The blue channel in photos is powerful and most photographers are using it wrong.
The dirty secret of blues and how to fix them every time!
The video I did on drop color was a game changer for a lot of photographers because it transforms how you edit. But the color blue and the blue channel when editing your photos are nearly as powerful.
In the original drop color we looked at orange and green. So you would think that blues work the same. But they actually affect the image in a very different way.
You want to base your blue channel edits on the types of images and mix it with how you use white balance and other tools. But if you really want to know what blue is doping, use the fully down slider method I show and then move up from there.
A pattern of channels and light.
You may be seeing a pattern, Any one channel is pretty simple. But as you add another you start to get complex mixes that apply to any image. I showed this in my follow-up on the black and white color drop methods.
Yes, today’s blue color tips also apply to B&W photography as well. These are not about looking like film or any particular style. These are about controlling your color and knowing what color is important in each image.
Keep your results in a preset.
That said if you use my presets you’ll see these implemented in their correct form for each presets or style. Filmist looks may be more toned down, the Natural HDR looks may be stronger. But the methods are still being used.
You can download my free packs but even if you use nothing of mine when you get the right mix start saving your settings as presets for Lightroom or styles for Capture One and you’ll see they work across nearly any photo.
Today I’m launching a great new emulsion in FIlmist 2.3 The Fuji Pro 160NS preset to sit alongside the legendary Fuji Pro 400H. But even if you don’t use Filmist, the lesson from today’s video is big
I didn’t even know this. It took me years of creating this thing like this preset to understand how much we have lost. This really came to light in the latest update of my Fimist presets and Styles.
160NS is a great film. In digital terms, it seems close. Especially on some photos. But consider that Fuji did all the research and development to make this distinct film. There was reason for that.
As you watch look for the details. In a world of sledgehammer sliders, AI, supersaturation and synthesizes guitars. Everything has to be over the top. or does it?
The Fuji 160NS is not that far from the 400H. In today’s world, many might say, I don’t see the difference. But maybe something is deeply wrong with your edited photos.
Side by side you can see how the color tones vary and those can make a huge difference (click for larger).
Fuji spent millions to make a film just slightly different.
Why? We don’t think with that kind of detail anymore.
In digital the work I invest to make 400H and 160NS as presets is a lot for me. But nothing compared to what Fuji spent creating and marketing them. Even with all that work it was considered worth it to make another product that was just a little varied.
That should tell us something about how much more nuance photographers thought about back then. Film was the preset of the day and those little differences mattered.
Digital needs more nuance.
It’s there. The tools are powerful enough. The courses are at our fingertips.
But it’s hard to wow people on Facebook or compare with fake Ai photos with a slight tonal variance. We have changed our mindset from subtly to a sledgehammer. It’s a really good hammer.
Once you start seeing the nuance. It comes back. You value it again and you start feeling the little variables in color and tone. Just like when you Hack Shadows you quickly connect with how magical photos are created.
It’s another reason I love to edit with film, shoot real film, and study what makes it work. because it makes me a better photographer when I shoot digitally, and it will for you also.
Scanning film for natural film color is not as easy as it seems and most of the labs are sending you scans that won’t look like your film. So what the best and cheapest scanning method (at least for 35mm) and how does film affect our non-film photography every day?
Good scans will change your digital photos also!
I’ve scanned pretty much every way and it can be hard. In today’s video, I’ll show you my new favorite way to scan 35mm film and how you can use it to make better colors from your digital camera. This is exactly what I used these better scans for in the Filmist 2.2 film presets update.
See the before-after results of how these tests improve Filmist presets on the Filmist2 page. Also, download some free film presets from the sampler pack of FIlmist.
How negative scans help you edit digital files better.
Today I reviewed the TTArtsian 40mm 2.8 Macro with this Film Scan Adapter. But we’re also reviewing film color itself see you can scan film better and edit digital in a more natural way.
It’s that grounding I’m always talking about and why I always start edits with FIlmist presets. If you use Filmist you will see that grounding as you edit your photos.
