How I Edit my Film Scans in Lightroom 

Willem: I'm going to start by cropping the borders. Everyone else: **GASP**

“I know that roads aren’t blue like that, they’re gray” - a wise man.

Good on you for addressing this sometimes controversial topic! As a film photographer since 1975 and digital/film since 2005 I'm all to familiar with both worlds. I really believe the people who claim film scans should not be manipulated haven't been around very long. Before digital technology there were darkrooms with numerous dodging, burning, toning, and whatnot tools. I remember softening images with nylons stretched in embroidery rings, creating vignettes with a cardboard disk taped to the end of a cut wire and using my hands and fingers under the enlarger lens to move the light. Ansel Adams was known to make elaborate sketches of how he planned to manipulate print exposures in the darkroom. The zone system itself was a form of editing the results from the beginning. I scan my own negatives so I have a bit more control over the result, but every image needs a little touch here and there. This is where digital technology comes in. Keep it up! I've been following you for a few years and your enthusiasm for film keeps this old shooter motivated.

If you hold alt/option while changing the hue of split tone you can see the color without cranking the saturation :)

I’m sure it’s illegal in some country to post vids this informative regularly. Be careful where you go my dude, and keep being awesome.

Green: *exists* Willem: hey, you’re not allowed to do that

Very satisfying to imagine the "analog-or-bust" purist gasp at, well, everything in this video but especially the border edit haha

Always love seeing your workflow. It’s great you’re so open about your process.

I've never thought about editing my film scans even though the results isn't what i expected it to be. I've been watching so many photo editing process video, but so far, this is the most satisfying. Just look at that video, he's literally editing a great photo with a great lighting condition in that room. I have no words for those who dislike this video. But what i know instead, is that i really like this video. You're such an inspiration, Willem. I thank you from the deepest of my heart.

always a big fan of your work man. Getting your film scanned is a digital representation of what the negative should look like and the person who scans it might never fully nail it anyway. So I don't personally see the hype around leaving your scans untouched. I always edit mine!

One of very few creators that I genuinely can't believe how strong their content is. Not a second wasted and not a second too much is said Single handedly got me back into photography... Thank you Willem

imagine telling someone they CAN'T do whatever they want with their work

god Belgium looks so cozy and peaceful

""Why We Still Love Film: Analog Photography in the Digital Age | NBC Left Field"" I saw you. I was already your fan. Awesome!!

I'm getting into film photography and your channel is so helpful! Thank you for posting such great content! 💙

So good to see other photographers workflow when it comes to film, great video

He’s BACK

The first color grading was biblical! Keep up the good work, your inspiring a ton of people, keep going and growing!

I love your channel and how genuine you are!! it’s so refreshing!! I just started my channel and you inspire me sm🥰

This is the perfect video for today. I wanted to do some editing, and then got the notification for this one. Amazing job!

excellent work man. Glad to see that you tweek the colours and perspective with your shots.

I LOVE the lighting in this video

Thanks Willem. The split toning portion was a huge game changer for me.

missed you last week 😭 glad you're back !

Great edit tutorial and examples, Willem. Keep up the amazing work.

"I'm against edit, this is not what film is about!" Well, the vast majority of film photos - including the most famous ones - are edited. Correcting lights, shadows, hue, etc. is perfectly normal and has been done for almost as long as film photography existed. Photoshoping stuff in and out of picture has been done since, at least, 1930s. All the above brings this bottomline: No matter of fetish you may have about photography, it is just a tool for you to express your vision - like painting, writing, music. And your vision can't be right or wrong, can't (and shouldn't) be contained by "rules". People's appreciation of it is another matter. Just do your thing and don't listen to assholes who says "that's not what it is about".

Discovered your channel today. Loving the videos Willem, keep up the great work 👊🏼

Was working on some photos last night, and I feel like I'm still struggling to get out of BW and shoot color. This was really helpful today, Willem

man, whenever I have a doubt or a problem about film, you post a video right after. you're reading my mind

Your work has inspired me to try out 35mm film photography, your videos are super informative keep them coming 👍👍

Beautiful space in the background of this video. Great video, learned something!

I agree 100% - Never edit film to look fake, over-saturated, or too contrasty. I always remember every shot I took and I attempt to recreate the look and feel of the colors from that moment. keep chug'n at it! Love the work

Keep killing it man! 🙌🏼

So helpful man! Love your channel and art

the video I've been waiting for!! ty

Lovely! Thanks for reminding me of my love for photo, great editing!

Such a sick video Willem! Such an inspiration, per usual:)

I just sent my first rolls of film off to be developed. This video couldn’t come at a more perfect time!

Just another video to learn and chill, love it :)

Yasss I’ve been waiting for this video for ever

really nice work willem. Love your work :D

I really enjoy your videos. You have helped me grow so much as a photographer. Thank you!

Love this series thanks a bunch!

Congratulations for the NBC video my man, greetings from Cancún, México

Please make more of these often, I could watch forever

this was so satisfying to watch.

Love the edits!

just when I needed it most !

Well... I usually don’t edit my photos but especially your portrait edits convinced me to do it maybe in the future. 🤔🤗 looking forward to your 35mm.

