How to Make Digital Contact Sheets

Got your negatives at home? Try it out yourself! Drop any questions you have in the comments and I'll do my best to get to as many of them as I can.
My scanner: Epson v850
My negative sleeve (for 35mm): Print File 35-7BXW
Scan resolution: 2400dpi
Export size in LR: 100% quality at 300ppi
0:00 - Intro
0:30 - Background
3:39 - Prepare your negatives
4:55 - Scanner settings
6:09 - Scan
6:48 - Import to Lightroom/Photoshop
7:48 - Convert & edit
11:20 - How to use in a workflow
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#contactsheets #filmphotography
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[@catholicschool132]

I’ve been waiting for this tip for 20 years. Where have you been all my life?

[@FaizalWestcott]

LOL I'm here now!!

[@mkphotonet]

@@FaizalWestcott I can’t imagine a Magnum photographer ever making a contact sheet with their negatives inside a sleeve.

[@itschrismounts]

this is such a sick thing, i've been thinking about doing this for a while and could never really get the most efficient way down. appreciate this!

[@piaaase2242]

i love your clean and calm way of producing your videos thanks

[@FaizalWestcott]

thank you!

[@Timmynw503]

Hello Mr. Westcott I spent a great deal of time in Boston 7 years in fact I have 6 boxes of 4x5 and 120 negatives to scan I was delighted to view your channel at the age of 55 I have just now started to embrace the world of a digital workflow thank you so much and the respect you show for your craft I too own the Mangum Contact Sheets Book I thought film was a lost art with your generation keep up the great work and respect for your craft.

[@davidraaum6277]

This is the best tutorial on workflow that I have seen in many months. Great job, keep it up.

[@FaizalWestcott]

Wow, thanks so much! I'm glad you found it super helpful!

[@arpcsm]

This is insane!!! You’re such a blessing in the world of photography! 🙌🏻

[@kowanut1]

What an excellent way to digitally archive all those damn negatives that I've amassed over the years. Thanks!

[@drbarnack1885]

This works great, thanks! I always had a hard time getting the negative sleeve to fit on the scanner glass, so your way of doing it in two parts with the photo merge was genius!

[@ElleYew]

This is clutch!! Thanks a mil man! I currently use Pacific Image PowerFilm batch scanner, which (at best) was giving me lo-res digital scans and I was using LR as a digital contact sheet that I'd reference when I wanted to take a negative to my darkroom. This process is MUCH quicker as I'm not scanning images 1-by-1 and I'm still able to zoom in on a frame that I want to run in the enlarger. Again, many thanks!! Keep up the killer content!

[@MattatHiddenLight]

amazed at how sharp those come out even through the sleeve. Gotta go try this for sure.

[@ryanlo3367]

You gotta upload more often, I freaking love your content

[@phoenixrobles1273]

Thank you for such a succinct and relatively easy demonstration. Keep up the great work.

[@mattmoloney_]

Super helpful tutorial and your videos have gotten so high quality / professional looking! Nice work man - definitely going to start using this process🤙🏼🎞⚡️

[@HFerris92]

I've been looking for a video just like this and you definitely delivered. Perfect content.

[@FaizalWestcott]

Thanks man! I'm glad you found it helpful!

[@jeffcsMN]

Love this tutorial. I grew up shooting and developing film when contact sheets were a necessary part of the film development darkroom workflow. Nice to see how to do this in a digital world. Cheers!

[@SebastianPastry]

Like many of the best tips, this seems so obvious now you said it but I’d never thought of it. Brilliant video and nice work!

[@kgb1138]

Fantastic. Very detail orientated, and useful. Hope to use this soon.

[@timma8221]

Exactly what I told my friend who owns an epson scanner half month ago!!! But we just haven't try it our! And the way you convert it in the Lr is very insightful!

[@FaizalWestcott]

Thanks Tim! It's a little thing not a lot of people know they can do when it comes to converting negatives!

[@mikej243]

Very insightful! I haven't seen someone convert the negative in LR with that method on youtube before but I will definitely try it now.

[@carlosgrajeda1986]

Thanks for this! I never print my photos, but recently I have had the inspiration to really want to start printing my photos and have physical photo albums for myself and others to look through, but I have the task of catching up on about 200 rolls of film to scan. I think creating digital contact sheets will be a huge time saver, this way I can review the contact sheet and only go back and scan the ones that I think are print worthy.

[@TheGazmondo]

I love the fact that you’re clued on to my favourite street camera the CLE, very good move ! As is Samuel L Streetlife. Great Channel, thanks !

