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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January 6, 2023

Classic Negative and Classic Chrome are two very popular color profiles on Fuji cameras. It seems Fuji is the only camera maker who has managed to make its in-camera profiles iconic. That’s because they create their camera profiles from Film. The problem is they only work on some cameras

Filmic presets are the solution.

Classic Negative like capture one and lightroom film presets revised 2023 edition
The Gen.2 Classic Negative Like presets have been refined a lot since my first version a few years ago giving you the JPEG-like colors with the RAW advantages in post.

I just finished Filmist V1.8 with new Gen. 2 versions of my Classic negative-like and Classic Chrom-like presets, as well as Ektar Gen2 (I made a post about that here) With nearly 5 years of development, Filmist has become a king of great filmic presets, and I’m super proud of it.

I’ve been making master preset packs since Lightroom launched. But the hardest to create are my Capture One and Lightroom film presets, Filmist. Presets like PowerFlow and Natural HDR and great. But the film does something magical for digital.

Download Filmist Film presets/styles free Sampler here

IN it I’ve included the improved Gen.2 version of Classic Negative like for you Fuji lovers, PLUS a few other film presets to get you started. The improved Classic Chrome and Ektar presets are included in Filmist complete.

I love Filmic presets. Here’s why they work so well.

Overdriving sliders in an edit is a very common problem. More is not more in a great photo. That, I believe, is why people like these Fuji camera profiles—they are subtle.

It’s silly, but it hurts a little when my customers reject my recommendation to try Filmist as their next pack. I know they are missing out. I love film presets because when you shoot real film or edit with good film presets, it changes the way you create photos.

Things that were once boring become atmospheric and feel more real. It helps you gain perspective on every other process because film will always have an organic look.

Classic Chrome like capture one and lightroom film preset improved in all the details.
The JPEG Classic Chrom from my Fuji V100V next to the RAW file processed with the presets only. This looks was especially hard to re-create on RAW, but now that I have it I can use it on files from any camera.

I also love Fuji cameras and they have great profiles like Classic Chrome. But I don’t use them much. I nearly always apply the looks with a preset and not a baked-in look because it gives more control. Plus you can use filmic presets on any camera or even video thanks to LUTS.

PS: If you want to create your own Classic Chrome preset for free, you can watch the video I made on the Gen 1 recipe here to get a good starting point.

Filmist 1.8 brings better C1 and Lightroom Film Presets!

Lightroom Film presets and Capture One Film styles v1.8, Filmist has new Gen.2 film improvements.

In today’s post, I’ll share a variety of photos processed with these Capture One and Lightroom Film presets. Everything comes from my newly updated V1.8 and nearly world-famous “like” versions of these recipes as presets for any camera.

1.8 also has the new Gen 2 of the Ektar 100 which is a really great film. I’ll write more about that in another post. All these looks come thanks to many test images from the long hours, so they are more accurate than ever. The updated version includes the Lightroom Presets, the Capture One Styles, and the video LUTS.

You can also download the Filmist sampler again for the 1.8 version. If you own FIlmist Complete, this is a free update, and you can get your account for the latest install.

Classic Chrome Like Lightroom FIlm Presets
Classic Chrome Like, RAW File with preset
CClassic Negative Like Lightroom FIlm Presets
Classic Negative Like, RAW file with preset

A Classic Negative vs Classic Chrome Profile Review

Classic Negative – is a bit deeper and more intense. It has subdued colors but is more contrasty. It’s well-loved for streets for that reason, though usually, it’s not my favorite for portraits. Turn up the exposure a little on portraits to make it smoother.

Loosely based on Superia 200 and Classic Chrome is very loosely based on Kodachrome. I talked about that in this video.

Classic Chrome – is soft and gentle and sometimes you may need a bit more if your light is not contrasty. But it’s versatile.

While Classic Negative has an almost soft color look, classic Chrome is a bit brighter and more slide film-like, even though it’s not actually that close to the Kodachrome film it was inspired by.

Both produce great results and both can feel very natural. But if you look at these examples you can see how each has its own character. All these examples were done with the presets, which means camera type is not a barrier.

Film presets should be made with extensive testing to work well.

I do extensive homework for every film I make. In fact, making Gen.2 of these was hard because they were already good. I had to spend hours refining fine details in Lightroom and Capture One, and that’s the most tedious part.

When I shoot with Fuji cameras, I use both of these profiles. But in the post, I always take the RAW file and use the presets. Yes even before the built-in fuji-specific RAW profiles for better dynamic range and more accuracy.

