3 Tips For Vintage Edits
There’s just something magical about timeless, nostalgic vintage images. The grain, the filmic dust and scratches, the light leaks and filmic borders… They all contribute to an edit that transcends modern sterility and perfection into the bespoke, painterly, handhewn, and artful.
Tip #1: Start with a base preset with vintage tones
It might seem obvious to start with a preset that already includes some retro and vintage elements, but this can do a TON to get you started with a beautiful edit that evokes nostalgia in the viewer.
Luckily, there are bunches of Quest sets that fit the bill! Just to mention a few:
March’s Quest set, Quest 34 Collodion, comes packed with timeless tones inspired by tintypes (think old western and US Civil War photos).
Quest 16 Riven is based on Type 100 peel-apart instant format film, giving this set a natively nostalgic vibe and filmic elements included (like borders and color casts).
Quest 25 Fable is all about antique old books— the perfect set to start a vintage edit with! Plus, tools like Aged Paper Tone, Water Stains, and more.
Included in our Quest Volume 1 preset compendium is Quest 11 Instant Film, which was designed to mimic instafilm. The base presets in this set are perfect for a glowy, nostalgic film look.
Image by Kasia Choma
Edited with Quest 16 Riven, Quest Tools 07 - Filmic Borders, Quest Tools 03 - Dust & Scratches
Image by Carlos Cordero
Edited with Quest 11 InstantFilm, Border from Quest 34 Collodion
Bonus Tip: Add vintage flair to any preset by utilizing Vintage Tone from Quest Tools 08 - Light Leaks!
Tip #2: Add filmic Dust & Scratches
Dust & Scratches sprinkled into digital images makes them look more like old film photos instantly! Quest Tools 03 - Dust & Scratches includes ten unique dust and scratch presets modeled from real film scans. These effects add a filmic finishing touch to your digital photos in just one click - Self-adapting to cover the entire image, regardless of orientation or aspect ratio.
Bonus Tip: Add extra filmy goodness by slathering on TONS of grain! You can use the 3 Grain presets in Quest Tools 02 - Essentials and adjust them to your liking using the preset slider.
Tip #3: Filmic Frames
Add frames and borders for a finishing touch to your vintage edit! Try the tintype-inspired frames in Quest 31 Mythos and Quest 34 Collodion, the peel-apart film-inspired borders of Quest 16 Riven, or any of the incredible borders from Quest Tools 07 - Filmic Borders!
Image by Ieva Marija
Edited with Quest 34 Collodion and border from Quest 31 Mythos
Bonus tip: It’s still in Early Access as of this article’s publication, but the new Lens Blur from Lightroom Classic can add the perfect dose of vintage lens bokeh to your digital images!
Image by Gary Crowson
Edited with Quest 34 Collodion, Lens Blur
Image by Kasia Choma
Edited with Quest 25 Fable, Grain from Quest Tools 02 - Essentials, and Quest Tools 03 - Dust & Scratches
Now layer all these tips together for an epic vintage edit of your own!