I recently scanned some thirty-year-old Ektachrome slides of nature and wildlife. After fix-up in Photoshop, the images are proper and neutral; however, they are nonetheless quite on the cold side, i.e., predominant green and blue hues typical of Ektachome. Note there are no improper color casts; its just the character of old Ektachrome film.
Can anyone suggest a Photoshop technique that may warm these images like the old Kodachrome film but not so that I am adding inappropriate reddish color casts?
Thank you,
Howard
#1
Image > Adjustment > Photo Filter > Warming?
Art
#2
Image > adjustment > Variations?
Rob (sometimes art)
#3
I'd go with the photo filter method. It's what we do when we shoot ektachrome and want a warmer result. Now you can apply it after the fact.
#4
The only adjustment you need to do what you want, and the best one to use for many reasons, is curves. It's the tool of choice for serious color and tonal corrections, and has the unique ability to target different areas of the tonal range with different amounts of correction, including compensating for or inducing crossover. The photo filters are some of the lamest filters I've seen in PS, with a marked tendency to mangle the image with posterization and clipped colors, but if they make you happy, that's fine too. Variations is fine if you can't see what direction the image needs to go in, but shouldn't actually be used for the final correction.
Most Ektachrome that had that bluish cast to it was either mis-processed or was never filtered to begin with. In the days when we all used to shoot a ton of it, each emulsion was color tested for a recommended filter pack that would give the look that was wanted. After I started doing my own drum scans, there was little need to filter anything, as it was so easy to correct for any cast at the scanning stage.
#5