It’s important that we can apply these looks to any file, any camera, old or new. Not just the latest model. Because when editing a project, you need consistency, not looks that are all over the map. If I shot part of a project on Fuji and another part on Sony or Canon, I want to be able to edit them with the same feel.

Presets make it easy and turn a recipe that requires dozens of hours to create into a single click. All while leaving you in control. By using presets on Raw instead of baked-in JPEGS, I get smoother highlight roll-off, I can increase or decrease the effect, and I can change my mind later.

Classic Chrome Like Capture One Film Style
The Classic Chrome-like presets on a SONY Raw File
Classic negative Like Capture one Film Style
Classic Neg-like presets on a SONY Raw File

Film presets solve a problem.

I made Filmist so we could better bring the darkroom to digital. Before, we had a limited number of films but a nearly infinite number of ways to develop them back in the day. Most are gone now. Today we have many ways to develop with a simple slider and while under-editing creates boring photos that lack atmosphere, over-driving a slider can take a great photo and make it bad instantly.

Film has an organic shadow-rich look. So Wwen you start editing with film presets you get more than just tinkering with sliders. Yes, you save time, but you try things and see things. Colors, shadows, various kinds of reds, and nuances can take a rather plain photo and make it seem like something from the pages of National Geographic. Color, Silver mix, and shadows matter.

You can see in just the Classic Negative and Classic Chrome looks that while the processes are not that intense, they are distinct and when you learn to make the destination or the nuances you become a better photographer and editor. Film makes that process a whole lot easier because it’s backed by hundreds of years of chemical processes and research into what makes our eyes respond to shadow and light.

Make sure you check out the Filmist film presets and at least download the free sampler pack to get some creative ideas.

Below are a few more examples of these modern film-inspired look

Gavin Seim

FIlm presets bring out the natural colors and delicate tones.
Fuji RAW File, Classic Chrome Like Lightroom FIlm Preset
Classic Neg is a bit more moody
Fuji RAW File, Classic Neg Like Lightroom Film Preset
I’ve dialed the looks in for as Lightroom Presets and Capture One Styles
IN Both LR and C1, Classic negative is a bit moodier and with less saturated tones.

 

RAW Portrait Classic Chrome Like
RAW POrtrait Classic Negative Like

 

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December 20, 2022

Merry Christmas. I started creating presets 15 years ago before the rest existed. I always gave you free preset samplers from packs Like Filmist and Natural HDR. So today I’ve made you a perfect starter pack of free black and white presets from the new Silver 5 presets.

This free black and white presets pack includes 5 hand-picked B&W styles for Lightroom, Capture One and RAW

Go HERE to the Silver Page to DOWNLOAD the FREE Silver 5 Black and White Presets Pack

I also added a few mod’s from the brand-new Mod-Kit that’s included in the complete version to show you how fast it will make you. I even included one of the AI mod tools in the LR version!

There are 3 key elements that create better black and white. Watch this video and I’ll show you them as well as how to use these black and white presets to level up your black-and-white.

I, the video, my secrets to using black and white presets to edit!

Take special note of how each Silver preset takes a different approach in how it mixes your tone using the 3 keys for a perfect black-and-white recipe. Once you have the complete pack, you’ll see this extended much further but just as simple and easy to apply.

Some are perfect for portraits, others for rich streets of the landscape. That’s the key to mixing the tools and completing your vision!

free black and white presets silver 5 sampler with capture one styles
Natural screens often benefit from a more crushed dark black and white and you’ll see great examples of that even in the free presets of Silver 5

You’ll quickly see what I showed you in this Silver 5 training video from my channel. How when you have advanced formulas you are more creative with your edits than any purist who tried to create a recipe from scratch every time. They simply never get this deep in their edits. That’s why presets are essential.

I hope you enjoy this free black and white presets pack.

Please let me know in the comments. See just how much time a good black and white presets system will save you and take a look at the complete Silver 5 pack as well because this free presets sampler pack is just the beginning.

Gavin Seim

Capture one and Lightroom free portrait black and white presets
Good portrait presets tend to focus on softer tones and the skin color channels are very important.
Lightroom free black and white presets
Download the free Black and white presets from Silver 5 and try all these elements in your photos.
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October 17, 2022

There are a lot of Lightroom Film Presets and Capture One Styles. But today I’ll show the films that keep me coming back for clean edits.

I did some street shooting and casual portraits over the weekend and it got me thinking about how my film edits get me shooting more and help me think creatively.

When things feel authentic, you want more of them. So I want to share with you how I use film looks for digital. These are my go-to Lightroom film presets and Capture one Styles for 2022.

