Film photography effect in Photoshop. How to create a film effect in a photo

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to create an old film effect in Photoshop using textures, adjustment layers, and filters. With this technique you can easily create a vintage effect with a realistic film effect.

Step 1

We create new document 860 x 640 pixels in size with a black background. After that, add a paper texture above and set it Opacity(opacity) by 30%. Above we apply adjustment layers: Hue/Saturation(Hue/Saturation) and Levels(Levels) and transform them into clipping masks for the texture below (Ctrl+Alt+G).

Above, create a new layer and call it “Mask”. Fill this layer with white.

Step 2

On a new layer, paste the texture of the old film and set its blending mode to Multiply(Multiplication).

Go to the “Mask” layer and use RectangularMarqueeTool(M) (Rectangular Selection) Create three selections as shown below. To create several separate selections at the same time, after adding the first one, hold down the Shift key and create two more.

At the bottom of the layers panel, click on the button Addlayermask(Add a layer mask).

Step 3

Add a retro photo with a woman above the layer with the mask. Right-click on the layer with the woman and select CreateClippingMask(Create clipping mask) or use the key combination Ctrl+Alt+G.

Above the layer with the woman, add a new layer and call it “Frame”. By using RectangularMarqueeTool(M) (Rectangular selection) create two selections of the lower and upper borders of the film strip. After creating the first selection, hold down the Shift key and create a second one. Fill the selection with #ababab color.

Hue/Saturation(Hue/Saturation) to desaturate the picture.

Step 4

Go back to the top layer with the film and create an adjustment layer above Levels CreateClippingMask(Create a clipping mask).

Create a new layer and paste a seamless noise texture with blending mode onto it Screen(Lightening).

Add an adjustment layer above Levels(Levels). Right-click on it and select CreateClippingMask(Create a clipping mask).

Step 5

Let's take it eraserTool(E) (Eraser) and, using one of the grunge brushes, remove some of the noise, especially at the top and bottom borders of the film.

If you want to add more vintage effects, then again insert the noise texture with the blending mode Darken(Blackout). After that, press Ctrl+I to invert the texture colors.

Step 6

Then apply a blur to the same layer Filter- Blur-MotionBlur(Filter - Blur - Motion Blur). Angle(Angle) is set to 90, and Distance(Distance) - by 220 pixels. As a result, we got thin, barely noticeable vertical stripes.

Add an adjustment layer above Levels(Levels) and transform it into a clipping mask (Ctrl+Alt+G).

Congratulations, you did it!

This is what the final result of the lesson on creating a vintage picture with the effect of an old film looks like.

Film grain is the texture of photographs from the past. Today the pixels are very small and they are lined up like Brick wall. With film it was different. The light-sensitive elements were not ordered and had different sizes. The image captured on film had a completely different nature compared to digital photography. In order to go back in time, be a little nostalgic and try to reproduce film grain in a graphics editor, let’s look at some issues and look at the image processing algorithm.

Grain can be added in two ways: scanning real film grain or generating it in Photoshop. With the scan, everything is partly clear. A neutral gray image with grain is scanned and superimposed on the photo in Overlay mode. It is advisable to have a higher scan resolution. For publications on the Internet, 300dpi will be enough, but if you plan to print posters, then everything should be proportional.

What is the advantage of using a real film grain scan? Total heterogeneity. Even when viewing a photo at a low resolution, where the grain is reduced to the size of a pixel and essentially becomes like digital noise, inhomogeneity remains noticeable.

The problem with simulating grain is that on film the grain is not applied on top of the image. The image itself is made of grain. There is one way to deceive the human eye and make a high-quality imitation of grain in Adobe Photoshop.

Imitation of film grain in a graphics editor

Let's choose a suitable photo for the job.

Let's start creating grain. At this stage, you can use scans that are freely available on the Internet, but we will try to do a full-fledged imitation without the participation of the original.

Create a new layer filled with gray.

Apply the Add Noise filter. Adjust the parameters to your taste. It is advisable to use Gaussian generation and create monochrome noise.

