1. How to Pick the Right Photo
For this tutorial, I’ve chosen this photo of an urban landscape. I think this is a perfect candidate to show how to make pictures look like film. It offers cool opportunities for film toning due to the vibrant color and simple composition.
It’s also important to use a photo that has been shot in a raw format, as this gives the greatest scope for editing. The colors will be less likely to clip, and the highlights and shadows are easier to control without bringing in any unwanted and artificial-looking noise and banding.
When picking your image, make sure that it has a reasonable spread of shadows, midtones, and highlights. This will make it much easier to work with later on in the tutorial when editing tones.
Now, import your photo into a new document in Photoshop.
2. How to Find the Look You Want
We’re going to be using a technique to try to mimic the tone and colors of an existing photo. To make digital photos look like film, find an example on the internet or from your own collection that has been shot this way. Pick one with a look you want to replicate.
I’m going to try to replicate the look of Lomography 35mm color film. The blue tones are quite strong, and there is a noticeable magenta tinge in the highlights. There is also a noticeable lack of strong green tones throughout.
Next, import the photo you want to replicate into your Photoshop document, and place it above your own photo as shown in the screenshot. Name this layer ‘Replicate’.
3. How to Add a Mask
One of the most important steps when learning how to edit photos to look like film is to add a mask. This is to make sure you aren’t affecting the photo we want to emulate.
To do this, use the Rectangular Maquee Tool and drag a selection around the photo you want to emulate. Then press the Layer Mask button at the bottom of the Layers panel.
When you start using Adjustment Layers later in the tutorial, make sure that you place them between your photo and the photo you want to replicate as demonstrated, in the screenshot.
4. How to Adjust the Exposure
Film has an inherently wide dynamic range, so it is important to correct your exposure first by bringing down the highlights and boosting the shadows slightly. This makes the photo appear flat, but you will be correcting this later.
First, create a new Curves Adjustment Layer by going to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves. Then, make a reverse ‘S’ shape, as shown in the screenshot below in the dialogue box, by clicking and dragging on the line. Different parts of the graph represent different parts of your image.
The left side represents the shadows of your image, the middle represents the midtones, and the right represents the highlights. Notice how my image is mostly made up of shadows and midtones.
I’m also boosting the exposure of my image slightly with another Adjustment Layer, as it is slightly underexposed. Make sure you get a reasonable spread of tones across the range.
5. How to Judge the Tone
The next step is to adjust the tone of your photo, and try to match it roughly to the film image you want to replicate. I’m going to use Ben Secret’s method of tone and color matching.
First, create a 50% Grey Solid Colour Layer. To do this, go into the Adjustment Layer menu, and select Solid Color. Choose a 50% Grey, which is 128, 128, 128 in RGB values or the Hex value #808080. Press OK, and drag this layer above everything else in your layer structure. Next, change the Blending Mode of the solid color layer to Color.
6. How to Edit the Tone
Make sure you have the histogram tool open for this next part by going to Window > Histogram. Using the Rectangular Marquee Tool, make a selection around the photo you want to replicate, and look at the histogram.
Have a look at how the highlights and shadows are structured, and create a new Curves Adjustment Layer just above your other one in the layer structure. Use Curves to alter your own photo to try and get a similar tone structure by clicking and dragging the graph line to alter the shadows, midtones, and highlights. Use the Rectangular Marquee Tool over both photos to judge how close you are getting.
Notice how, in my example, the image I want to replicate is quite flat in contrast, and the shadows and highlights aren’t very strong. In my image, I’ve achieved this by boosting the shadows and pulling down the highlights.
7. How to Judge the Color
Now that the photos are similar in tone, you can concentrate on achieving a similar color.
First, change the Blending Mode of the Color Fill layer you made earlier to Luminosity. This shows you an accurate representation of the colors of the photos. Here, you can judge what colors to add and what to take away. To do this, we’ll use another Curves Adjustment Layer to edit the individual Red, Green, and Blue channels independently.
Notice how, in my photo, the shadows are a brown/green color, and in the photo I’m trying to replicate, there are a lot of blue and magenta tones. I’ve circled them in the screenshot to show you what I mean.
In other areas of the photo I want to replicate, the midtones have a slight purple cast to them, and the highlights have a green/brown color.
8. How to Edit the Color
To begin, create a new Curves Adjustment Layer. Start by adjusting the shadows of your image to match the one you want to replicate, and go through each channel: Red, Green, and Blue.
To edit these colors and make the photo look like film, drag the end points of each color channel and adjust them by sliding them either vertically or horizontally.
In my example, more blue needs to be added to the shadows, so I’ve pushed up the shadow base point in the blue channel, until the Output value is around 30. Then I’ve used more points to alter the Curve, and gradually pulled it back towards normal values in the highlights region. I’ve then switched to the green channel and decreased the amount of green in the shadows, and then switched to the red channel and decreased the amount of red in the shadows.
Next, do the same for midtones and highlights, adjusting different parts of the curve in each color channel. It is an experimental process at first, but you will gain an understanding of curves and how colors mix between channels.
Notice how there is much more of a similarity between the color of the two photos now. You can see this clearly in the color map. Now, delete the Fill Color layer as you don’t need it anymore.
