Digital Help

This department will attempt to provide solutions to problems readers may have getting into and using digital cameras, scanning, and using digital photographic images with a computer and different kinds of software. All questions sent to me will be answered with the most appropriate information I can access and provide. However, not all questions and answers will appear in this...

Digital Help is designed to aid you in getting the most from your digital photography, printing, scanning, and image creation. Each month, David Brooks provides solutions to problems you might encounter with matters such as color calibration and management, digital printer and scanner settings, and working with digital photographic images with many different kinds of cameras and...

Digital Help is designed to aid you in getting the most from your digital photography, printing, scanning, and image creation. Each month, David Brooks provides solutions to problems you might encounter with matters such as color calibration and management, digital printer and scanner settings, and working with digital photographic images with many different kinds of cameras and...

In this month’s column David Brooks takes a brief recess on answering reader mail to address a topic that is the subject of many queries he receives—getting effective scans from your “old” film library. We think you’ll enjoy his observations and that you’ll find you have much in common with his experiences.—Editor

Many of the questions I receive in my e-mail involve what readers are doing, or want to do. A frequent topic involves what to do with a collection of old film photographs. That is also a problem I have and work at a lot these days, and my film library is the accumulation of a long lifetime of photography. But many of you have not started scanning your collection of film photographs yet. One reason may be that it’s intimidating, and like going in the water at the beginning of the season, getting your feet wet is the hard part. But the question I have the most difficulty answering is from those who want a quick and easy solution.

Digital help is designed to aid you in getting the most from your digital photography, printing, scanning, and image creation. Each month, David Brooks provides solutions to problems you might encounter with matters such as color calibration and management, digital printer and scanner settings, and working with digital photographic images with many different kinds of cameras and software. All questions sent to him will be answered with the most appropriate information he can access and provide. However, not all questions and answers will appear in this department. Readers can send questions to David Brooks addressed to “Shutterbug” magazine, through the “Shutterbug” website (www.shutterbug.com), directly via e-mail to: editorial@shutterbug.com or goofotografx@gmail.com or by US Mail to: David Brooks, PO Box 2830, Lompoc, CA 93438.