So before during the film days

Kbarredo

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How did they post process the photos. Im wondering because i came into photography using digital only. I have always wondered how was skin tone, saturation and hue all fixed. I did a little black and white film developing in highschool but that was it.
 
It's a chemical process. Light struck the film, which was covered with light-sensitive material. The reaction caused a chemical change, which was brought out by soaking the film in liquids of various chemicals. Mostly, this process produced negatives, with light areas that were dark and vise versa. In order to make a print, the negative was projected onto a paper coated with similar light-sensitive material and the process was repeated.

There was, and still is, a method to create 'positive' images (we usually call them 'slides').
 
Negatives were printed in the darkroom using many of the same techniques found in editing programs for digital ( did you ever wonder were those terms and techniques came from?)

With color film, one had various types which each had it's own "signature" temperature; some more blue some warmer,etc. Then when printed the printer "corrected, made adjustments etc." Filters could and would be used on the camera for specific effects.

Black and white would accept a lot more "post processing" than color.

Slides , the purest forum as nothing could be done after firing the shutter, unless it was to cross process in the "wrong chemistry" etc. But, to make changes after development was not possible.
 
There was little "post," and what was available was quite costly.

Shooting negative film allowed for a bit of correction in printing (adjustments to color balance, density and contrast), but anything major was done directly to the print. Negative retouching was used to minimize/remove blemishes in portraits. Some very artsy effects could be achieved by flashing the film or paper during processing.

That's why the ultimate goal was "get it on the negative." That would assure the greatest repeatability and economy.

-Pete
 
I saw a photo of Hitler that was manipulated. Not sure how they did it but it looked good. They removed someone from the photo.
 
But I mean how were blemishes removed. Also how did you know the right amount of time to leave it in the chemicals.
 
Blemishes were taken care of on the negative, usually by a retouch artist at the lab.

Color chemistry is more exacting than black and white, with little tolerances. Optimum results achieved by adhering to manufacturer's prescribed development time and temperature.

-Pete
 
retouching and airbrushing. Create lighting,

You can't believe what was done to those "playboy bunnies" before firing the shutter. :)
 
retouching and airbrushing. Create lighting, You can't believe what was done to those "playboy bunnies" before firing the shutter. :)
i can't believe the things done to them during the shutter.
 
I saw a photo of Hitler that was manipulated. Not sure how they did it but it looked good. They removed someone from the photo.

Often times what they would do was cut the negative and replace the negative space with another negative that had a similar or identical background. Another example with Stalin when he didn't want it to be known that Leon Trotsky was in attendance at a speech to Soviet troops.

Photo manipulation was relatively popular with negative images and the people who practiced it were extremely skilled and talented at it.
 
I saw a photo of Hitler that was manipulated. Not sure how they did it but it looked good. They removed someone from the photo.

Often times what they would do was cut the negative and replace the negative space with another negative that had a similar or identical background. Another example with Stalin when he didn't want it to be known that Leon Trotsky was in attendance at a speech to Soviet troops.

Photo manipulation was relatively popular with negative images and the people who practiced it were extremely skilled and talented at it.
So were a bunch of retouch artist losing their jobs when photoshop and computers came out?
 
So were a bunch of retouch artist losing their jobs when photoshop and computers came out?

If they were smart, they learned PhotoShop.
 
So were a bunch of retouch artist losing their jobs when photoshop and computers came out?

Sure. I suspect type-setters were the first to go... back in the 80s. It hit the printing industry first with "desktop publishing."

The first thing that I lost was slide work. I used to get $30 per for a basic slide with text, and $65–$80 for slides with charts or graphs. It's all Power Point now.

Once digital photography came of age, it wasn't just retouch artists that disappeared. MANY pro labs went too. The first big chunk they lost was wedding candids. And this happened rather quickly.

Commercial labs too. I don't believe there's a "Q" lab in Chicago any more... or in the state of Illinois for that matter. In fact, I bet there are maybe one or two folks here that know what a "Q" lab is... or was.

Oh well.
 

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