Set the layer to Overlay blending mode. Using the Gaussian Blur filter we will blur the noise by increasing the grain size. The blur size is selected individually. The main thing is to remember the meaning. It will be used several more times. For this example A radius of 1.5 pixels was used.

Everything began to look like mush. Let's use the Unsharp Mask (USM) sharpening filter. We use the same radius as in the case of Gaussian Blur. To enhance the contrast, use Levels, working only with white and black points.

Now we will need USM again, but we will set the radius larger. As the radius increases, unevenness begins to appear in the grain.

This is where the work with grain ends. There is a small nuance left. Our grain is superimposed on top of a shot that is made up of smaller details. This cannot happen in real film photography. The photograph must consist directly of grain. In order for the original image to lose detail in size smaller size grain, it needs to be blurred to the same radius as the grain size. In our case it is 1.5 pixels.

There was little left to eat. Adjustment of grain intensity. To do this we use Blending options. It is necessary to limit the impact of grain in those places where there is shadow on the source and slightly reduce it in light areas. The opacity of the grain layer can be adjusted to taste.

That's all the imitation of grain. Using a real grain scan can make the job a little easier and result in a slightly different result.

If you try to identify a trend in post-processing during recent years, then this can perhaps be said about the desire to return to the old school, film photography. There are many sets of presets and actions that will help take your photo back in time. However, in this tutorial, you'll learn how to create and customize this look in three easy steps using Adobe Lightroom.

Definition of Film Style

In order for our picture to look like a film photograph, we need to understand what distinguishes a film photograph. Although each film is unique, there are general features, which distinguish film photography. View a variety of popular films such as Velvia, Provia, Kodak Gold, and Ilford DeltaVelvia to appreciate the variety of styles.

When I started studying film, the most interesting thing I noticed was that there were usually no absolute blacks and whites. This means that areas of black are actually very dark gray, and even the lightest parts of the photo are very light gray.

In this photo, the black and white points have been changed, which in my opinion characterizes the film. The left side of the photo is the darkest, but not completely black, instead it is dark gray. And even the lightest areas are not pure white, but very light gray.

The film captures a huge dynamic range, the amount of detail taken between absolute black and absolute white. The common feature of film photographs is that these black dots and white dots do not contrast completely. Instead, film photographs have more light in the midtones, and replicating this effect is key to creating a film style.

Color Setting

Can't generalize color characteristics film photographs. This is because colors vary greatly from film to film and are unlikely to be generalizable. In fact, what I love about film is that we have many options and ways to work with the color spectrum if we change the film.

There is a certain color style to this photo that I find unique to film photography. With strong shades of blue, the photo doesn't pretend to be a technically perfect photograph, but it does have a unique visual style.

Luckily, the digital darkroom allows us to adjust the color in an image without having to change film types! In this tutorial, I'll show you how to create several types of color settings to recreate a unique look.

Grain as a Characteristic Feature

No matter how good camera sensors are, the grain that can be seen on many types of film is a feature that is difficult to reproduce. When you strive for a technically perfect photo, you try to remove grain and noise. But after I began to study film photography, I developed an appreciation and understanding of how to add flavor to grain in photography.

The grain in the shadow areas of this portrait shows off a unique film grain quality that I really appreciate. In this tutorial I'll show you how to replicate it in Lightroom with easy slider adjustments.

We have identified black and white points, chroma and grain as characteristic features of film photography. With these characteristics in mind, we can start building our film simulation in Lightroom.

Working with Curves

It is better to imitate features with black and white points using tone curves. With minor changes, we will change the black and white points as we discussed above.

To get started with the panel Tone Curve, you need to log into the Lightroom module Develop and scroll down to find the panel on the right side.

To change curves, click the button in the lower right corner of the curves panel. This will change the view and there will be points on the curve that we can click and drag to make changes.

Click the button in the lower right corner in the panel Tone Curve to start changing the curve.

Enable the option to change curves by clicking on the icon in the lower right corner of the panel Tone Curve. You will see changes in the window and dots will appear on the tone curve.

After turning on the dots on the tone curve, you will notice small dots in the lower left and upper right corners.

