Scanning Slides (from omg years ago)

[karissa]

So I found this box of slides from my dads child hood taken by my grandfather. You can guess they haven't been extremely well preserved as they have been in a shoe box stored at less than desired temperatures. I have had a harry brained idea to try and start scanning those and hopefully preserve them a little better and well.. make dad happy. More so the latter than anything.

Two issues have come as I started this. I'm sure I'll find plenty more but these are starters.

I'm using a flat bed scanner that has film and slide capabilities. Dust has been a huge problem. So if anyone has ideas on dusting the doggon things, both scanner and slides, I'm all ears. Oh, I should add a disclaimer. Cheep ideas cause I can't exactly go spend $100 on a fancy electrically charged brush.

Also, I was wondering if anyone wants to give some tips and tricks to restoring the old photos. As you can guess the colors aren't what they used to be. I'm looking for over all concepts and such. I'm by no means a PS expert.

So basically, I'm all ears for thoughts, ideas, tips, tricks, and other words of advice that you wonderful film people have.

 

[The_Traveler]

Did the same thing.
Dust was insolvable problem for me, as was film warpage. Crap (perhaps mold) was seemingly imbedded in film. I 'fixed' as much as possible in specific slides in post-processing.
Color balance was solvable mostly using PS.

 

[terri]

Karissa: I swear by this product: Film Kleen, from a company called Anchor. It's an antistatic liquid cleaner and can be used safely on all transparencies: negative and positive alike. Use it with a photographic wipe like a Pec-pad (NOT Q-tips or anything abrasive) and they should clean up nicely (depending on damage or embedded grit).

What did you mean about "restoring the old photos"? Do you have separate prints, as well?

 

[karissa]

Mmm.. no not separate prints.. although, I'm sure there are plenty of those somewhere in all the boxes... I just mean I know some of the slides are discolored so when I do get them scanned in are there like normal things that happen for example.... like slides tend to turn orange and this is the best way to counter act that in PS or something like that.

Film Kleen huh? I'll have to see about that. Sounds better than the brushes.

 

[Desdemona]

Hi Karissa,

I did this a couple of years ago as a present for my dad. It was so worthwhile - the slides were mostly of my sister and me as kids, and of other family, some of whom are no longer with us. (Strangely, my sister was nearly always naked. She is still living that down.)

I also did some PS work. I remember lots of them had a colour cast, which I fixed using the Colour Correction command. It didn't fix everything, but it did help. I also used the clone stamp tool for some, but in Elements 5, which I have now, I'd use the Healing Brush. However, I'm not a PS expert at all.

Enjoy the slides!

 

[karissa]

Hi Karissa,
I'm not a PS expert at all.

This, I can relate with.

 

[DeadEye]

I was recently asked to do this same task. My aunt who has two boxes of slides needs them put into digital format , do I need a special scanner for this or will a regular flatbed work ?

 

[Desdemona]

I bought a flatbed scanner with a special slot in the lid for negs or slides.

 

[karissa]

Yeah, I could be wrong but I think the scanner has to be compatible. I don't think its an issue with the hardware as much as the drivers and the native scanning program have to know to adjust for the size difference. But, worst case is, you tried right?