February 15, 2025

This film is long gone but it was the true legend of color films and one of the hardest to reproduce digitally. So I spend years refining it to this this new KodaChrome 64 preset.

You can get Kodachrome 64 Gen.3 the new Velvia 100 and more in Filmist 2.4 complete. If you have Filmist 2 go to the update tab. I’ll also show you my settings during the video.

If you watched my recent video on color science in your camera or on How to use White Balance better, you know that a little cast can easily be correction with a quick slide right or left.

But the iconic look of Kodachrome 64 is something more. As what is considered the most iconic Kodachrome by most, Kodachrome was the defining look of legends like Steve McCurry.

One of the patterns I found and something especially hard to defeat on digital is that is always has this rich coffee chocolate sort of brown. This is not as simple as a white balance slider. It goes against what most digital camera produce.

If you’ve ever held up a strip of film you know it’s not all roses. As light changes the color shifts and most digital cameras fix this on the go with auto white balance.

Because of this and many other factors there s no one single look that is Kodachrome, Velvia etc. When I design film presets (and this is especially true in Kodachrome) i looked at hundreds of tests to find the balance. What did this film look like in it’s best moments.

But camera sensors also vary. So if you apply this and it feels a little red leaning or too cool. That’s where the white balance comes in. You don’t need to rework the curves or the color of the recipe itself in the presets. Just nudge that white balance a little bit and that cocoa undertone shines thru. That is Kodachrome 64.

I’m not sure there’s any such thing as a perfect recipe. I’ve never found any Kodachrome recipe that gets this close. It’s rich look works digitally on portraits , streets weddings and anything else.

There are many you make recipes in camera. The problem is that these are very limited. If you see how I made this recipe it’s with complex color controls and a lot of detail. Detail you can’t get in camera. For in camera profiles I don’t usually recommend trying to really emulate a film. If you really want a film look, shoot RAW and add presets or styles after the fact.

Also As a positive film it did not have the dynamic range we have today. That can be good. It give you those rich shadows I teach you about in Shadow Hackers. Don’t push setting up just because you can.

That said. I often use the chem kit mods in Filmist 2 to add a little more range while still retaining the rich color. Nothing wrong with mixing it up. But the preset itself trues to remain as true as possible to Kodachrome 64

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August 12, 2024

The blue channel in photos is powerful and most photographers are using it wrong.

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.

You can get the free versions of Natural HDR and Filmist 2 to make this blue control easier. You can also check out PowerFlow presets here.

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.

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.

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.

Gavin Seim

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April 19, 2024

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

Get Filmist 2 here or download the free sampler. If you already own V2 login and update here. I also mentioned Natural HDR 4 in the video.

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.

Fuji Pro 400H and Fuji Pro 160NS presets for lightroom and capture one.
Side by side you can see how the color tones vary and those can make a huge difference (click for larger).

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.

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.

Gavin Seim

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March 30, 2024

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?

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.

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.

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.

At least not in a practical sense. You can see this in my recent video about why you do not need a white balance card.

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.

Gavin Seim

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December 21, 2023

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.

Download this free presets pack HERE on the Filmist 2 page

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.

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 free lightroom film preset. The latest version is included in the Filmst 3 free film styles pack
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.

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.

The new fuji classic negative free preset from Filmist 2
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 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.

A bonus free film preset. The Agfa film styles are amazing.
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.

I’m here to help if you have questions.

Gavin Seim

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