Before we start changing the tone curve, we need to understand what it shows us. I'll use the dot on the left to change the black points of the photo, and the dot on the right to control the white point. With these two controls we can adjust the black and white points, in accordance with our previous comments.

To turn a black dot into a dark gray dot, grab the dot in the bottom left corner and drag it up. In the example below, you can notice that the darkest point of the photo turns from black to dark gray.

This is an original photo, without any adjustments.

Dragging the left point up adjusts the black points for the curves. You will notice that the contrast in the image begins to decrease and the blacks begin to fade into the dark gray range.

At the other end of the tone curve, drag the point down to move the white point into the very light gray range. You'll see in the example image that the light areas at the top of the fair photo take on very light gray tones.

Dragging the right point down moves the white points into the light gray range.

With the Curves panel we have taken a huge step towards film simulation. Black and white dots are what most people characteristic feature film photography. However, many more changes need to be made to recreate the film effect.

Color change

Another important point to create a film effect is to adjust the sliders that control the color of the photos. At this point, you will have literally unlimited options for applying color settings. This step is great for experimenting and creating multiple design styles and colors.

To do this, in the Develop module we use panels Hue, Saturation and Luminance (HSL). I press tab Color to access the maximum number of settings. When we do this, we can control the saturation, brightness, and hue for each of the colors in the color spectrum.

Use the color panel to adjust colors and create own style film photography.

This way you can adjust the colors for the entire photo. Try settings like reducing blues significantly and boosting greens. Increase the yellows and purples to give the photo a more vintage look, or the greens to make it age.

Adding Grain

As a final tweak, we can add grain for a more organic look. In the Develop module, scroll down until you find the Effects panel, which has the option to add grain.

To properly add grain, zoom in. Only when you scale will you have an accurate idea of ​​how much grain is being added to the image.

Working with 100% size and gradually adding grain will ensure you don't overdo it. Use the sliders to fine-tune the grain in your photos.

After scaling, I drag the quantity slider to the middle. The "size" and "roughness" sliders are ideal for adjusting the grain in your images. Larger, coarser grains characterize high ISO films, while smaller grain sizes characterize medium ISO films. This easy simple The adjustment will increase the degree of similarity of the photo to film and help simulate the grain characteristic of photographic film.

Keeping the Style

Once you've set up your film style, you may want to save the position of the sliders so you don't have to adjust them every time you need to repeat the style. The best way to do this is to save the settings you tweaked as a preset. To do this, put on the panel Presets on the left and click the plus button.

Click the plus button in the top right corner of the Presets panel to save your new preset.

When the next window appears, you need to uncheck all the checkboxes except the ones you have applied. If you followed this tutorial exactly, you should leave a checkmark for Tone Curve, Treatment (Color),Grain And Process Version. Being selective about what to check off allows you to use some settings and leave others untouched and then adjust them separately, such as the exposure of a photo.

Selectivity when choosing preset options allows us to set only those settings that we used when simulating film.

In the future, just click the preset you saved in the panel Presets to apply it to your synchronizations with one click. Also consider creating multiple presets with different color, grain, and curve settings, saving them as a custom style.

Let's summarize

In a few simple steps, you can create a film photography simulation in Lightroom. With settings for curves, color, and external grain, you can easily recreate the film effect. Experiment with color combinations, grain and curves to create different film variations.

How to create a film-like effect on a photo so that the picture looks like it was taken on the threshold of the “zero”? We have collected for you best apps, which will help you fill your shots with 90s vibes quickly and without hassle.

Photo processing for film

There are many misconceptions about what the effect under film should be. It is usually attributed to a green tint in the shadows, terrible overexposure, fading and lack of contrast, and increased graininess. In fact, all this can be called , but film photographs look completely different.

The film itself is different, and the resulting shades in the photographs will depend on the conditions in which they were taken. But we can still highlight a few general rules:

1. Pure color.
2. Correct white balance.
3. Special contrast.
4. No flashy shades.
5. Harmony of color and contrast.

RNL Films

Palaroid photography is a trend that is currently at the peak of its popularity. The application will help you create a film-like effect RNL Films. You can download it for free in the AppStore or Google Play.

