A recent obsession of mine is using PS to try to reproduce some of the look and feel of old film on digital images. I'm in the process of trying to find a free way to replicate Kodak Tri-X, one of the favourite films of news snappers from days of yore.

Anyway, the current fad has found me redoing a few images from Nepal in a decidedly Sepia tone. The reason for Sepia was the fact that trekking in Nepal really was like going back in time: no electricity, no running water and dinner cooked for us in a small kitchen over an open fire by candle light. A comment by one Nick Miners also made me attempt to capture an old National Geographic look in the images. I'd be keen to know if people think they're a success or failure. I'm still tinkering with the settings, so it's very much a work in progress.

The images can be found here.

Thanks in advance for any feedback (positive and/or negative).

I think you've got it.

If anything, there needs to a tad more contrast to capture the Nat Geo look exactly, but then you can't expect everyone to be viewing under the best monitor settings.

Well done. Very nice stuff.

(Are you a follower of Martin Bailey? He's made it a policy to adjust his digital images as standard to emulate the Velvia look.)

Thanks, Heather. I absolutely take your point on the contrast. I'm sat in a poorly lit room right now using just the screen on my MBP to do adjustments. I really do need an external monitor - that's next on the very long shopping list. And no, I haven't really followed Mr Bailey's work, but I'm popping over to his site now for a look.

My only thoughts are that Tri-X gives a slightly more contrasty look - I'd say slightly less midrange.
But there again, my only recent exposure to it (that I know of) has been in architectural photos of LA taken sometime last year, IIRC, so that might be colouring my judgement.
Either way, nice pictures and you should be please with them.

I think that comment was spot on.
Also, have you seen this image by the very same person?
He mentions duotone in the comments. I don't know in what application he added that (it may well have been Lightroom) but something like that would suit your images perfectly I think.

Mark

Thanks guys, much appreciated.

Mark, I hadn't seen Nick's latest effort - I assumed he wouldn't be Flickering till his return. I like his duotone effect, it has a nice aged look to it. Clever so-and-so.

Alex, I'm still experimenting with the Tri-X effect, with only minimal success so far. This lot were an attempt at Sepia. I know there are plug-ins that will replicate Tri-X, but I'm a tight b*stard sometimes and if I can make it myself at home for free, then all the better.

Thanks again for the feedback.

Hi all. My ears are burning... Jason, I like the sepia effect in your photos. I think you've got the amount of colour just right - it's easy to overdo this stuff.

With regard to the duotoning, it's done in Lightroom, and is surprisingly easy. There's an option in Develop called 'split toning'; you set the shadows to be dark blue, and the highlights to be pale yellow/orange (sepia effectively) and it works whether the photo is colour or monochrome. It looks better on monochrome pics though. Mine are set as follows: Highlights - hue 54, saturation 26; Shadows - hue 253, saturation 14, and Balance is set to 0 (i.e. bang in the middle).

For a slightly different effect: http://www.poladroid.net/index.php

I like that Simon! I'm trying that tonight :)

On that subject, from the New York Times . . .

Polaroid Lovers Try to Revive Its Instant Film

Thanks mate. I was trying to get a look that I remember from images of Frank Hurley's time in Antarctica and others I remember of Mawson on expedition. Perhaps it's something about cold places that makes the duotoning really work.

And thanks for the tips on the duotones, I'll keep playing with the effect. The settings you use produce a very nice, subtle effect. I like it.