Making Digital Photos Look Like Classic Film Shots

January 20, 2011, By Amber Neely 2 comments

Want to recapture some of the art of film photography in your digital photos? It may take a little practice, but you can create some amazing images with your phone, digital camera or flip camera with these five tips.

1. Mind the rules of photography. One of the rules of classic film is the Rule of Thirds. This rule basically teaches a photographer to think about the image in thirds, both horizontally and vertically. Pretend your image is a 3x3 grid - using these lines, you can creatively align your image. Centering your focal point in the middle of this grid draws the eyes in, but shifting it to either the left or right makes for other interesting effects.
2. Lighting is key. Whenever possible, shoot without the flash. While the flash eliminates blur, it also tends to wash out color in digital images. Shooting in natural lighting gives a feeling of richness and brings out the detail in pictures, which in itself emulates a film effect. When possible, shoot in bright daylight scenes. Most digital cameras reduce blur if there is sufficient lighting. If there's no bright lighting available, use a tripod and rely on an auto-timer for blur-free images.
3. Check your light source. Time and time again, you'll see otherwise great images ruined by a light source in the wrong place. The light source should be behind you - or in other words - directly in front of your subject. This eliminates ugly shadows from a light source that is next to, above, or behind the objects. That said, rules are made to be broken and using a setting or rising sun creates some interesting silhouette effects. And of course, you can't take pictures of sunrises and sunsets with the sun behind you.
4. Don't be afraid to use manual focus settings if you have them. Another problem that digital photography poses is that the camera has become so "smart" that it accurately balances out foreground and background. This makes it hard for our eyes to find the true focal point and makes photos appear flat. Using a manual focus allows you to focus on a person or object and to add a natural blur to objects in the background. This creates some stunning effects, especially with close-ups.
5. Take it to Photoshop if you're comfortable. Adobe Photoshop is an invaluable tool, and if you have it, it's worth experimenting with your images. Photoshop is great for vignettes (that cool fading effect around the edges of your images) or the classic cross-processed artsy feel of photographs developed in a darkroom.

Of course, no amount tricks will help if you don't get out there and practice what you've learned. So grab your camera and throw it in a back pocket or backpack whenever you head out, and you'll be taking professional, film-style pictures sooner than you think.