I’ll share favorites emulsions from the Filmist presets project in no particular order. These inspire me to create better edits and shoot better in the camera. I encourage you to buy the actual films where possible and shoot a roll or two. It’s an amazing teaching tool. Classics Like Porta and Delta black and white can still be purchased. Others like Kodachrome, Fuji 400H, and Agfa are left to our digital edits which I’ll show you today.

Get Filmist presets here: You can get my complete Filmist pack which includes all these and a lot more. You can also go download the Filmist FREE sampler pack which has Portra 160 and a couple others to get you started and how good film edits actually are.

Classic Negative

This one is super popular in Fuji cameras. The look is actually based on Superia 200 film. It’s softer colored and moody and people love it for that. This preset lets me use the recipe on any camera or file and it’s actually one of the free ones in my film presets sampler.

I shoot better in the camera because of film presets.

Film has a special quality. The nuance of tone and colors. And even when doing that on digital, I find myself more confident in shooting and focusing on emotions. Knowing that I can choose my film after and get that atmosphere and mood makes me charge in. Maybe I’m crazy and that’s just me.

I created the Filmist pack a few years ago with one idea. To be the most complete and authentic film emulsion preset pack for Lightroom, Capture one and LUTS for video. I had tried others and they were not bad, but as the photographer who made professional presets since the very beginning of LR, I knew I could do better and make a film preset pack that was not just one or two films, but a complete chemical-inspired system The FIlmist project was born.

Let’s look at more film types…

Porta 400

Maybe the ultimate film classic and one that we film shooters can still get and always come back to. So I put a lot of time into getting all the Portra looks right. And I always come back to it.

It does not matter what Camera!

I was a film lover before I ever bought a Fuji Camera. And while their built-in color profiles are nice, they are locked to the camera. I see no need to bake in a recipe and throw away the rest.

When I create Filmist I, test on Fuji, Sony, Canon, Nikon, and others to make the looks as authentic as possible. Hundreds of hours go into this to make these film presets balanced on all images, not just a demo.

But even when shooting my Fuji X100V for example, I still shoot the Raw and add the preset from Filmist, not from the camera profile or a JPEG. This us all the control.

Why film for digital?

If you follow me you know I make various focused and refined preset and style packs. Sometimes I go straight to Silver black and white Presets or Natural HDR or PowerFlow for large groups of files.

But I know Filmist will work on everything. Film colors and tones had creative twists and unique characters. But they give something that’s organic and make you want to shoot more and edit cleaner.

Agfaflex 45

It’s based on the early color film. So it’s a bit dark and faded almost lo-fi feel. I don’t use it on everything but when it works it’s amazing because the lights pop and the shadow and color are low. You’ll see what I mean when you try it.

Delta 3200

Another I always come back to. There are lots of other black and white films like HP5 and more in Filmist. But the Delta preset really does something rich with those shadows and tones and if the grain is too much I can just use one of the chem-kit mods to lower it. But honestly, I usually leave it grainy just like the real thing. I love it for portraits.

Fuji Provia 400

This classic was really versatile. While I will use it for portraits and especially streets if a want a bolder color than Portra, it works especially well in landscape photos giving a naturally rich color that feels straight out of the darkroom whether I’m using Lightroom or Capture One.

Natura 1600

This was one of the recent gen.2 updates. Natura is warm and grainy, but you can easily remove the grain. I like it myself and it really produces those on-the-go type street and portrait scenes that have raw emotion.

Fujifilm 400H

To be this was Fujis Portra. But its greens and tones are different. Like Portra however, it’s a wonderful go-to for when you want a clean organic feel without anything over-cooked.

Porta 800

All POrtra is good. I remember buying 800 in roll for weddings when I was starting out. It’s distinct from 160 and 400 and the presets and style is also. It works great on many portraits but it’s a tad more intense and greener also making and great street and journalists film.

Portra 160

All the Portra’s are in here for good reason. They are all amazing. !60 is a touch less warm than 400 with a softer grain. I would say I favor The 400 presets, but I will often use the 160 style as I did here, especially when I want a touch less warmth due to light conditions.

Agfa Vista

Based on Agfa vista and I love the way it uses greens give you a unique color mix without feeling over-processed. I use this everywhere, portraits landscapes, and streets, and also use the RSX variant quite a lot.

PoloColor S

Polaroid films vary because they are organic and their process can be altered by how chemicals are used. But polaroids can be all over the place and we still love them. So I have 3 Poloroud inspired looks to cover variables and the S variety is just soft warm goodness that works on a lot of things

Classic Chrome

Like the Classic Negative preset above, classic Chrome is another Fuji camera look but in creating it was a Lightroom Presets and Capture One Style we can use it on any file, not just Fuji. It’s very gentle so you can use it in batches and on anything for a clean look.

