How to fine tune my procedure correcting color negatives.

[BKP]

I have discovered my approach to neutralizing the color coupler mask on color negatives by "the hit and miss" approach. I have since determined that 115c+60m on my Omega dichroic head "gets me there". There are negatives that behave like "crossed curves" where a slight magenta decrease from the image yields too green too quickly. There is supposed to be a neutral in the middle. I usually accept the too magenta and adjust it further in PS with an acceptable compromising attitude or convert it to grayscale. Mind you these negatives fifty years old but very well kept.
My method is to make minor adjustments from my starting pack (above). Them import via Nikon image transfer onto my trusted XP sporting PS 7. Then "invert image", "adjust levels" or "brightness contrast" and "auto color" seems to get me there or close to it.
One in particular is an image of a gold prospector's sluice box and trough (from the twenties) in the woods.(shot in the 70's) I did everything wrong. First I shot it on E.K. 5254 and then I protected the transparency more than the negative. I gave up it is in b/w for now.
If anyone uses a different approach I would appreciate knowing about it. Very often there is an easier or better way that one could try. I have not explored Raw files 'though my two DSLRs have that capability. Thanks bk

[SergeyT]

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1849862

[annaeartha]

To fine-tune your color negative processing procedure, there are several approaches you can try:
Use Color Filters: Experiment with different color filtration settings on your Omega dichroic head. Your combination of 115c+60m is a good starting point, but you may need to adjust it further based on the characteristics of each negative.

Adjust Magenta Levels: For negatives exhibiting "crossed curves" behavior, where decreasing magenta leads to excessive green, try fine-tuning the magenta levels to find a neutral balance. You can do this in your enlarger settings or in post-processing software.

Post-Processing in Photoshop: After scanning your negatives into your computer, use Photoshop or a similar software to make further adjustments. "Invert image," "adjust levels" or "brightness contrast," and "auto color" can help achieve the desired color balance.

Experiment with Raw Files: If you have the capability, consider exploring the use of Raw files from your DSLRs. Raw files provide greater flexibility in post-processing, allowing you to adjust color balance, exposure, and other parameters with more precision.

Learn from Others: Reach out to fellow photographers or online communities for different approaches. Someone may have a technique or workflow that works better for your specific situation.

Practice Patience: Color correction can be a trial-and-error process, especially with older negatives. Take your time to experiment and refine your technique until you achieve the desired results.

Remember, there's often more than one way to achieve a desired outcome. Keep experimenting and refining your process until you find what works best for you.

[Alan Klein]

I switched to chromes.

[BKP]

This is helpful. Thanks SergeyT. I purchased Lightroom 3 years ago but did not truly give it, its due. I gave up too early. The NLP program seems to be worth looking into. I'm trying to stop buying more photo related stuff.
I naturally do fine tuning on my individual negatives to minimize crossed curves that's how I got to my acceptable filter pack. However I haven't explored Raw enough. Sometimes its easier to just accept a b/w version.
As far as switching to chromes, I have thousands of those (8x10 to 35mm) and they're coming along nicely, although there are always the problem ones due to poor processing originally.
Thanks for your comments. I'm just not up on all the newer programs and their uses. It seems that Lightroom3 deserves another look after watching a few YouTube videos.bk

[Costpackaging99]

In your process of fine-tuning color negatives, it sounds like you've got a good grip on balancing those tricky shades. Have you tried any specialized filters or adjustments during scanning? Sometimes tweaking the light source can help avoid those crossed curves, similar to optimizing business boxes for perfect presentation.
https://costcutterpackaging.com/

[domaz]

To fine-tune your color negative processing procedure, there are several approaches you can try:
Use Color Filters: Experiment with different color filtration settings on your Omega dichroic head. Your combination of 115c+60m is a good starting point, but you may need to adjust it further based on the characteristics of each negative.

Adjust Magenta Levels: For negatives exhibiting "crossed curves" behavior, where decreasing magenta leads to excessive green, try fine-tuning the magenta levels to find a neutral balance. You can do this in your enlarger settings or in post-processing software.

Post-Processing in Photoshop: After scanning your negatives into your computer, use Photoshop or a similar software to make further adjustments. "Invert image," "adjust levels" or "brightness contrast," and "auto color" can help achieve the desired color balance.

Experiment with Raw Files: If you have the capability, consider exploring the use of Raw files from your DSLRs. Raw files provide greater flexibility in post-processing, allowing you to adjust color balance, exposure, and other parameters with more precision.

Learn from Others: Reach out to fellow photographers or online communities for different approaches. Someone may have a technique or workflow that works better for your specific situation.

Practice Patience: Color correction can be a trial-and-error process, especially with older negatives. Take your time to experiment and refine your technique until you achieve the desired results.

Remember, there's often more than one way to achieve a desired outcome. Keep experimenting and refining your process until you find what works best for you.

Thanks ChatGPT....

[neil poulsen]

I'm at best a beginner in this topic.

But at a U-Develop color lab that used to do business in Portland, we used a set of six filters, each with varying shades of Magenta, Green, Yellow, Blue, Cyan, and Red to view prints. (Like 10, 20, 30 points for each filter. I forget the exact details.) This would give us an idea of how much of magenta, yellow, or cyan filtration to add or subtract from the filter pack that was used to make the given print.

[BKP]

I have done a lot of color printing "C prints" . I did custom color printing for quite a few years. My 20 inch Colenta was converted from EP-2 to RA-4. The negatives that I was trying to balance in Photoshop, I have printed on RC paper with great results years ago. In C printing a 1-2 unit change is hard to distinguish but my problem negative went from slightly too much magenta to too much green in a slight increment. Usually there is a neutral value between them as in color printing. I was trying to find a universal color pack (combination of filtered light) to yield the best neutral starting point. It seems that the later versions of Lightroom with a filter add on called NLP seems to be the solution. I was wondering if my steps of operation in Photoshop may be improved. A 3 unit change in C printing is "very slight" where as on my negatives it is considerable. The 115c+60m was determined from a lot of back and forth testing.
It works quite well with most negatives. I was hoping that someone may have tried a different approach in Photoshop. It seems that a lot of people prefer Lightroom. Why?

[bdkphoto]

I have done a lot of color printing "C prints" . I did custom color printing for quite a few years. My 20 inch Colenta was converted from EP-2 to RA-4. The negatives that I was trying to balance in Photoshop, I have printed on RC paper with great results years ago. In C printing a 1-2 unit change is hard to distinguish but my problem negative went from slightly too much magenta to too much green in a slight increment. Usually there is a neutral value between them as in color printing. I was trying to find a universal color pack (combination of filtered light) to yield the best neutral starting point. It seems that the later versions of Lightroom with a filter add on called NLP seems to be the solution. I was wondering if my steps of operation in Photoshop may be improved. A 3 unit change in C printing is "very slight" where as on my negatives it is considerable. The 115c+60m was determined from a lot of back and forth testing.
It works quite well with most negatives. I was hoping that someone may have tried a different approach in Photoshop. It seems that a lot of people prefer Lightroom. Why?

I think you need to rethink your approach to scanning color negative film. What kind of scanner are you using? ( I assume it a desktop scanner of some sort - Epson/Nikon/Microtek ) There is easy to use scanning software (like Vuescan) that will work with pretty much any desktop scanner available - there is a drop down menu with color profiles of all kinds of color neg film that you can choose from - simply apply the film type and the preview will show an inverted color corrected image - no need to create filter packs to deal with the orange layer - once you get the base scan looking good you can tweak it to taste - then output as needed (tiff etc). If there's a film type that isn't profiled you can use a generic profile, or simply try different profiles to see what looks the best to your eye.