How can I create a soft, milky, twinkly vintage look in post-processing?
Asked 1/4/2016
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I’m trying to recreate a dreamy style that looks both vivid and slightly faded: soft/milky contrast, glowing or “twinkly” highlights, some blur with preserved detail, and often a nostalgic color cast. What post-processing techniques create this look? I’d especially like general editing guidance that works across different software, such as which adjustments to try for exposure, contrast, blacks, whites, color toning, and blur/glow effects. If some of the look depends on how the photo was shot, please mention that too.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
3
The blog post you linked to is one where the author describes another blog called The Cherry Blossom Girl, and in the FAQ there, author Alix answers several questions about how she makes her images. In particular, she says that for some of her photos, the only software she uses is Analogcolor, presumably meaning this Analogcolor by pentacom.
N.B.: She also says: Je pense aussi qu’il est beaucoup plus sympa de développer son propre style plutôt que de simplement imiter, or "I think it's much more fun to develop your own style than to simply imitate."
That said, try downloading and playing with the app -- it has a handful of options that are fun to play with, and a couple dozen preset effects to get you started. These took about 1 minute (original in upper left followed by 3 different edits):
Originally by user4262. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4262
10y ago
0
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This look is usually a mix of shooting style and post-processing, not one single filter.
From the examples discussed, the main ingredients are:
- shallow depth of field from a large aperture
- slightly overexposed or bright highlights
- lifted/faded blacks for a milky, low-contrast feel
- soft glow/blur layered over a sharp image
- optional vintage color presets or split toning
A good post workflow is:
- Start with a bright exposure.
- Reduce overall contrast a bit.
- Lift the black point so shadows look faded instead of deep black.
- Keep highlights bright so light areas sparkle.
- Add a soft glow using an Orton-style effect: duplicate the image layer, apply Gaussian blur, then blend it back in (commonly with Multiply or lowered opacity) and mask as needed.
- Add subtle warm/cool toning or use vintage-style preset packs/plugins.
If you want a shortcut, one answer pointed to Analogcolor-style preset software for this kind of aesthetic.
A lot of the “blurry but detailed” feeling comes from combining a sharp original with a blurred layer, while the dreamy background often starts in-camera with shallow depth of field.
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AI10y ago
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