Should I be changing my developing or scanning?

[nigelll]

I respect the opinions on here greatly and I would like to know what you all think on these pictures. They are not anything special as far as content goes, I am just wanting to improve my skills. so I am looking for a bit of advice and guidance.

I don't know if this is in the right place or not either.

The two pictures here I developed myself in Ro-9 on Tmax 100 and scanned on a Epson V-600 with just a little "enhancing". I know its not the greatest scanner but I can't afford anything else so it has to do for now. They are also fairly grainy but I am assuming it is from to much agitation I have never used this developer before.

Anyways I have a lot of spots and lines on these and the occasional water marks (I forgot to look for). So what steps should I be taking to help this or do I just need to Photoshop them out?

Any additional advice would be appreciated.

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[JayM]

Looks like dust which is pretty run of the mill. You should remove it with whatever image processing method works best for you!

Before I scan I blow off the negative with a squeezy blower to get as much dust off as I can. But it isn't possible to be totally dust free. If the dust is stuck in the emulsion then no amount of blowing is going to get it out.

I just take it for granted that I am going to have to spend time "spotting" my scans. Especially in the desert where there's no way I'm going to get dust or scratch free negs

[ItsReallyDarren]

Tell us a little more about how you develop the film. What kind of film do you use? Do you use photo-flo? Do you squeegee your film? Are they hung up to dry in a place that has moving air?

Scratches on the film could come from the camera or handling of the film when developed. Water spots could come from the quality of water. Lots of dust on the film could come from the film being in a dusty environment, possibly from an area with moving air that circulates dust.

[nigelll]

This film is tmax 100, I do a photo-flo rinse, no squeegee and they are hung in the bathroom with the door shut until dry also I close the air vent in there during the drying.

I have shot this camera for years and have not noticed scratches before, so to me that would say if I do see scratches its my fault somewhere along the line. The water where I live is actually very good and on top of that is filtered in house.

[Sparrow]

They both look a bit over-sharpened to me, is it possible the scanner is doing something "automatically"?

[Bobfrance]

They appear quite contrasty for a 100 speed film. Increasing the contrast by a large margin in post-processing will increase the contrast of the grain also - making it more pronounced. Better perhaps to shoot a faster film and which already has greater contrast and devlop it using a less grainy developer.

I like Rodinal but it does produce more grain than most, especially with agitation.

[taskoni]

Don't be afraid to clean your dry negatives from water drop spots and dust using (hmm, saliva and a soft micro cloth works for me).

[nigelll]

Yeah they have more contrast than I want I just quickly threw them up.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far!

[kokoshawnuff]

The water spots can be avoided every time with a final rinse using kodak photoflo or LFN wetting agent and distilled water (though tap water will do well in most places). Dust is difficult to avoid with a flatbed scanner (the static cling is extreme sometimes) so a can of compressed air will help as will a clean anti-static cloth

[JayM]

Originally Posted by taskoni

Don't be afraid to clean your dry negatives from water drop spots and dust using (hmm, saliva and a soft micro cloth works for me).

I have done this with water spots and it has worked just fine. Probably obvious to someone more experienced than I, but the spots never seem to be on the emulsion side.

[gho]

I would start with learning how to get a good negative, because eventually you may want to wet print them later. And if it is not in the negative, the scanner or photoshop won't get it either.

Watermarks: Yes, distilled water for the last rinse does work wonders.

Pictures: Indeed oversharpened and too contrasty for a 100, but if you like that look, no problem.

Spots and lines: Good agitation scheme, clean equipment, fresh fixer and dust free environment.

[Keith]

When you're scanning with an Epson it's really important to go into scan settings and turn that auto exposure slider way down (minimum is good) or you wind up with way to much contrast to the point of blown highlights and blocked shadows.