[@robertjean-gilles8615]

This is was a dope little tutorial my man✊🏾I definitely gotta try this out some time, goals for 2021 I guess. Love the channel

[@FaizalWestcott]

Thanks Robert!

[@TonyEbikemeJr]

YEs! I bought that book during the first lockdown in the UK. Was a good buy.

[@radharcanna]

A very useful technique. It’ll save me loads of time. Thank you. Subscribed.

[@einrebortega8414]

this is exactly what I needed, you sir are a blessing!!

[@FaizalWestcott]

Haha, glad it helped you out!

[@jw8588]

Awesome! Gonna try this today, thanks for the tutorial!

[@joladeolusanya]

Super helpful man!

[@changez77654]

Would be interesting to hear a take on how to incorporate the contact sheet way of thinking into a digital only workflow. Surely there is something to learn apply from the way things were done previously

[@thebeard0]

Adobe Bridge basically works as an interactive contact sheet, allowing you to quickly view all photos from a shoot and make your selects. Instead of circling the selects, just rate them and then filter for your highest rated shots. The benefit is you don’t have to break out a magnify glass to make close up inspections. Plus in Adobe Camera Raw or Lightroom you can make adjustment presets for the shoot that you can quickly apply to all selects from that shoot. It’s easier than taking notes in the darkroom while dialing in a print, then having to repeat those same steps on the rest of your selects.

[@mat176]

Love this!

[@mntolee3626]

Thank you, Faizal. Great content and nice presentation. ❤

[@FaizalWestcott]

Thanks for watching!

[@expiringcity]

Sweet Video Faizal!! Just borrowed Magnum contact sheets from a friend and I was blown away by the size of the book. So modest when you say "in here are several contact sheets" Hahah there are SO MANY amazing contact sheets spanning the whole history of commercial photojournalism (1930s till now). Anyways, this had made me think I should give this a try! Keep up the good work man!

[@FaizalWestcott]

Hahaha maybe "a TON" would have been more appropriate

[@ScottGudahl]

so much good info in this Faizal! Im jumping into film photography again next year so this was perfect timing

[@FaizalWestcott]

Awesome to hear!

[@JimFeeley]

What a fun idea. And useful too! Thanks!

[@Alexandra-pr8ob]

THIS WAS SO HELPFUL!!!!

[@fluoresceeie5]

You just made life so much easier lol. I have NLP as well so this should be easy. Much appreciated brotha

[@jonstantine]

This is genius. Thank you for creating this video!

[@FaizalWestcott]

Thank you for sticking around!

[@leafsfan71]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing!

[@brianentz2785]

Excellent. Very helpful.

[@tompaste387]

Bravo. Very useful thanks

[@ThomasApp]

Great tip that really helps I couldn't print all my color nagative contact sheets at the lab !

[@danielmarcussen714]

Have to try that next time

[@blakeaghili4681]

So cool 😎 I’ll do it next time

[@CJWareLRPS]

Dude I’ve been looking for doing a nice way to do this for ages 😍

[@FaizalWestcott]

Apparently you're not the only one! It's funny because I didn't think that many people would be looking to how to do this haha

[@JammiYork]

Thanks for this.

[@josephportelli3080]

A fellow Minolta CLE brother I see. That camera is amazing.

[@SivertAlmvik]

Most likely for most press photographers and photo journalists of the "olden age", they didn't even see their shots until they were printed in the local newspaper or it was published by the agency. They sent their films away to be processed and then edited. But it is still a good learning point in learning how to work the scene :)

[@wallywalt]

Yep... (looking at the 1972 yearbook)... "Oh! I took that!"

[@vickyroy4796]

Yo! Really like that vid & the information 👍😊

[@johnkraemer5505]

Very nice! Thank you!

[@brentapeters]

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

[@GJones-zx5nr]

Excellent

[@NunoAlmeidaPhotography]

I definitely gotta try this, thank you!

[@FaizalWestcott]

Give it a go! It's fun to try out regardless if you really want to use it in your workflow or not

[@JustinBalderrama]

Hi Faizal, great video and very helpful for someone new to scanning. Do you have any recommendations for doing this with negative lab pro? Thanks a lot

[@MJA012-]

This is very much appreciated.

[@soulstart89]

I have a tad different workflow but the results are the same. I shoot medium format. Good job bro

[@crystalanokam]

I have been searching high & low on how to do this digital so THANK YOU. I know you did this on a 850 so i’m wondering how it will be for a 550 but I mean multiple scans never hurt anyone! Thanks again and excited to use this to create contact sheets in the new year!!

[@pbates11]

Sure it hurts. They mount up when you've got a lot to do.

[@edulopezphoto]

Amazing content, thank you very much. Your KZbin channel it’s really cool 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@FaizalWestcott]

Thanks Edu!