The program itself has 5 folders, each of which has many filters that simulate different films. It is important to know that some filters are absolutely free, while others are paid. The entire pack can be purchased for 299 rubles (price for 2018).

In addition to filters, RNL Films has many standard settings. You can edit the brightness, contrast, add a little noise or dust.

HUJI

The developers of the HUJI application have created such a policy that you cannot control or change anything in the program, thereby simulating the use of a real camera from the 90s. Whatever frame you take, whatever random effect will be applied to the frame, that’s the picture you’ll get.

HUJI is more dominated by blue, orange and other contrasting, intense shades.

The program is free and can be downloaded from official stores. But in the free version it is possible to apply a filter and date only to instant photos. If you want to process a finished photo, you will need to go to Settings and buy full version applications for 75 rubles (price for 2018).

Calla

The following application is called Calla and its characteristics are a bit similar to HUJI. It can be downloaded from official stores and used absolutely free. The program allows you to apply effects and dates to previously taken photographs.

Photos from the Gallery can be added by clicking on the “+” icon in the lower left corner. The program will automatically process them. To save a photo, you need to tap on it and hold it lightly, then a loading arrow will appear.

Dalgona

We would like to note right away that the Dalgona application is paid and costs 75 rubles (price for 2018). The program is quite simple and has several film filters with which you can achieve a Palaroid-like photo effect. Unfortunately, you can't even adjust the intensity in this app. Buy it or not: it's up to you.

Kamon

Another application that creates the effect of an old film on an iPhone or Android is called Kamon. You can find it in official stores. The program has a rather bright contrast, but maybe this is what someone will like.

To process ready-made photos, the application needs to be updated for money to the PRO version.

Kudak Pro

Program Kudak Pro completely imitates a film camera. Initially you are given only 24 frames. After you take your pictures, your film goes to development. After a day, your photos will be ready. If you don't like the result, you can send the film for development again.

Lomograph

In a cool app Lomograph There are only 5 filters, but they all create a wonderful effect under film. The program is absolutely free and easy to use. Experiment with your photos as much as you like!

Cassette effect

Applications with various “cassette effects” are quite similar to each other. Therefore, we decided to combine them into one list:

1. InShot(Glitch, RGB, Noise effects);
2. Afterlight(tap on the square with stripes);

Palaroid effect in the photo

A photo like a Palaroid with a characteristic white frame can be taken in several ways.

Method 1

Everything is very simple here. Need to download the program Pixl-o-matic. Next, in the lower menu, tap on the frame icon and select the desired Palaroid mask. All that remains is to save the photo to the Gallery. There are also various highlights with abrasions for every taste.

Method 2

The second method is a little energy-intensive, but also easy.

How to make a Palaroid effect on a photo:

1. In the search, type in “palaroid frame” or “palaroid frame”.
2. Find the frame you need and save it.
3. Already processed photo crop to the right size(most often square).
4. Login to the program PicsArt and open a photo with a frame.
5. Then click “Add Photo” and select the processed photo.
6. Place the photo in the frame. For convenience, you can reduce the transparency a little. Once the photo is straight, transparency can be restored.
7. Photo is ready! All that remains is to save it to the Gallery.

Old film effect on video

How to make the effect of an old film on video? Several applications will come to the rescue that will do their job perfectly. Let's get to know them in more detail.

8mm Vintage

How to shoot video with a retro effect? The 8mm Vintage app has several filters that are stylized to look like old film. And it all looks incredibly stylish and cool. The program costs 149 rubles (2018 price), but if you are interested in a similar topic, you can purchase the application.

Indeed, in addition to filters, you can choose the frames that the video will have, as well as apply a vignette or an elegant orange highlight. There is also a flickering effect that imitates low-quality film from the 90s. Such techniques will make even a boring picture much more interesting.

VHS Camera and VHS Camcorder

Using apps VHS Camera And VHS Camcorder You can create the effect of an old film and shoot video with several different filters in 4:3 format. And also upload your videos and style them as a film from the 90s. The programs can be downloaded absolutely free of charge from official stores.