Film Emulation Presets
Capture the rich, iconic look of vintage film—now at your fingertips with advanced, easy-to-use digital presets.
Developed by harrysohalphoto
Film Emulation Presets
Capture the rich, iconic look of vintage film—now at your fingertips with advanced, easy-to-use digital presets.
Developed by @harrysohalphoto
Nomadict x Harry Sohal Photo – Film Emulation Preset Pack
This preset collection is a tribute to some of my all-time favorite film stocks. Whether you’re out shooting wide landscapes or candid street moments, this pack is built to emulate that timeless film look with ease. Most presets here are one-click ready, but make sure to set your white balance first to get the most accurate, film-like tones. That small step goes a long way.
Before
After
🎞️ Presets Inspired by Real Film Stocks
- Fujifilm Pro 400H
Soft greens, delicate highlights, and a pastel-like palette that shines in natural light. Perfect for travel scenes with lots of greenery or skies. - Ilford HP5
Classic black & white with rich grain, deep blacks, and punchy contrast. Think timeless documentary vibes. Ideal for shadows, textures, and urban storytelling. - Kodak ColorPlus 200
Warm, nostalgic, and super approachable. This preset brings sunny, golden tones with soft contrast that is great for everyday moments and casual outdoor light. - Kodak Ektar 100
Bold and vibrant. Think rich reds, deep blues, and almost surreal saturation. It’s built for color lovers shooting high-contrast scenes or sun-drenched landscapes. - Kodak Gold 200
Balanced warmth with a subtle retro vibe. Skin tones stay natural, while golden hour becomes even more magical. This one’s super versatile. - Kodak Portra 400
The holy grail of modern film. Smooth skin tones, soft highlights, and creamy shadows. This is your go-to for lifestyle, portraits, and cinematic edits. - Kodak Tri-X 400
Gritty, high-contrast black & white. It leans a little dramatic and works beautifully with moody lighting, strong shapes, or street environments.
Lomography 800
A wildcard. Grainy, funky, and full of character. Think saturated shadows and punchy midtones that are best for night shots or when you want that imperfect, artsy feel.
See the Difference
🛠️ Tools – Adjustments for Real-World Scenarios
When scanning film, different scanners (like Noritsu or Fuji Frontier) will render slight color shifts and contrast levels. So instead of building complex push/pull variations (which are hard to replicate accurately in digital), I’ve added tools that give you flexible control while preserving the essence of each stock.
- Fade + / Fade ++
Film doesn’t always have that clinical digital sharpness. These tools help soften the image and reduce harsh contrast. Use it to recreate the smoother, more natural roll-off of highlights and shadows, especially helpful if your files are too crispy. - Grade Cool / Magenta / Warm
These grading tools are designed to mimic the subtle color shifts you’d typically see during the digitizing process, without needing to jump through technical hoops. - Grain + / ++ / +++
Digital’s too clean sometimes. Add realistic grain with three levels of intensity.
⚡ Tips Before You Start
- Fix your white balance first. Always.
- Slight overexposure works great with these presets – just like shooting film. Start a touch brighter, then dial it back as needed.
- Use the exposure slider instead of trying to mimic push/pull processes. Real film push/pull is more complex than it seems, and this pack focuses on simplicity and speed, not mimicry down to the molecule.
- Feel free to stack a preset with fade or grade tools to get the exact tone you’re chasing.
This pack was made to help you edit with intention, but not get stuck in the weeds. It’s for creators who want that analog vibe without spending hours tweaking. Landscape photographers, street shooters, and everyday storytellers – this one’s for you.
FAQ's
Film presets are designed to emulate the unique qualities of analog film photography, such as grain, contrast, and color shifts, which give images a vintage, nostalgic feel. These presets are typically more nuanced and seek to replicate the warmth and texture of various film stocks, unlike regular presets that may focus purely on enhancing colors or light.
Yes, the intensity of the film effects can be adjusted. Most presets allow you to fine-tune settings like grain, contrast, and tone curves to match your desired look. This flexibility ensures that the film aesthetic can be tailored to suit different images.
Yes, the presets are designed to work on both color and black-and-white photos. While some film presets are specialized for one or the other, many include variations that adjust to either format, providing unique filmic effects based on the type of image you are working with.
These presets are compatible with Adobe Lightroom Classic, Lightroom CC, and Adobe Photoshop via Adobe Camera Raw (ACR). They work with the latest versions, ensuring smooth integration with current editing tools.
While these presets are specifically designed for photo editing in Lightroom and Photoshop, they are not directly usable in video editing software. However, similar film looks can be achieved in video by using LUTs (Look-Up Tables), which can be applied in software like Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or Final Cut Pro. If you’re interested, we may consider developing LUTs to complement the photo presets for video use.