[@ianthomas465]

thank you. quite helpful👍

[@victoriaromero6472]

Great work! Definitely going to try this out! What paper would you suggest writing on?

[@tuncaycavusoglu9861]

thanks faizal

[@jonvickery]

Genius!

[@discoteo]

cool video! how would you approach creating real digital contact sheet from digital camera?

[@Alexandra-pr8ob]

Thank you!

[@futuro2]

thanks a lot for the video man! Where can I get the paid plug-in you mentioned?

[@joe_tographer]

Maaan I miss contact sheets, just bought a scanner and I'm definitely gonna do this when I get it

[@borisapple]

sick boutta do this

[@FaizalWestcott]

❤️❤️

[@josekaijiecastaneda6014]

Thanks!

[@MB-or8js]

I am using the PrintFile holders in letter size where 5 frames fit in each row. Trying to scan one sheet all at once in letter size with my V850 and Epson Scan program gave trouble - it led to vertical streak lines in weird patterns depending on how I placed the sheet onto the clean scanner glass. Only by placing it further down cutting off the last row made it work. It also works without problems when placing the sheet the way you showed it cutting off more rows. The issue is independent on the used scanner driver - I tried it both with EpsonScan 3.9.3 and the latest one, 3.9.4. Can you reproduce the similar issue by placing your sheet with negatives 90 deg rotated into the scanner (meaning placing it vertically in portrait arrangement)?

[@kaylabertagnolli8657]

Hey Faizal, do you have recs for a *cheaper* scanner? I have a Epson V16 and it looks like I don't have the option to change the document to "film" etc. Thank you!

[@emanuelcarvalho8510]

amazinggg

[@americofebbraio3380]

wow super!!! i have NLP but i prefer to have full control on my negatives so i'll try your method. What About Black and White negatives? the way to manually convert is the same? on lightroom i have to set to black and white?

[@FaizalWestcott]

Yup set to black and white! It'll be a similar process but much easier since you don't have to worry about color

[@htt2707]

Thanks a lot for this excellent tutorial. I will definitely use this. Should save time doing the first selection of frames to scan later in hi-res. And its great to have the contact sheets for overview. I had thought about the possibility of using my flatbed for contact sheet scanning so it was great to find your tutorial.

[@jodypoorwill9570]

I get those circle rings when I scan with a negative file sheet. Any tips on removing this from the scans. I’m using the same scanner and editing in Lightroom. Thanks.

[@jamesjack3992]

Hi, does anyone know if the photo merge step works with more than 2 scans or not? I have a v600 which won’t do the same size scan so idk if I can merge more then 2 scan passes with this step?? Thank you !

[@guidedvisionsmedia]

Music in the back was banging at about 7:50 ✊🏽

[@lukemakayabu4369]

Great video Faizel! how do you ensure the negatives are flat?

[@FaizalWestcott]

That’s a great question. There really is no great way to do it other than waiting for your negatives to flatten over time. Not exactly sure how well this would work but you could possibly try using a transparent piece of thin glass and lay it over the negatives. Never tried it before, but it’s usually done for wet scanning.

[@LannsYT]

Do you print your own film? I want to get more into film but the whole process of producing it looks difficult.

[@charlesblaksmith6841]

Do you have recommendations for scanning in Black and White?

[@TheAppleman352]

Hey man I’m actually moving to Boston come January , I took up shooting with film durin the quarantine and I’m curious what lab you use to develop your color film, colortek?

[@FaizalWestcott]

Usually Hunt's if local. It's the cheapest and fastest turn around time.

[@christiancalma5035]

Do you think I can still do this with a Epson v550? I would just have to do a few frames at a time right?

[@FaizalWestcott]

Yeah, I think you'll have to do a couple scans then merge

[@RicardoMendesTalks]

Faizal, great video as always! On a side note, not related to the topic of this video, but would you mind sharing your audio setup for this video? Thank you in advance man!

[@FaizalWestcott]

Thanks man! I'm using the deity S-mic 2 here

[@RicardoMendesTalks]

@@FaizalWestcott Thank you bud, appreciate your reply. Sounds amazing!

[@ryanyoro4454]

I use the same sleeves but I get crazy vertical lines and I think it's because of the sleeve. I do it without the sleeve and the vertical lines are gone. Is there a particular PrintFile sleeve that you recommend? For MF and 35mm?

[@mr.shgamingguy]

😎 cool

[@akiliramsess8662]

What model Epson printer do you use? I understand the more current printers have that positive function. The HP printer I have does not have it.

