A Scientific Method For Inverting Color Negatives + Emulating the Negative with Digital Cameras

In this episode of Alchemy Color, we'll explore the process of accurately scanning and inverting a color negative with readily available tools inside Adobe Camera Raw. This is a long-form tutorial, so stick around until the end for the reveal of a unique emulation for digital stills. Thank you to Aaron Buchler (u/Ab_film_92) for the inversion technique and Jack Whitaker (u/jrw01) for his informative article on scanner backlights. Both were fundamental in helping me understand where to go with my methods. ► See more: https://alchemycolor.com/film-emulation/ ► Get the film emulation here: https://alchemycolor.com/product/alchemy-color-emulation-standard-kodak-gold-200/ ► GitHub repository: https://github.com/alchemy-color/color-negative-inversion ► Download my Canon PowerShot G12 Negative Emulation samples: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1EjCKxJXnUbueI0giEC7UcIA3411RKvF5?usp=drive_link ► Support Negative Lab Pro: https://www.negativelabpro.com/ ► Support FilmLab: https://www.filmlabapp.com/ Chapters 00:00 - Introduction 00:50 - The film look as a cumulative sum of variables 02:14 - Film development 03:10 - Film scanning 04:55 - Printing 05:56 - Review: The uncertain acrobatics of the analog signal path 06:50 - The film emulation market 08:06 - Accurate Color Negative Inversions 08:56 - Color Negative Scan and Inversion - Universal Method 09:03 - 1. Capture 11:06 - 2. Processing the raw files 12:16 - 3. Inverting the negative 12:37 - Method 1: Invert in Photoshop, edit in Lightroom 14:26 - Method 2: Invert and edit in 32 bits in Photoshop 16:39 - 4. Turning the inversion into an XMP profile 18:39 - Color Negative Scan and Inversion - A Specialized Method 20:59 - Universal vs. Specialized Method 22:09 - A Better Editing Color Space 22:55 - Inversion Accuracy Metrics 23:21 - NEW PRODUCT: Alchemy Color Standard Film Emulation 26:36 - Automated Frontier Scan vs Dedicated Method Inversion vs Digital Emulation 27:48 - INNOVATIVE PRODUCT: Color Negative Emulations 30:30 - Negative Emulation Accuracy Metrics 30:44 - Takeaways 32:18 - Conclusion 33:40 - Credits