Being a professional lifestyle and wedding photographer means being comfortable creating a variety of photography styles - especially in 2024. One of the most requested styles is vintage / retro / analogue style - or whatever people are calling it these days. It was once the only form of photography available and yet, now, despite the fact that our mirrorless cameras give us so much modern sharpness, a lot of clients still yearn for that timeless film photography look.
Street Photography in Lisbon, Portugal. Taken by Martin Creates on Fujifilm x100t. One of the key selling points of Fujifilm is that you can select a film simulation on all photos.
Stephen McCurry is one of my greatest inspirations for photography and I highly recommend any photography enthusiast to go through his work. Some of his most iconic work was produced on analogue (film) format and although he now uses digital, it's no coincidence that he has maintained a filmic approach to his photography. This is because aspects like colour rendition, grain and warmer white balance all create a stronger emotional connection to his stories. His focus on culture, traditions and humans in general are all strong points of association that we have in our minds when we think of Stephen McCurry's work.
In this article we will learn some tips and tricks for producing analogue style photography with a mirrorless camera. We will explore a few analogue-style photos taken by Martin Creates around the world, mostly street documentary photos and a few event ones. You will notice they have all been taken by gear produced after 2012 and all digitally processed/edited RAW files. Photography equipment can hold you back sometimes, but in my professional opinion, it shouldn't be an excuse not to shoot in my opinion. That's why we will not just look at camera gear but post editing processes as well.
Vintage-style photography taken in Sevilla, Spain by Martin Creates on Sony a7iv 35mm 1.8.
Achieving a vintage style in your photography using a mirrorless camera involves a combination of techniques during both shooting and post-processing.
1. Choosing the "Right" Lens: Look for lenses with wider apertures, such as f/1.4 - f/2.8, which can create a shallow depth of field and beautiful bokeh. They are also extremely useful in low-light conditions. Usually prime lenses have the widest apertures and they're lighter than zoom lenses which is an added benefit during longer shoots. Some photographers will choose older manual lenses for the full vintage-experience and because they're cheaper. A good example is the iconic Helios lens (with its spiral bokeh effect), which I will write a blog about soon. Another benefit to using vintage lenses is that a lot of them have a natural vignette which most analogue photos have. I personally prefer modern lenses because they're quicker, sharper, more weather resistant and I prefer to control the vignette effect in post-editing according to my taste for that particular capture. I like lenses that produce sharp results so I stay away from kit lenses with variable apertures because I don't find the results sharp enough, especially for printing. When shooting in manual mode, it is also a lot to think about when you know the aperture is changing every time you zoom in and out.
2. Set the White Balance: Either adjust your camera's white balance settings to create warmer tones reminiscent of old film or you can do this in post editing. You can always change it but having it set to a warmer tone means you can preempt opportunities for certain "moments" or "scenes" directly from the mirrorless camera's LCD screen or electronic viewfinder.
Sometimes colder tones can look incredibly cinematic too in which case Tungsten would be the best option. Cinestill 800T is the iconic film roll which uses Tungsten white balance (hence the "T"). Applying Tungsten is an incredibly versatile approach to photography which is often overlooked due to the fear of photos coming out "too cold" and "depressing". Being creative requires an artist to know his tools and options available to him and the best way to get to know them is by using them. I encourage everyone to give colder white balances a go because you will only grow as a photographer by doing so.
Colder White Balance can also work brilliantly at night. Taken by Martin Creates in Manhattan with a Sony a7iv 35mm 1.8.
3. Shoot in RAW: Shooting in RAW format gives you more flexibility in post-processing vs shooting in only JPEG. It's often referred to as Photography 101 because it allows you to adjust the photo's colours, contrast, and exposure without losing image quality. This is because it stores much more information hence they are "heavier" in terms of storage. In order to produce something cinematic and filmic, you will need to make quite a few edits to the photo so working from a RAW file is ideal.
4. Experiment with Exposure and Contrasts: Film-style photos often have a slightly faded look with muted colours. You can achieve this in various ways. I won't list the endless ways to create this style but I will encourage you to explore the dials on Adobe Lightroom or Capture One (whichever app you use is fine). The only clue I will give is that increasing contrast sliders will create an increase in saturation so don't be afraid to reduce saturation. You can go a step further and reduce the saturation of certain colours especially if they're distracting.
A DJ / nightlife shot by Martin Creates in black and white
Exposure affects colour and so by removing "all colour" you will be left with a monochrome photo like the example above which I took at a nightclub event in West London. I left the shutter open and used a mounted flashgun to freeze my subject and slightly drag to create a blur motion. I then added grain as the cherry on the cake. One of my favourite shots because the music was so good.
5. Embrace Imperfections: Vintage photography often celebrates imperfections such as light leaks, scratches, and dust. You can simulate these effects in post-processing or embrace any natural imperfections captured in your photos. I prefer to apply them and there are plenty of apps available or you can buy PNG graphic elements from various websites and play around in photoshop. Even the black and white photo above could've been a mistake because it's blurry and not fully sharp but you work with these and it's no different to a photographer in the 70s realising what happened whilst developing photos in his or her dark room.
Like any photography style, achieving a vintage look takes practice and experimentation. My biggest advice as a professional photographer with extensive experience in lifestyle, weddings, events and other styles is don't be afraid to try new techniques and settings to find what works best for you. The key to achieving a vintage style is not just in the technical aspects of photography but also in capturing the mood and nostalgia associated with vintage imagery. Experimentation and creativity are key!
I am a professional freelance photographer and videographer based in London, UK. I started Martin Creates in order to help empower people and brands worldwide. One of the ways I do that is by publishing blogs with free information to help any creatives out there reading this. I welcome you to check out my work on this website as well as my newly launched site martincreatesweddings.com. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out.
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