1800s photo effect [2017]

Forum|Forum|8 years ago
October 8, 2017
5 replies
31085 views

Hi,

Does anyone know a good tutorial to edit your photo into a 1800s photo? I have here a few examples:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-abbKpLg2lQ4/U0iJBcMhORI/AAAAAAAAHMk/ZW6KKBm37G8/s1600/Assassination+of+Jesse+James+by+the+Cowa…

http://i.imgur.com/D9udx0D.jpg

These are from a movie from 2007, also edited in that 1800s effect. So, how to get this awesome effect?

R

ramin5C17

Participant

hi everyone

very interesting photos can be made

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Chuck Uebele

Community Expert

As mentioned above, the old photos were taken with large format cameras with long lenses and shallow DOF. The photo of Brad could have been taken with a large format camera. One other thing to consider is the film that was used. Back then, it was orthochromatic, meaning blue sensitive. Reds go very dark, blues go very light. That give photos a slightly different look that might not be obvious.

Norman Sanders

Legend

To simulate the 1880's it is reasonable to assume that typical image contrast was a bit higher than images now because it was more difficult to control the tonal scale, so I increased the black & white curve, as seen in the face. In addition, the color would probably be a flat value rather than a duotone, perhaps due to paper color, aging or fading. This result (the middle sample) is a b&w image with a flat color layer set to Multiply. Type would be knocked out of both colors to simulate the white script. Seeing the final result, I would let up a tad on the color in order to achieve a blacker black (suit). I think a tad less would also benefit the face. I would not reduce image sharpness even though today's lenses are far superior. At that time images were contact prints, a bit of compensation for the lens limitations.

D Fosse

Community Expert

This is where you'd use a gradient map adjustment layer. Here's just a random quick example:

Kerwick011Author

Participating Frequently

Thanks for the comments so far, but I think it is more then just a color correction to get the real deal. The sharpness or something is different then todays. I really want to get it right.

Another example

Trevor.Dennis

Community Expert

Yeah, I agree, this is very well done. They used all the tricks.

If you plan to do this a lot, I think I'd recommend the Alien Skin plugin. I've been thinking of re-purchasing myself (my old license doesn't do any good now). You really need the shallow depth-of-field effect, and that's the best way to get it. You'll still have to make the selections manually, of course.

Or if you shoot your own, use long lenses fully open. And if you can manage it, perhaps with very low light or neutral density filters, long exposures. I'm talking ten, twenty seconds.

Dag, are you talking about the Alien Skin plugin for bokeh or is there one does a stand out B&W ? I was wondering about Silver Efex seeing as it is free, although I understand that Google have discontued support for the NIK collection, and I believe it no longer works with some operating systems. A lot of the photo competition junkies I know, swear by Silver Efex, and say it is easily the best B&W conversion available.

Anyway, my take from this portrait. I'm sure I have done much the same as everyone else, but a biggie was to crush the dark and light tones with a Levels layer, and I am talking about _really_ crushing them