I was gifted a scanner by some friends who were moving away & for months it went untouched, I needed to get missing parts, I had to learn, I never had the time, there was a lot of friction. Eventually I found the time & I also had 2 unscanned rolls that I shot while in Texas motivating me to finally teach myself how to scan my own film.
I almost always will take photos I get back from the lab and pass them through lightroom again to just get the colors, exposure and contrast just right. So, I was enticed by the ability to make your own adjustments when you scan your own film.
I used a flatbed scanner to scan the film. Took the film out of the sleeve, cut them in 4s and scanned them in one by one. It took me more than an hour to do the first roll and a little less than an hour for the second. Both people and youtube videos warned me about the dust but I didn’t know it was going to be that stubborn! I also concluded after this experience that I don’t think I’m meticulous enough as a person ensure that everything is done correctly.
All in all, I’m very glad I did it. Definitely was more frustrated and had little patience during the process but looking back I am happy with the photos. minus all the dust…. (which I didn’t edit out of these photos so you can see what I meant). I am honestly not sure if I would do again… But maybe slowing down is the whole point. If you scan your own film I would love to hear your thoughts, and if you have any tips tricks or videos. Perhaps I’ll give it another shot.
Hope everyone is doing alright during these hard times. Everyday there seems to just be more and more bad news. I hope you are all taking care of yourselves and others to the best of your abilities. Life has been a lot lately but let’s remember to slow down, continue to create, and find ways that we can be brave and show up for those who may not have a voice.
Candidly Angie is my online photo journal. I share thoughts and photo dumps every other week. If you enjoy my work subscribe so you never miss a post. My blog has always been free, but if you enjoy seeing my work you can show your support by pledging any amount.
Yep your scans look awesome and the results of your first go give me some encouragement for when I get my own scanner soon to do the same.
Flatbed scanning can be a slog but rewarding after the fact!! Your scans look great :)