'm interested in the different methods that people use to color correct scanned color negatives. In the past, it's always been difficult for me to get good results. However, I've recently been getting some nice results using a different method.

In brief, I been using a minimum of adjustments in the scanning phase. (I'll use some adjustment of the left and right input Levels sliders.) Once ported to Photoshop, I've been using a levels adjustment layer to correct color. Doing each color separately, I bring the left and right sliders to within some tasteful distance of the ends of the histogram for each color. (Recall that the drop down menu slecter at the top allows one to adjust each R, G, B color separately.) Then, I alter the center gamma sliders for each color to obtain the color balance that I want. Occassionally, I'll use the white point eyedropper to snap the image to a selected color of white. (If I see a decent color of white in the image.) I've been using Epson Scan. I usually prefer Silverfast for their preselects for different brands of negatives. But, Silverfast stopped working on my Mac. (When I reformat, as I do periodically, it will work again.) None the less, I've been getting good results using Epson Scan. I'm not suggesting that my selection of this process is the result of any deep thought process. It just seems to work well for me.

I previously used a Color Balance adjustment layer. For me, this approach just didn't work well. I went nuts trying to get good color balance using this method. (Maybe that's not such a long trip!)