35mm slide
Slide film is one of the most difficult photography mediums to expose correctly. On occasion, 35mm slides will turn out dark, or under exposed, due to lack of sufficient lighting, improper exposure or camera error. When using a slide scanner to input them into a computer, it can be frustrating to see a dark image on the screen. However, with a few quick adjustments on the scanner and in photo editing software, images from dark slides can be improved for visibility and clarity.
Adjust the 35mm Slide Scanner Settings
Look for exposure compensation adjustments on the scanner menu. Often labeled with a + or - symbol, a sliding scale will allow you to adjust the exposure of the slide being scanned. Also look for tone, hue, brightness and balance adjustments. Don't use the auto setting, and manually adjust these settings to the positive, or brighter setting, to improve your initial slide scan. Try the settings a few times for each image to get a feel for the adjustments, and save the brightest scan for further manipulating.
Adjust the Dark Slide Post Scan
Dark images captured on slide film can be further lightened and brightened after the initial scan. Open the image file in a photo editing program, and look for a levels, brightness or exposure setting. This will allow for adjustments to the midtones, highlights and shadows in the image, making the overall image more visible. Remember, the image will never be improved to a perfect status, because information was never recorded in the shadowed areas. You can't reveal data that was never captured.
Improve the Slides with Software
Use a photo editing software to further improve the dark slides by reducing the visible grain, or soft fuzzy areas, in the image. Filters or programs that despeckle or offer noise reduction options will make the dark slides more clear, increasing the overall content of the image, by smoothing out the grain.
Tags: dark slides, photo editing, adjustments scanner, editing software, photo editing software