You’ll also see how the scans we worked on today are improving the quality of those p[resets so they work more like film instead of working great on one file and horrible on another file.
The film has real shadows and atmosphere. Let it
Film is not a slider. So when you scan it don’t be like most lab techs trying to make it HDR and getting nasty shadows. I see this a lot with lab scans. We’re so conditioned by digital. But reversing that lets our edits be grounded in an organic process that is real.
Studying film does not make me stop editing black and white with Silver, Using Natural HDR for bold color, or going to Photoshop to add Alchemist to a portrait.
But that starting point gives constant edits that are fast and always stay on point. Whether you use film presets or shoot and scan your own film you will see this result.
Everyone wants to define what great skin tones are, or the perfect greem They criticize us on social media of we don’t comply with the “norms”. But in truth, like every eye sees different, every film sees different but they all work in almost any situation and feel RIGHT!
That’s harder to do on digital. Pushing sliders may not be bad, but it often results in edits that are really extreme and unnatural. Unless you are creating those edits with intent, they will usually come back to bite you and often what looks good on one photo looks bad on another.
So in studying film color and using that same chemical-inspired process on Film Lightroom presets and styles, we see that a balanced process on digital can also work on nearly everything. And where it’s off a bit, I can quickly correct it with Chem-Kit to turn things up or down.
You can do the same in your workshop and get sessions that are edited with the consistency of a true pro.
There are lots of free Lightroom presets around my site like Silver and Natural HDR. But my most popular ones are my free film presets and I’ve updated them today for Filmist V2.
In the FIlmist free film presets and styles pack you get the next-gen Portra 160, Fuji Classic Negative, and Agfa RSX 100 film styles.
Just using these film presets will give you edits that feel true to the film. Photographers are learning that real photos are what matters in this new Ai world. For more on this check out my post and grounding your edits with film styles.
Below is a hands-on video from my channel on how to use Filmist 2. If you need help installing the free LIghtroom presets or Capture One Styles, check out the videos on the help page.
Here are the improved film styles in the free film pack.
The latest refinements of these film styles are like true film. I’ve shot more film, done more side-by-side testing, and made every film recipe in Filmist 2 better.
I hope you love these and buy the entire Filmist film presets pack. It’s years of work and it is the best lightroom and capture one film presets I know of. But for now, at least grab my free film presets pack and enjoy.
Oh, and you also get free film LUTS in the free and complete pack so you can get the true film look in video editors like Premiere Pro, Resolve, and other photo apps like OnOne and Luminar.
Portra 160 Gen.3 Film Preset
Portra 160 free film preset is a classic and the latest Gen3 version is even more refined. Portra 400 and 800 are also included in Filmist Complete.
How do I decide what presets to use? The power of REAL Photos.
I’ve been making high-grade Lightroom presets and free Capture One styles for many years. So why am I obsessed with getting perfect film looks? It comes back to maintaining that natural real look that the film created and that I’ve managed to duplicate in Filmist 2.
I use the balance I learn in creating film presets to improve my other presets. That’s why they all play together well.
Some photos need a different look. I normally use films as a starting point. But depending on my photo I’ll also use Natural HDR, Streetist, and my other packs.
Each of these packs also has mods. So while I love the ChemKit2 mods in Filmist I don’t hesitate to go to ModKit from Silver 5 black and white presets or maybe GoldChrome for a rich color warm look.
Fuji Classic Negative updated in Filmist 2 Free Presets Pack
The Classic negative look is inspired by Superia 200. One of my most requested presets and the new Filmist 2 version is even better and more accurate than what you get on a Fuji camera.
The film looks for digital is more powerful and moddable.
The thing with film presets is that you won’t edit this way manually. Digital sliders are designed to let us push hard and the nuance of good film styles can take weeks to refine.
In a real darkroom, we could manipulate how we develop and print. So I put a ton of time into the ChemKit2 mods in Filmist. They let you use a film look and then adjust it instantly with darkroom-inspired processes. I included of of these for tone in the free pack. Turn it up and down and see what happens.