[@ZisisKardianos]

The method doesn't work with the V500 /V550 due to smaller scanning space and the Epson scan software which has different settings than when conects to more recent scanners. I placed the strips in a clean sheet and placed only two strips vertically corrsponding to the max scanning space of my scanner. There is no setting under film for "scanning max area with film edges". As a result and probably due to the clean file, the scanner doesn't recognize the document/film and pops up an error message "no response from the scanner".

[@laurenlentini917]

Maybe this only works with fresh negs and sleeves? Mine are a few years old and the scans through the sleeve was unusable - mostly glitchy color line fragments.

[@supertroutjams]

I just got a v850 and grew up as a photo journalist, my job started with souping film and making contact sheets. I'm in the process of. organizing my lifes workbut the software i have is the epson scan 2, i'm not finding to pro mode. Are you familiar with this software? Can you advise me on how to proceed? Thanks great video!!!

[@HeapsMad]

cool

[@davidjohansson4315]

I tried following this exactly, but when I try to merge the scans it just says there aren't "enough matching photos for merging". Does anyone know what I can do to work around this?

[@mp3remix171]

love it! Gonna give this a try but my epson v500 only scans 2 strips a time haha

[@thebeard0]

I have a v500 too. I’m thinking about getting an LED panel, like ones used for tracing, and seeing if I can get most of a sleeve of negs scanned at once.

[@FaizalWestcott]

Yeah, unfortunately not every scanner will be able to do this easily it seems. It's still not impossible to do though! You'll just need to do multiple photo merges

[@sneakerjoe23]

Why are you covering the Minolta and CLE badges though lol

[@fluoresceeie5]

Hey I don’t see film area guide. Any tips ?

[@israelaparicio3263]

Thank you so much for this! I really miss creating contact sheets and couldn’t find a way to since I’m not photoshop savvy. I really believe this is going to make it easier for a lot of people.

[@FaizalWestcott]

Thanks Israel! I'm glad you found it helpful to you!

[@AR-eh8hh]

I can't make it work on the Epson Scan II software. Can you put up a link to the original Epson Scan software download or explain how it works with Epson Scan II? I've got a V600 and trying to make it work.

[@moritzseiboth]

What book was that?

[@terrywbreedlove]

I put my negative sheet on the light table and used my digital camera to shoot the contact sheet.

[@RhiannonsPhotography]

Can you create them from videos?

[@keyingg8938]

Hii I like your street shooting and your editing skill very much keep it up 💪🏼

[@FaizalWestcott]

Thank you so much!

[@hayesnorman3244]

Can this be done with Epson Scan 2 on a v550?

[@crystalanokam]

I have a similar question! Idk if anyone has tried it 👀👀👀

[@hayesnorman3244]

@@crystalanokam I tried it myself, and it's much harder sure to the skinny scanning glass on the top

[@crystalanokam]

@@hayesnorman3244 oh yeah, I just tried myself. And def agree. I had about 5 jpgs because it only able to scan 2 rows at a time. When I tried merging them, it didn't work, because I didn't scan them in the same spot. The hack is, using photoshop and just aligning them together , AND then importing to Lightroom to convert. It worked, but this was a first go around. I am sure I could clean up the workflow to be a little more efficient. Bur def harder for sure.

[@bumi5178]

@@crystalanokam Are there focus issues? The stock film holder holds the film at a certain distance from the glass, so would there be problems with a transparent sleeve?

[@crystalanokam]

@@bumi5178 funny you ask this because, i typically scan my negatives without the film holder. Just bare like that on the scanner glass, it makes it sharper actually. In regards to the contact sheet. I felt like it could have been sharper but because it was in the sleeve it wasn’t, maybe that had something to do with it. Though, we have to remember that this is 35mm is small, so scanning that size in a transparency sleeve only makes it smaller. I think for digital contact sheets quality is forsaken. I don’t think anything is as sharp as wet printing, but all in all, the point is to have a better idea on what’s on the roll without scanning each frame. I hope this helps, i could have easily talked you in circles 😂

[@tylorluvsdegrassi]

Talk about that Minolta CLE!

[@expiringcity]

Oooo yes please!!

[@expiringcity]

Like do you only use the 28 and 40, do you use 35 or 50 and just eyeball with the framelines for 28 and 40. I want to know what’s up and before you say there a million reviews NO I wanna hear what you have to say dude! I respect you opinion, channel, and your craft.

[@FaizalWestcott]

@@expiringcity Noted! I'll talk about it soon!

[@phototristan]

I thought this was going to be for a digital images.

[@gabrielestrada6165]

It's most likely that in the web there are a lot of mock ups with the preset of a contact sheet where you can put your digital photos on Photoshop