“YOUNG MA 7” preset. Nice.

reallyyy dope tutorial, thanks man

Let's hear it for the upright adjustments! Probably one of my favorite LR tools, as well.

That portrait of Matt is so good! If you ever get him on the C41 podcast that would be sweet! I love his approach to documenting life and family.

While your style of editing is a big contrast from mine I do appreciate this video video because I love seeing how others edit their pics and potentially learning new tricks. I recently got Lightroom to replace the bulk of my editing workflow therefore it was nice to learn about the color profile feature. Love the videos, keep it up.

I saw you on the Kodak vlog. You're becoming a star in analogue photography! You're on the rise....

this is soo helpful, thank uuuu !!

I love that you shot Young MA (saw your preset for her shoot!), we randomly came across her on a random Spotify playlist a few years ago, such a small world

I've been using Lightroom for years and I've learned so much from just watching this lol

My favourite norse bacc at it again, nice video man 🥺

another thoroughly enjoyable video:]

Great Willem! Please tell us more how and what settings you use to export your photos to instagram. And how you frame your pictures. Love your work!

Waiting for the Fuji xpro-2 review ! Great video as always ❤️

Good stuff, nice minimal edits! I wondered if you use the J key to aid when you're adjusting the exposure sliders at the top - I've found it helps to visually see when these start to clip.

been waiting for this vid for a while loved it was hoping for the photo in the thumbnail though :/

U AND UR VIDEOS ARE AMAZINNNNG🤩

When working with your split tone effect, you can hold down "option" and it toggles 100% saturation to see what color you want to pick., then, just let go of the option key and drops saturation back. to zero and you can slide it to whatever level you want. Just a little time saving tip!

great video, I loved it

Thank the film gods- I’ve been watching your 2 other editing films religiously

The thing I've found helps the most to get an image to look the way you want is to scan it yourself at 16 bits/channel. Not only can you make it look roughly how you want in the first pass, but you essentially have a RAW file to work from if you save it as tif.

Nice to see how you edit. I used to be on the side where I didn't edit my film photos. But sinds a while I do edit them. By that I can make them a bit more my "style".

13:18 "It's that traditional teal and orange look that's really popular... and..." *walks around the house...* "...I think it needs more contrast!" 😁

Another very informative video and dope photos Willem! Are these Flextightx5 scans? if not, what scanner did the lab scans your negatives with? :)

i could listen to you forever

wow I was actually in the camp of not editing my film photos... but after watching this... I may have to start. Changes are subtle but needed

Willems videos are like fresh pizza slices for breakfast! Keep it up dude!

Really helpful🙏

Hey Willem!! I really like how the streetlights look in your night photos, how do make it so the light is diffused, and not star-like?

really good...! very helpful! more of this pleas

Would looove to see a video on how you expose your work. Thanks for all the dopeness

Finally we get this

Hello will how are you? As a film shooter myself when I see how many edits and color correction go into those first few neighborhood photos it may look better visually but it can throw someone off wanting to shoot that type of film and expecting the same look. Those images would probably be better suited shot digitally.

just saw your interview with NBC Left Field thats crazy! good job man

It’s all about the artist vision ... film or digital, edited or not. We shouldn’t judge one another. Enjoyed your video.

Have you ever messed around with Negative Lab Pro in Lightroom? I started using it for when I scan my own negatives and I absolutely love it. Highly recommend it for the next time you're scanning your film yourself.

Editing - in the dark or lightroom - is what photography is all about. The quality of your negative makes that job easy or challenging.

Kept wondering whether your actually are a fellow flatlander, just found your channel. This is some genuine awesome content. Bedankt Willem!

Really interesting as I just started shoot film!

Curious how you export your images for instagram and print following editing in Lightroom.

Nice light from window back of you :) And a good chanel also!

Quick question: What resolution (dpi) and file size do you order your scans to be in, in order to have some room to edit them later?

This helped me so much because I literally just got my first five rolls of 35mm I've ever shot back from The Dark Room and I was so nervous about how to edit them. I'm really curious about what's replacing your A-1?

dude i've been using lightroom for about a year or so and didn't know you could do a before and after next to each other lol how do you do that? epic video as always anyway man :)

hold alt while changing the hue of the highlights and shadows! it lets you preview the color before adjusting the saturation so you dont have to turn it up to 100 just to know what color you are at.

I LEARNT A WHOLE LOT HERE!!! THANKS!!!

that is interesting,also i'm waiting for the next 35mm camera

great video, keep it up

Groeten uit Gent!

Hi Willem, thanks for this video. What kind of scan do you get? I have the option to get a scan for 16 euros which is just a quick full roll scan with a noritsu I think. But I can also choose the option to scan professionally with an imacon, but then it starts at 75 per frame... Thanks for the feedback

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Lovely stuff! Really nice to see somebody else's workflow to sort of confirm that the stuff you're doing yourself isn't totally ludicrous. I'm sure you're aware, but you might want to play around with vibrance rather than saturation on portraits as its designed to affect skin tones (and colours in the image that are already heavily saturated) less.