Would definitely love to see more! The amount of possibilities in Lightroom are a bit overwhelming once I start touching colour wheels and sliders. Such a small change makes a big impact. I think a good reference image is key for this! I’m going to give it another shot and watch your older video again.
I would absolutely love to have a tutorial on how to edit images from a reference! I would be especially pleased if it starts from a negative lab pro scan, since that’s the workflow I struggle with most
Thanks Hashem, very good points. Starting my photo journey in the early 70's I too fell into the trap of trying to match my digital files to Kodachrome, of which I have thousands of slides. Over time, way too much time, I realized if you create a look that is pleasing to your eye, why obsess over trying to exactly match a particular film stock. Who's to say my Kodachrome-ish interpretation doesn't look as good or better than vintage Kodachrome. It really only matters to me. Point your camera at interesting subjects and pick an edit that pleases you!
I much prefer making my own. I purchased one package over a year ago but I hardly use it. As you said editing or tweaking our presets are needed. I like profiles in Lightroom more than presets, using profile I then tweak contrast and exposure
Very good point. So far I have never been happy with any of presets I bought. Don’t see them adding much value vs doing some own basic editing. If starting files have own profiles like with Fuji I found them more versatile across many photos.
Hashem, you always demonstrate such humility in your photography videos. Instead of making "Buy these presets" videos, you break down the process and share valuable insights on how to achieve great results. You also acknowledge that presets have their place without dismissing them. It's refreshing to see you focus on the process, helping people avoid getting caught up in what's popular on the internet. Thanks for sharing!
I'm pretty sure Silverlight scanning software could get us closer to emulating film. They have a process that's supposed to emulate a film stock/photographic print paper pair. From there, it may help to shoot a color checker and scan the film with Silverlight. Maybe something like 3DLUT (made by the same guys that gave us Retouch4Me) could help us reverse engineering the colors and get a RAW image + Lightroom camera profile (not a preset, a camera profile) emulating a specific film and paper for a specific digital camera and lens pair. I'm pretty sure Behance has been made this way, the problem is that there are too many digital cameras to end up with consistent results, on size fits all doesn't work. Also, I suspect that with color films, the color palette shift and luminosity of individual colors may not be the same depending on parameters such as exposure, color temperature, date of purchase, conditions of conservation, and maybe even the lens itself.
What was the video called that you mention where you matched scans in Lightroom? The one you previously did. I remember seeing it but can’t find it now.
I would like to see the process done in Capture One instead of Lightroom. Either for film emulation and/or from books etc. all I ever see mostly is LR, I appreciate other options. Thanks so much for sharing your experience.
A good tip video, Hashem. For me, presets in the way that they're often sold, as this one stop solution, aren't helpful in developing any form of craft around your work. I've used them and learned to make them too, but there's nothing better than fine tuning the individual photos, especially when they're printed, I feel. Definitely more time consuming, but the work deserves that care when you make the effort to take the image of something you thought was worth remembering. I think where they do come in handy is for commercial work, where consistency is expected, and you're getting paid for your time. Batch editing with presets makes event photography more viable and profitable. This is a very timely video, as I saw Fuji now has a dedicated page about it's film simulations earlier today, and seems to be a big part of the appeal for many who buy those cameras. Wanting to get a filmic look without any effort. Definitely makes it more accessible, but at the expense of never meeting the true potential of editing the image manually.
Thank you, and well said. Yeah I just saw that about the dedicated site! Did you also see how they have a dedicated film emulation dial on one of their new cameras? (XT50)
@@pushingfilm I'd heard or seen something, but it didn't interest me enough to learn more about it, ha. I understand the convenience side of automation, but it does often just create a lot more of the same. Lacks the personal touch that gets lost in removing any steps that requires a personal preference. Hence, again, why doing as much of any craft is beneficial to creating more unique work, I feel.
I’m glad you have integrity regarding this. Dustin’s work with The Archetype Process is nearer scientific, but other sellers seem to have a more artistic interpretation of what a film stock looks like. I make my own 400H ‘look’ for this reason, so much of the inspiration for it comes from the lab I use + the lenses I use. A modern 50mm isn’t going to render the same colour as a 90’s Zeiss 80mm on 120…. Great video as always!
Thanks! Archetype is easily the best option out there IMO, and you're right about the other factors! People go to great lengths and costs to shoot lenses like the Contax/Zeiss 80 on other camera systems, including the GFX.
