The Vintage Color Look

[ClaremontPhoto]

I've just been looking through somebody's color photos from, I'd guess, the 1940's.

Part of their charm lies in the fashions of the day, part is in the dated settings, but most of all it's the color that makes them so attractive.

I wonder if a film manufacturer could make that film again? After all Ilford makes speciality SFX film which must sell in very small amounts, so why not a speciality 1940's color film from somebody?

Alternatively maybe the look can be recreated with a filter over the lens?

Or, lastly perhaps an aging effect in imagery software.

Is there a way to recreate these colors?

 

[nksyoon]

Alien Skin Exposure, a plugin for Photoshop, has lots of presets for film types and effects. Some samples on their website.

Some cross-processing presets I tried:

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Shooting with uncoated lenses works a treat 😉

There are a lot of great Kodachrome Transparancy shots on display over at Shorpy - 100 year old photoblog

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

Jon, If you can get a copy of this weeks 'Amateur Photographer' ( UK mag. ) there's an interesting article on this very subject, with some great pics that were taken in the fifties - mainly on outdated Kodachrome.
Dave.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Alien Skin Exposure, a plugin for Photoshop, has lots of presets for film types and effects.

Thank you, I'll look into that.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Shooting with uncoated lenses works a treat.

Thank you, i'm already using a single coated lens, and now wonder if that coating could be removed.

Anybody already tried it?

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Jon, If you can get a copy of this weeks 'Amateur Photographer' ( UK mag. ) there's an interesting article on this very subject...

Sadly Amateur Photographer is not on sale in shops, and it's not available online.

If there are any good suggestions in the article for aging color film images could you please tell us briefly what they suggest?

 

[kully]

Hallo Jon,

Could you give examples of the look you have in mind?

I got something quite pleasing with Velvia 50 and an uncoated summitar, it gives wonderful pastel colours.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Could you give examples of the look you have in mind?

Genuine old Kodachromes such as this. And others accessed from there with the 'previous' and 'next' navigation.

I'm thinking about printing a photo on an inkjet, and leaving it to 'mature' in bright sunlight for a few months before scanning it.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

This is a better link than the one above as it shows hundreds of thumbnails.

 

[steamer]

Here is some velvia 100 shot with an uncoated tessar on a Super Ikonta folder.

 

[Sparrow]

Jon
If you have Photoshop have a play with “Channel Mixer” in the “Image”>”Adjust” menu once your happy with a look you can save the file for future use.
Spielberg in Saving Private Ryan simply destructed the film by 50% and that looks the part, oddly

 

[Ade-oh]

Amongst current colour films, I would recommend Fuji Astia 100 teamed with an old lens (I use a 1946 Summitar) for the right combination of sharpness, odd bokeh and slightly muted colours.

 

[Muggins]

There's always the Autochrome process. Good autochromes look beautiful, but I don't think it's the sort of thing you can do for real very easily...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autochrome_Lumière

Adrian

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Thank you all for good ideas, and some examples.

I had hoped to do in camera without any photoshopping.

Also I cannot readily use E6 film as it's not supported by my local shops.

There must be a way to use C41 so as to get he vintage look naturally. Perhaps very outdated film is the way to go?

Again thank you, it's impressive how much expertise there is at this site.

 

[mhv]

An uncoated lens is going to be your best bet. Most lenses made before WWII were not coated. I have a Zeiss Triotar in Contax Mount that dates from the 30s, and when used on color film, it gives that muted look, with color casts in the shadows.

Most box cameras have an uncoated lens, so it could be your cheapest bet to try out the look.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Try Maco Scanfilm. Grainy, old-fashioned colours. It's an aerial film, slit & perforated for 35mm. I think it's still available. Load in VERY subdued light.

Cheers,

R.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Roger:

Yes! I think you've got the solution.

After a bit of Googling I know that it's now branded Rollei Scanfilm, and read your piece about it at shutterbug.net

Thank you.

 

[raid]

Outdated Agfa negative film gives a nice color vintage rendering.

 

[Petroleum V. Nasby]

Just get some one hour lab prints and leave them out in bright sunlight for a couple of weeks.