1. Recognizing The Various Film Stocks
To plot your specific edit, you should see which film stock(s) you’d like to mimic. I’ve combined some of the more popular film stocks below.
- Kodak Professional Portra 160 - The Versatile Light Range
- Kodak Professional Portra 400 - The One With Perfect Skin Tones
- Kodak Professional Portra 800 - The Low Light Compatible
- Kodak Professional Tri-X 400 - The Black and White Details
- Kodak Professional Ektar 100 - The Vibrant and Colorful
- Kodak Gold 200 - The Golden Warmth
- Kodak Professional Ektachrome E100 - The Timeless
- CineStill 50D - The Cinematic Tones and Dark Features
- CineStill 800 T - The Grain for Nighttime Street Action
- Fujifilm Superia X-TRA400 - The Purple-Tinted Majesty
- Ilford Delta 400 - The Finest of Detail for Panchromatic Images
- Ilford HP5 Plus - The Stark Contrast and Bright Highlighter
If you’re hungry for more, I wrote an example article on the best Kodak 35mm and 120 film stocks that features more information about each roll and additional visual examples from other photographers. There’s also a guide for FujiFilm and CineStill if you want to take a peek. I highly recommend reading these pieces if you want an in-depth analysis of the various stylizations per stock.
Ask yourself — Which colors best suit your subject? What stock might look best for your photo’s lighting condition? Do you want a funky hue or a desire for more natural skin tones?
Mimicking Kodak Portra Series
Start by making sure your skin tones are smooth and even, as Portra is well known for its flattering, true-to-life skin tones. Soften the skin texture slightly in your editing software and fine-tune the hues in the red and orange channels to enhance natural skin tones, paying attention to making sure the skin's lightest and darkest parts aren't too saturated or washed out.
For sharpening, maintain subtlety; Portra typically offers a softer appearance, so avoid excessive sharpening, which can detract from the film-like quality. Instead, aim for just enough to bring out details without upping the harshness (don't mark up that clarity; it'll look tacky!).
Regarding color adjustments, overcast your images with warmth by slightly increasing the temperature without making the image too "green." If it looks wonky, mediate the toggle back to the middle. Editing is constantly playing around with the toggles to meet your preference.