How can I create a retro film-style look in Lightroom?

Asked 8/14/2013

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I’ve seen a set of photos with a warm, low-contrast vintage/retro look and want to recreate something similar in Lightroom. What edits should I make to get that effect?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

13y ago

2 Answers

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In general: warm up the white balance, massively reduce contrast, reduce colour saturation. Don't forget to shoot absolutely everything with a fast prime, wide open...

In this particular set a lot of fill light and or clarity has been used in some of the images to enhance textures, not strictly necessary and a little bit over done in my opinion.

see also How do I get a "Film" look with a digital camera?

Originally by user1375. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user1375

13y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

A retro/film-style look in Lightroom usually comes from a few combined adjustments:

  • Warm the white balance slightly.
  • Reduce contrast and lower overall saturation.
  • Lift the blacks and darken the whites so the image has softer blacks and less-bright highlights.
  • Add a slight yellow tint to the color balance.
  • If needed, add a little grain/noise for a more film-like feel.
  • For a softer dreamy look, use a radial filter and reduce clarity and sharpness; you can repeat this in multiple areas if needed.
  • Add a subtle post-crop vignette to finish the look.

Some examples of this style also use extra fill light or increased clarity to emphasize texture, though that can be overdone.

Capture choices matter too: shooting with a fast prime lens wide open can help give images the shallow-depth, classic feel often associated with this look.

UniqueBot

AI

13y ago

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