An old film photo of a motorcycle on a highway

Old Gloomy Film


Finally, here’s a preset that simulates the creative retro style of lomo cameras! Old Gloomy Film make photos look like they were developed using an alternative film process because of their deep tones and unusual green tint. It is also a similar but warm take on the popular orange and teal look.

Collection: Film Presets, Vintage
Best for: Outdoor Photography, Natural Light
Style: Cross-Processed, Old Film, Vintage

If you want your shots to have an analog look and feel, you don’t need to look further. This film aesthetic screams analog, hipster culture, and unrestrained creativity. It is both a dramatic and nostalgic style.

It works best on outdoor photography. Its dim effect blends well with diffused natural light. Then again, feel free to experiment with this bold preset. It can transform the overall atmosphere of any photo. Try it as a stunning Instagram filter, too! It would give your feed a cohesive and artistic feel.

Creates a Retro Film Look

A retro lomography image of men in motorcycles

Lomo Style. The preset sets its base look in Lightroom’s fundamental settings. It first dims the image by lowering exposure and intensifies hues by increasing contrast. Then comes its signature style: the distinct warm green tone and glow in the highlights.

This soft warm look is incomplete without film texture. This is, after all, expected from a preset that recreates the iconic style of lomography. Old Gloomy Film then amplifies sharpening and adds some fine grain. It also lowers clarity a bit to flatten the look.

The preset finally refines all of the vintage photo aesthetic by applying custom camera calibration settings.

Mutes Highlights for a Matte Finish

A retro lomography portrait of a woman wearing a striped shirt indoors

Retro Matte. The preset produces its matte look by lowering the intensity of its highlights. It mutes light regions on all fronts: the highlights, whites, and the tone curve. It may seem excessive, but it is what the style calls for. This, along with its entire unconventional processing, is exactly what defines this type of analog photography.

In the After photo above, see how all Old Gloomy Film’s adjustments come together. The bold tones pierce through the dim green glow. The lightest regions in the image now clearly look subdued in matte. Try to examine the woman’s face, her striped shirt, and the plain white wall in the background. The result, ultimately, is a compellingly dramatic retro image.

Optimizes Dark Regions for an Analog Look

A retro lomography image of two boats by a rock formation

Moderately Dim. Old Gloomy Film sets its gloom by darkening blacks further. It only lightens its darkest end, the shadows, in the tone curve to remove unnecessary harshness. As you may notice, tones from both light and dark regions look subdued. Remember, harshness is uncharacteristic of this analog style.

Try to look at the rock formations and platforms. The blacks and shadows are just dark enough to set definition and depth. Also, notice how the tones blend seamlessly with the entire classic style.

Recreates the Colors of a Cross-Processed Film

A retro lomography portrait of a man in a black shirt and hat

Deep Hues. To match its overall dark look, the preset also lowers saturation and vibrance. This helps darken and deepen tones, alongside the previous adjustments in color. This also contributes to the matte texture.

Despite these soft and dim settings, observe how Old Gloomy Film retains much of the original colors. Even with the layer of green, you can still distinguish the red stripes on the sleeves, the blue watch face, and the bearded man’s skin tone. Notice, too, how the preset infuses this portrait with so much cinematic drama.

Refines Color Saturation and Luminance

A retro lomography image of a man on a boat with one arm outstretched

Color Blending. Old Gloomy Film refines the saturation and brilliance of colors in Lightroom’s HSL panel. It desaturates all colors at varying levels, except for yellow. Yellow hues, instead, are amplified. These blend with the overall motif and adds to the preset’s style.

The preset does the same for luminance but favors the color purple instead. It lowers the luminance of all others at different intensities but brightens purple hues. You can mostly recognize the effect on earthy and skin tones.

Old Gloomy Film is for Lightroom Mobile, Desktop and…

Like all our presets, you can absolutely use Old Gloomy Film preset as is, right out of the box. With any preset, you might need to make adjustments to accommodate your specific camera, settings, lighting and subject matter.

  • Entirely Adjustable
  • Compatible with Lightroom 4, 5, 6 and CC
  • Performs with both PC, Mac, and Mobile
  • Applicable to both RAW and JPG images
  • 100% Free
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Free Lightroom Preset by Jill Fernandez

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