Classic Chrome is not actually based on Fuji films but on Kodachrome. Though it’s a loose interpretation. Filmist also has Kodachrome and that emulsion is a lot bolder. But at the right time, it’s amazing.

It’s not about faking it. It’s about growing your potential!

There are many ways to edit and refine a great photo. Using authentic film presets and tiles, lots for video, etc. It’s not about any sort of pretending. It’s about using the atmosphere and color our industry spent 100 years creating. You don’t throw out what works just because you have something new. And film works, the kind that comes on rolls and the looks that come inside Filmist.

I hope you found this useful and get some inspiration of your own. You can learn more about Filmist or download it here.

Gavin Seim

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July 2, 2022

Why do camera-specific color profiles like Classic Chrome have to be camera-specific?

They don’t! In the end, it’s just a mix of colors and contrasts. A very detailed mix. And that’s what I’ll show you this week along with some samples of how these recipes look in real life.

The Filmist 1.7 update brings a lot of nuance, especially in the brand-new Classic Chrome recipe.

There’s a free sampler with 3 great film presets on the Filmist project page. It now includes the new Portra 160 1.7 update

First, I updated the Porta Gen.2 Presets.

Porta 160 for LIghtroom and Capture 1 Film presets - FIlmost free film preset
The latest version of Portra is more natural in both its LIghtroom Presets Variant and Capture One style. This is one of 3 Portra presets but this one can be found free in the FIlmist sampler pack.

I make Filmist 1.7 to have more refined Lightroom Presets, Capture One Styles, and video film LUTS that include a major refinement to the Gen.2 Portra presets, making them work more naturally like film.

Portra works on nearly anything and after years, the latest version of my gen,2 Portra presets much like the new Natura 1600 is just subline.

You can also watch my video on making the gen.2 Portra formulas.

The reason great recipes are better as presets is that they take a lot of dialing in. You will never do them manually every time. If you’ve seen things like my Sliders master workshop or the 3 Magic Sliders video on my channel, you have seen how these details matter.


Next, I finished the brand new Classic Chrome preset!

Canon RAW FILE, Classic Chrome Preset in Lightroom Classic.

Yes, I finally finished the much-requested Classic Chrome formula as a preset that can be used in any camera. It’s very clean and versatile. It’s actually a Fuji variant of Kodochrom, though since there were many Kopdachromes I can’t say which one specifically.

For those that don’t have my presets, I will be doing a video on how to create your own version of this recipe on my channel in the next week or so. So stay tuned.

Side by side of classic chrome presets in Capture one and Lightroom
Same image in LR and C1 using the presets / style. Almost identical in LIghtroom and Capture One, I programmed the preset to give a very accurate rendition.

If you own a fuji Camera that supports the Camera specific RAW profiles in LR, or C1 you can shoot RAW and then apply the camera-specific color profiles. The problem is they don’t work on other files or even older models of your Fuji camera that did not include that Film profile.

So Like I did for the Classic Negative Lightroom Preset and Capture One Style. I’ve been working for weeks building and refining a recipe for based on Classic Chrome V2.


The win here is that you can use this on any file type!

Here I used Classic Chrome on a Sony A73 file and result looked great.

Classic Chrome is a process that many photographers love because it’s very gentle and has that subtle feel.

This recipe is only included in the Complete version of my Filmist, since I already give away the Classic negative recipe for free in the Filmist sampler pack.

Side by side – The baked-in JPEG of the Classic Chrome look next to the preset process on the RAW file. Lightroom.

While in the Lightroom vs Capture One debate, I often favor the interface and speed of Lightroom. This was one of those times when the more advanced color controls in Capture One let me dial it in a little easier.

As you can see here however even in Lightroom, the baked-in JPEG from the Fuji camera next to the same photo from RAW file and NOT using any camera-specific profiles, just the preset. Well they are nearly identical which makes me happy.

A baked-in JPEG varies a lot from the settings and dynamic range you apply inside a Fuji camera. Here you just have the clean look and then can simply mod it with sliders of even the built-in Chemical tone mods that are in FIlmist. More control is the order of the day when you shoot RAW and then apply the color after.

Like I said next week I plan to make a video showing how to edit with Classic Chrome and where it works well. I’ll also give you an insider’s view of the formulas so you can play around and make your own variant even if you don’t use my presets or styles.

For Filmist users, make sure you update to V1.7 of the film pack in the portal. Then let me know in the comments how you like the results of these new updates 🙂

Enjoy – Gavin Seim

The Filmist Classic Chrome style used from Capture One
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