9. How to Change the Vibrance and Saturation
Next, add a new Vibrance Adjustment layer. The Vibrance slider is used to adjust only the weaker colors in the photograph, without affecting other colors that are already quite punchy and saturated. However, the Saturation slider affects the image as a whole, and all colors will be adjusted. Tweak these values to suit the look you’re trying to create.
In my example, the overall image is too saturated, but some of the weaker colors need to be stronger. I’m decreasing the value of the Saturation slider by around 10, whilst boosting the Vibrance slider by around 20. This gives the colors of my image a much more even look and matches the film I’m trying to replicate a lot better.
10. How to Edit the Texture and Contrast
Now, let’s use texture to add age and make the photo look like film. The method I’m going to show you also gives the photo a really flat contrast in the shadows.
First, scan a piece of black or dark grey card at a reasonably high resolution (300dpi or above). The more scratched and dusty it is, the better, as this will only add to the look of your final photo. I’ve provided my own scan as a file in the assets to use in your own photos.
Next, import the scan into your Photoshop document, and place it above all your adjustment layers. Set the Blending Mode to Lighten, and adjust the Opacity of this layer to suit to control the strength of the effect. I’ve adjusted the Opacity to 50% as it was too strong at 100%.
11. How to Add Film Dust and Additional Scratching
To add another layer of authenticity on top of the texture, I’ve added a dust and scratch texture created by DeviantArt user ChangDang. Remember to give credit to the author when using it online, and always get written permission if you want to use it commercially.
Add the texture to your Photoshop document and resize it to cover the whole image by pressing Control-T. Try and scale it proportionally to keep the shapes of the dust and scratches the same by holding Shift while resizing. Now, set the Blending Mode to Lighten, and see the dust and grain appear. The textured effect looks fantastic in my opinion!
If the effect is too much for your taste, you can use a Layer Mask to paint out areas of the texture you don’t like. You can also use the Opacity slider to adjust how strong the effect is overall.
12. How to Add Grain
Film has a natural grain that is very hard to replicate authentically. The Noise filter is good enough for this, however, and I’m going to use it to add a natural-looking grain.
First, duplicate your original photo layer by pressing Control-J. This is being created purely as a fail-safe. Then with the new layer selected, go to Filter > Convert for Smart Filters. This makes all filters applied to this layer editable at any time and does not permanently affect your original image.
Next, go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise. For the amount, choose around 7% for a fine grain, or more if you want a very gritty look. In the Distribution section, make sure the Gaussian button is checked, and at the bottom of the dialogue box, also check the Monochromatic box. This makes it look more like a fine film grain, rather than patchy sensor noise.
13. How to Create a Vignetting Effect
You’ve made it to the last step in how to make photos look like film: vignetting. A vignette helps focus the viewers’ attention on the subject. With the duplicate photo layer selected (the one you just applied noise to), go to Filter > Lens Correction.
Click on the Custom tab, and look for the section titled Vignette. This is normally used to correct any vignetting issues when processing raw files, but we want to artificially add it. Drag the Amount slider down to a negative value. Around –45 to -50 is a strong enough effect.
Under the Midpoint section, use the slider to control how the vignette falls off towards the edges, and press OK when you’re finished.
Finally, hide the layer called you called Replicate, and save your image!
You’re Done!
Congratulations! You just learned how to make photos look like film. There are many ways to make digital photos look like film, but this process is a good option to get started.
Remember that it’s important to do non-destructive editing, meaning you don’t permanently alter the original file. That’s why we used adjustment layers and smart objects throughout the tutorial.
5 Amazing Actions and Presets From Envato Elements
Now you know how to edit photos to look like film. But what if you don’t have the time to follow all the steps? Another way to get the film camera effect is to use standalone software, plugins, and presets.
Though not as unique as creating your own Photoshop film effect and experimenting, these can be a great time-saver. There are many actions and presets on Envato Elements that can make photos look like film:
1. 7 Film Presets (XMP, DNG)
These presets can give you a cinematic vibe. Easily edit photos to look like film with this Photoshop film effect. There are also files available for Lightroom.
2. Vintage Film (PSD, PDF)
Try this film effect in Photoshop to achieve a retro look. The file is well layered and intuitive. You can use it to make both landscape and vertical digital photos look like film.
3. Retro Film Photo Effect (PSD)
This film camera effect gives you a realistic and easy vintage look. With just a few clicks, travel back in time to quickly make pictures look like film.
4. Retro Analog Film Photoshop Action (ATN, PAT)
Make a photo look like film with these cool actions. Add the Photoshop film effect in CC versions and higher. You’ll get high-quality textures in just a few steps!
5. Scratched Film Photoshop Action (ATN, PAT)
If you’re looking for a scratched film effect in Photoshop, look no further. Save time with a realistic, high-quality action that makes it easier to add the film camera effect.
Conclusion
I hope this tutorial has helped you understand how to make pictures look like film. You should also now know what situations you can use them in and a few different ways to get the look you desire.
Be sure to experiment with these effects and make your own versions of your favorite film, or create an entirely new look. Learn more about film and retro design tips and tools: