Buzz
I love giving my photos the vibe of old film photography, playing with color distortion, darkening the blacks, and adding some grain. While professional photographers may roll their eyes, there's something timeless and nostalgic about the film aesthetic. Here are a few simple ways to get that vintage film look in your photos.
In this video by photographer Mathieu Stern, we discover three straightforward ways to boost the black levels in Photoshop, making your photo resemble a film shot. The easiest method is adjusting the curves—just lift the bottom left point slightly up and move the top right point down. This will raise the blacks for that faded look. (To control the effect more precisely, use a curve adjustment layer.)
Alternatively, you can add a solid color layer on top of your photo. Mathieu uses a grey color (hex code #4B4B4B), sets the blend mode to 'lighten,' and reduces the opacity to about 20%.
For more precise control over the colors, you can apply a selective color adjustment layer. Select the blacks from the color dropdown, slightly lower the black level, and add a touch of blue by increasing cyan and decreasing yellow. I always add a hint of blue to the shadows—though I’m not sure which film it reminds me of, it feels familiar.
That's all there is to it. Lowering the black levels takes just five seconds, but you could spend hours fine-tuning the subtle color changes to make your photo feel like it was taken with Kodachrome film.
3 Techniques to Adjust the Blacks in Photoshop via PetaPixel