The beauty of using Lightroom presets and Capture One style packs is that with well-made film styles, you get edits that take hours in seconds. Once you get used to the milder grounding look of film it becomes a go-to. But if you have a photo that is not working with film, don’t hesitate to branch out.
Agfa RSX 100 II Free Capture One Style and LR Preset
Agfa series films are rare as digital film styles very much but they will soon be one of your favorites. I included Afga RSX 100 with stunning color and fine grain in the free film presets pack.
I hope you enjoy the Filmist 2 free film Lightroom presets and styles pack and that these filmic styles let you see digital in a new light and use the rest of your presets, actions, and tools better.
Making a preset and calling it a film is easy. But making a digital film look like film is really hard. It’s not something you do manually and most film presets don’t get very close. In today’s video, we solve that.
This update brings a lot of small refines and bug fixes to mods and film looks. You’ll find updated presets marked 2.1. With any color, tone and mod improvements across the film styles including subtle tweaks to make films like Portra and Ektar even more accurate to film. Also, the new Digital orange fixer shown in this training video is in 2.1 and very useful.
I love film. But it’s expensive so I need film recipes that work.
So when I went to work on Filmist 2 it was after 5 years of refining Filmist V1 and sending our many free updates. I wanted more though and that’s where the idea of True-Film was born.
I also wanted a cleaner pack of presets and better darkroom-inspired mods like push and pull tools that emulated the way contrast changes when you push and pull your ISO in the camera.
It meant shooting film and digital side by side with the same light and settings. In fact, in film tests, I use the same aperture, shutter speed, and often the same vintage lenses to get the exact result.
Still, that’s not enough. Many films are long gone and even films I can use vary by batch, how people scan etc. So I have to test not only my scans but also look at how other people are using that film and what its result should look like.
In case you missed the launch video it gives a lot of quick examples.
For example the new Gen2 Porta 400 Film preset.
This is tough because this film is all about skin tones. You would think with the endless digital tools in Lightroom Capture etc that nailing out is easy. But getting a perfect film skin tone is super hard. I spend hours adjusting curves by one point and then another.
Sometimes I doubt myself and then I compare it to other products and presets to create a film that looks digital and realizes it’s working. It’s not that these are not good products, it’s that getting the film right is that hard, and in FIlmist it’s the entire focus.
Does that film feel boring or flat?
I’ve made videos about basing edits with film presets and how it stops you from pushing sliders too far. We’re used to extremes. From giant movie exposition to over-saturated photos. And it’s OK to push up your saturation. But start natural!
When people first try film presets sometimes they think it’s not enough of a change. It’s too flat or plain. This is because we’ve been conditioned by digital to over edit and it makes photos that seem fake and unnatural.
I think that’s why many film tools don’t look like the films. They are over-edited to try and please a before-after sample and make it look intense. But it’s not true to the film.
Vision 250 Cinema film preset is warm and versatile.
2024 is a year where natural things win.
People are jaded by fakery. In an AI world, professional photographers need to take away the disbelief people have started feeling. real photos are becoming more valuable than ever.
I designed these presets to be adjusted. So you can push op the intensity or add a mod like the Push contrast mod that mimics how film contracts increase when you push in the darkroom.
The result of these true-film ideas is film looks that are true to the film as much as we are possible but that also can be manualized to your needs and still have natural real-world feelings contrast and details.
The new Ektar 1000 presets for Lightroom and Capture one is a great recipe alongside Natura 1600
The future of making these presets more True-Film.
With a mission of vitality and accuracy, I have a lot of free updates planned for my FIlmist users. My shelf is full of film right now that I’m doing more tests on. I watch countless videos old and new to try and refine films that are gone from shelves. These need to be preserved.
I’m working now on doing darkroom prints to further refine recipes because even scans are not always the same. Every scanner and software converts things differently. So I’ll be doing darkroom prints to reference and refine the recipes.
The Filmist 2 Velvia 100 preset on this street photoFuji Pro 400h is no longer available but it’s a classic much like Portra and is a powerful preset
