On the fourth of July I was lucky enough to be invited to a FC Dallas soccer game by my boyfriend and his family. As usual, I brought my camera along and I’m glad I did; the game was, for lack of a better word, boring, and I kept myself occupied by taking photos. Now don’t get me wrong, I love soccer, but this game in particular just wasn’t very interesting.
Lately I have come across several sites where people are interested in making digital photos and videos emulate traditional film. I decided to try my hand at it, since I love anything that looks vintage or retro. Obviously these pieces can never replace an actual photo or video shot on film, but they come close enough that they have some of the same evocative characteristics. Also, it is a nice option when you just cannot afford buying film and having it developed, which can get quite expensive.
For each shot I went through my usual ‘retro’ editing first. Then I added some vignette, as film cameras generally do that naturally; followed by some light grain. I have seen examples with heavier grain that work well, also, but personally I prefer a more subtle touch.
Here is an example of the before (straight out of camera shot) and the after (edited) shot
Of course, there was also a fireworks show after the game and I have to say, it was quite possibly the most spectacular fireworks show I have ever seen. No joke, I would like to say it lasted at least twenty minutes.
Anyway, that’s my two cents on emulating film. I wish you the best of luck in shooting!