Image Revision Procedure 08



Moorhouse Image Revision Procedure 09.01.03 dcb, rev. dcb 09-19-03, rev. dcb 03.10.04.

For a 24-bit workflow starting from a B&W negative (reverse polarity image).

This workflow does not address optimizing color images. All steps described are starting points for

correcting tonal range, contrast, shadow/highlight points, and color casts. Occasions will frequently arise where the user must leverage knowledge across various photoshop functions, using them in concert to achieve the desired effect while preserving tonal information: EMPHASIS ON LEGIBILITY, FIDELITY TO IMAGE CONTENT with an understanding of the physical and aesthetic properties of historic analog reproduction techniques and their results (e.g. Moorhouse B&W negative printed through B&W photographic darkroom processes).

Curves (step5) uses the following black point, grey point, and white point color picker/eyedropper settings:

(expressed as CMYK) BlackPt:75/63/62/92. GreyPt:50/40/40/10. WhitePt.:5/3/3/0.

1. File locations (all folders already exist):

Round 2 Scanned TIFS are in: L:\groups\Moorhouse\scanning work\round 2

Round 2 TIFS save to: L:\groups\Moorhouse\image revisions\round 2 revised TIFs

Round 2 JPEGs save to: L:\groups\Moorhouse\image revisions\round 2 JPEGs

Round 1 rescanned images are in folders that parallel the naming conventions for

round 2 imagery, but the paths end with something resembling Round 1 Rescans instead of Round 2.

Make sure that the action set “processing Moorhouse” appears in the actions palette. If it is not present, choose action options> load actions and select “processing Moorhouse.”

2. Reorient Images

a. [as necessary] rotate image 90 degrees CW or CCW to proper orientation (e.g. Image>rotate>90 degrees CW)

b. If image polarity is still reversed, press ctrl-I to invert the image.

c. If image is incorrectly flipped horizontally or vertically, flip the image along the necessary axis using either: Image>rotate>flip horizontal Image>rotate>flip vertical.

d. [as necessary] press F2 key to automate image inversion and to flip image horizontally.

3. Consider whether cropping if necessary to exclude superfluous image area.

a. Zoom in and make sure not to crop out clear areas at the edges of the negative, mistaking them for the scanner bed. Use crop tool if necessary.

b. Check highlight areas for scanning hardware errors. Zoom into an area of the

image that is light grey in value. Look for magenta and cyan colored banding. The presence of this banding indicates scanner hardware error at the time of scan acquisition. If banding is present, mark the scan for rescan and move to next image. Similarly, look at the image histogram Image>New Adjustment Layer>Levels to check for histogram clipping. The presence of significant clipping (excluding areas outside of the negative or clear/scratched areas of the negative) should be noted and the negative marked for rescan. If histogram is satisfactory, close the levels layer by clicking on CANCEL.

4. Pick highlight/shadow points

a. Press F3 Key this makes a new threshold adjustment layer. A threshold layer will appear in layer palette. Double click on the left side of this layer to open up the threshold layer dialogue.

b. Drag the triangular pointer all the way to the right side of the threshold graph. Press the keyboard’s down arrow until the first bit of white appears in the image area (e.g. in the middle of the image as opposed to the edges of the glass plate). THIS IS YOUR HIGHLIGHT AREA. Press OK.

c. Using color sampler dropper (shift+i toggles through the dropper/sampler tools) with the caps lock ENABLED hold shift and click on the highlight area noted in 4.b above.

d. Double click on the threshold layer to open its dialog box.

e. Drag the triangular pointer all the way to the left side of the threshold graph. Press the up arrow until the first bit of black appears in the image area (e.g. in the middle of the image). THIS IS YOUR SHADOW AREA. Press OK.

f. Using the color sampler dropper with caps lock ENABLED, hold shift and click on the shadow area noted in 4.e above.

g. Erase the threshold layer by dragging its icon into the layers palette trash.

5. Curves for shadow/highlight neutralization.

a. Press the F4 key to create a new curves adjustment layer.

b. Double click on the curves layer to open its palette. Note the three droppers the bottom right portion of the dialogue box.

c. Click the right most dropper (the highlight selection/neutralization tool).

d. With caps lock ENABLED line up the cursor crosshairs with the Highlight marker created in 4.c above (should be on a highlight area of image). With the crosshairs aligned, click.

e. Locate the three dropper icons in the curves palette. Click on the left most dropper (shadow point selection/neutralization tool).

f. With caps lock ENABLED line up the cursor crosshairs with the Shadow marker created in 4.f above (should be the shadow area of image). With the crosshairs aligned, click.

g. Click the middle of the three dropper icons in the curves palette (middle gray neutralization tool). With caps lock ENABLED line up the cursor crosshairs with a tonal area of middle grey. Click. Observe how the color cast shifts. Click on different areas of the image until it is relatively neutral in color cast.

6. Desaturation Layer \

a. press F5 Key to create a hue/saturation adjustment layer, desaturate the master (combined) channel, and close the layer.

7. Evaluate Mid Tonal Range Balance, Contrast, etc.

a. as needed use layer>new adjustment layer> levels (F6 key will make a new levels adjustment layer) (or)

b. the curves layer created in step 5 above to SLIGHTLY increase/decrease the density of the mid tones relative to the selected highlight/shadow points. EMPHASIS ON LEGIBILITY, FIDELITY TO IMAGE CONTENT. [This requires looking at the image, evaluating how it functions as an image on both a descriptive and connotative level and leveraging knowledge across various photoshop functions used in concert to achieve the desired effect.]

8. save TIF

a. file>save as

b. choose TIF from the file type pull down menu

c. append YOUR INITIAL after the original collection/image name of the file. e.g. PH026_5106db.tif. the file extension .tif will be appended automatically

d. navigate to the appropriate revised TIF folder and click save/ok

e. TIF dialogue will open. Make sure compression is off. Click ok.

9. save JPEG

a. convert color profile. Press F7 KEY to convert from Adobe RGB 1998 color profile to sRGB IEC61966-2.1 profile. This uses ACE engine, relative colorimetric, black point compensation, dither, and flatten.

b. Image>image size. UNCHECK the resample image box. Change the resolution to 125. RECHECK the resample image box and change the larger of the two pixel dimensions to 875 px.

c. Click ok

d. Save JPEG. File>save as. Choose JPEG from the file type pull down menu

e. Make sure to use the proper naming conventions – use the collection/image number WITHOUT operator initials. e.g. PH026_5106.jpg. the file extension .jpg will be appended automatically

f. Navigate to the proper JPG directory. And click save/ok

g. Click ok. JPEG compression box will open. Used JPEG level 6. baseline “standard”.

h. Click ok.

10. next

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