Digital Photographer's Software Guide - Bertemes - Net

13
Film Simulation
and Effects
Digital processing can capture the exact “look” of practically every photographic
emulsion ever made: you just need the right software to do the job. If you require the
look of a certain black and white film, maybe even a particular combination of film/
developer/paper, you should browse through the descriptions in Chapter 12, “Black and
White Conversion.” Here, in this film simulation chapter, the software deals not only
with straightforward conversion to the look of a particular color film but also with
special processes like “bleach bypassing” and various substitutes for optical filtering.
For a century and a half, photographers explored every aspect of the film medium, sometimes
stumbling across great effects accidentally. The best of them (and some of the
worst) live on in digital form, captured in algorithms that can be applied to just about
any image. Software also reintroduces the imperfections of film, like the various grain
patterns, matching them perfectly to the size of the image. This might not be to everyone’s
taste, but there is much to be said in favor of imitating the colors and response
curves of classic films like Velvia or Kodachrome. The fact that the look of these films
will always live on in digital media tends to confirm the theory that existing technology
never entirely disappears, even when replaced in its traditional applications.
See also PhotoKit Color, which provides color correction as well as film simulation and
is included in Chapter 30, “Color Tools.”