First you need to have a picture that's sympathetic with the treatment in question. The pose here is a subtle, modest one, and the model has plenty of cascading hair. The background cloth as well, is a traditional, dark, mottled surface and the model is sitting on a chaise long, though little of that can be seen. If you don't have a suitable picture to hand, you can download the lo-res version of the one used in this tutorial. Just right click and select Save Target As from here. This tutorial created with Photoshop CS3, but most image editing programs can perform the same processes.
 1. The first task is to convert the image to monochrome so go to Image > Adjustments > Gradient Map. Ensure that the foreground colour is black and the background colour is white before doing this, otherwise, click on Reverse. |
 2. Next, the image needs brightening, so go to Image > Adjustments > Levels and drag the right end carat in until it reaches the start of the data.
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 3. Now got to Image > Adjustments > Shadows/Highlights and enter a value of 25. This is so that the hair is now separate from the background. |
4. Create a duplicate layer in the Layers palette. Let's add some grain now so go to Filter > Texture > Grain. Select Intensity 40, Contrast 50 and grain type Enlarged.
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 5. Set the blend mode of the duplicate layer to Luminosity then merge the layers. Create another duplicate layer, then go to Image > Adjustments > Curves. Select a point about a quarter of the way up the line from the bottom and drag down and right. Do it until the skin tones darken. |
 6. Click on Add Layer Mask then select black as the foreground colour and the Paintbrush. Set the brush Opacity to 20% and paint around the head and push the darkness back towards the edges of the screen.
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 7. Finally, click on image icon itself in the Layers Palette of the duplicated layer and select the Burn tool. Set the Exposure to 10% and pick a large brush size. Then burn in darkness into the bottom of the picture, particularly towards the right corner. Then flatten the layers and save. |
The final image with a border added. |
1. The first task is to convert the image to monochrome so go to Image > Adjustments > Gradient Map. Ensure that the foreground colour is black and the background colour is white before doing this, otherwise, click on Reverse. 
5. Set the blend mode of the duplicate layer to Luminosity then merge the layers. Create another duplicate layer, then go to Image > Adjustments > Curves. Select a point about a quarter of the way up the line from the bottom and drag down and right. Do it until the skin tones darken.
7. Finally, click on image icon itself in the Layers Palette of the duplicated layer and select the Burn tool. Set the Exposure to 10% and pick a large brush size. Then burn in darkness into the bottom of the picture, particularly towards the right corner. Then flatten the layers and save.
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10 Jul 2007 12:25PM-
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13 Jul 2007 9:48AM-
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4 Aug 2007 9:48PMI'm wiv JJ, why?
Just use film and do it right from the start.
best
Mick
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6 Aug 2007 2:15PM-
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6 Aug 2007 8:10PM'film wouldn't look like this image either' that's right, film and digital are 2 different animals, it was you that brought up the concept of making it look like film instead of: here's a great effect with digital.
Don't be so arrogant about digital and film, Robert White can't keep up with demand for large format cameras and several proccesssing plants are having to increase capacity. We only have to look at what has happened to Jessops from abandoning film users.
best
Mick
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7 Aug 2007 9:24AMI'm hardly arrogant about film and digital - I own a Nikon F80 and a Mamiya RB67, as well as my D200. It's sales statistics - digital cameras outsold film 15-1 last year. If I was to be more specific, it would be to say 35mm is virtually dead. At the moment, there is still plenty of call for medium and large format. Given the amazing quality of large format, it's nice to hear that some dealers are still doing the business on it.
The point about Jessops is that they are in a mess not because they abandoned film but because they couldn't offer a good enough service for digital. People have largely abandoned 35mm film.
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8 Aug 2007 12:31PMMy view on WHY is that a lot of people on here use digital and can't or wont also work with film. But even with film, many images especially ones attempting the be of an artictic nature relied on some form of post processing in the lab or darkroom. Digital is no different but Photoshop is far more daunting than a darkroom to the unitiated and not everyone on here is experience with it.
So please keep them coming. one of the reason I joined this site was to learn.
Matt
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7 Nov 2007 4:48PMQuote:
Just use film and do it right from the start.
I grant you he tried to soften it by saying things like 'watcha' and 'best'......
What are you supposed to do junk your equipment and buy a film camera just to do grainy b&w - ??
there are things to hang on to from the past - not at all sure film is one of them ??
having said that I find all this hanging onto grainy shots a bit overdone - it's only trying to emulate stuff from the past - 'in my HUMBLE opinion'..
db
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9 Mar 2008 2:45PMI use all formats from 5" x 4" to D1x. Nobody has ever asked me what equipment I used to get the finished picture. Thank goodness they are more interested in the finished results.
Mike
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19 Nov 2008 12:45PM-
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11 Jun 2009 9:27PM-
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11 Sep 2009 11:33AMvictor
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31 Dec 2009 7:21AMBut to say that you can't get grainy images with your digital cameras without using software is incorrect!
You just jack up the ISO in your camera for daylight is virtually the same thing as using film.
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11 Feb 2010 9:40AMSign In
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