How To Make Digital Photos Look Like Lomo Photography
The following tip on getting digital images to look like Lomo Images was submitted by DPS reader - Frank Lazaro. You can see his photography at his Flickr page and see some of his Lomo shots here NB: most of the shots in this post can be enlarged by clicking them. update: once you’ve read this tutorial and had an experiment with the technique head to our Forum to share some of your results.
From the first time I saw a photo that looked like this, I wanted to shoot one of my own. But, for the longest time I couldn’t figure it out how people took photos look like this. Then one day searching the web, I realized I needed a Lomo LC-A camera. This is a Russian made camera that was a knock off of another camera. It is poorly made and by Japanese camera standards, a bad picture taker too. As the legend goes, somewhere in the 1990’s a cult following developed and hasn’t stop since.
Low and behold I went out and bought 2 of these babies. I love them, but I also had a digital SLR - a Canon 20D. After shooting with the Lomo, I wanted to take photos from my 20D and give them the Lomo look and feel.
I searched and searched and after trying several different Photoshop methods, I finally came up with my own using a mix of different techniques. By all means, there are probably other ways to do this, but this method has served me well.
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Here is my step by step on how I take a digital photo and make it Lomoified. I do have one suggestion though, create an action script once get this down, it will save you a ton of time.
Getting Started - Creating a Vignette
The first thing you want to do is create the classic vignette that the Lomos are well known for and I achieve this by doing a freehand lasso of a circle around the photo. It doesn’t need to be perfect and to prevent hard edges, I set the feather to 80-90px before creating the circle.
Once you have set the feather (shown above) and have drawn the circle, you must invert the selection. You can do this one of two ways. #1 Shift-Ctrl-I (Shift-cmd-I on the mac) or #2 Go to the menu Select>Inverse.
Now to achieve the vignette, I add a Levels layer. Note: I still have the invert selected.
This will add a masked out layer on top of your original layer. I then adjust the levels by moving the center arrow to the right. This will darken the edges, giving me a vignette. The amount is up to you and in this case I went from 1.00 to 0.50 on the center number highlighted in the image below.
Now you have a vignette.
On to making the photo look Lomo
Another key to a Lomo picture is the color contrast and saturation. This occurs because people with real Lomos use color slide film and cross-process the film in C41 chemicals.
For those that don’t know what cross-processing is, it’s when you develop film in a chemical other then what it was made for. Standard 35mm film is usually processed in C41 chemicals and Color Slide film is usually processed in E6 chemicals. Interesting results happen when you mix and match.
Typically, Lomo owners will take color slide film (E6) and have it processed as standard 35mm film (C41). This results in over saturation of colors and at times some freaky results. All of which make Lomo as special as they are.
To get a digital photo to look Lomo, we need to fake the cross-processing effect (E6 film in C41 chemicals).
At this point I usually flatten the image using shift-ctrl-e (shift-cmd-e on the mac) or go to the menu and Layer>Merge Layers.
First, I add a curves layer and create a slanted S.
Then I create a new layer on top of the other two layers. I select the paint bucket and pick the color black and fill the new layer with solid black.
Then I change the blending mode and set it to Hue and reduce the opacity to 40%.
Sharpening and Saving
This has gotten us very close to be finished. Again, I flatten the photo by using shift-ctrl-e (shift-cmd-e on the mac) or go to the menu and Layer>Merge Layers.
Before saving the photo as a JPG, you need to sharpen the photo. I use the unsharp mask and Lab mode/lightness technique. The purpose of this step is that it adds more contrast and darkens some of the areas as well. Now you can use whatever sharpening technique you want, but the following method prevents the color halos that come with certain sharpening techniques.
Go to Image>Mode>Lab Color. If you hadn’t flattened the image yet, it will ask you if want to flatten, please do so.
Then select your channel window and click on the lightness channel. The 3 other channels should deselect.
Then go to the menu, select Filter>Sharpen>Unsharp Mask.
I like sharpness, so I set the Amount to 50%, Radius to 50% and the Threshold to 0. Click Ok. This is completely up to you on the settings. Plus it will depend on the photo as well and use your best judgment/preference.
Go to Image>Mode> RGB Color. You do not have to reselect the unchecked channels, when converting back to RGB, the channels will automatically turn back on and the photo will go back to be in color.
Now you are done, save the file and share.
Final step, save as a Jpeg.
Before the Lomo Photography Look
After the Lomo Photography Look
update: once you’ve read this tutorial and had an experiment with the technique head to our Forum and share some of your results.
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Very cool effect. The colors really “pop”.
Hasn’t this been run before here?
Love this effect.
This article was run on istockphoto.com a little over a year ago. Luckily, by the same author. :)
I used to do this all the time before I got an LC-A but this is a new approach to the effect that I’ve never even tried before. Nice.
Hey, very cool tutorial. I created one following the process quite closely (except I used a 50 pixel radius for the sharpen instead of the 100px suggested).
Lemme know what you guys think of the results :)
And, thanks.
— from robinryan - (?)
http://flickr.com/photos/robinryan/2050386859/
sorry, there’s the photo
I have really been looking for something like this for a long time, I’m going to give it a go, thanks!
I don’t like this.
It takes away from the whole spirit of lomography.
The whole point of lomography is to use a lomo.
It’s to shoot without thinking.
It’s to shoot anything.
It’s to shoot from the hip.
Turning photos taken by a dslr into lomo look-a-likes is just wrong.
It’s like dressing up a modern sports car and trying to pass it off as a classic.
If you want to shoot lomo then go buy a lomo, they are cheap.
And trust me, theres no sustitute for an actual lomo.
Oh wow. This brings back memories…This was the post that caused me to return to film. (But I still shoot digital as well.)
one great effect…
thanks man…
hey! what a coincidence. i have recently discovered lomo and fell in love with the crazy colours and feel.
but i didnt get one as i already have a digital slr (and gone kinda broke for the other stuff i bought for it .. ha ha..)
then i googled (i love googling and that’s how i found this site too) to learn how to lomolised my pictures. i found some great sites on this. the steps i used although the pretty similar but they are easier. but it’s up to which ps u are using i guess…
Thank you for the tutorial. I immediately tried on one of my photos and it’s amazing. It also motivated me into getting a real lomo camera to play with.
So how can I take my Lomo images and make them look like they were taken with a Nikon D200?
10 on the Coolness scale!
Thank you
g
Stephen, your dislike of the photoshop Lomo technique is easily understandable, and the solution is obvious: don’t do it. Your sanctimonious lecture to everyone else about what they should do, however, is annoying. Do you like people issuing disapproving dictates on your photographic work? I didn’t think so.
I agree, digitally recreating flaws that are part of Lomography contradicts the whole reason of Lomography in the first place.
It doesn’t make sense why you would go to such trouble to emulate something that’s ridiculously easy in the first place.
Nice tutorial. Thanks for the Photoshop help!
Nice effect. This totally cool!
Great write-up! I love this effect, but i do have one question. You mention in the beginning, “I do have one suggestion though, create an action script once get this down, it will save you a ton of time.” What is an “Action Script”?
Thankyou Frank, it was a pleasure to try out.
my work ;) http://www.flickr.com/photos/gorananicic/2091330309/
Aha! I have a Lomo Photoshop Filter action that may help speed things along (or screw them up worse) ;)
http://www.juicytools.com/graphics/free-lomo-photoshop-filter-download/
Silly to criticize others for making art. Just because they don’t use the same tools as you doesn’t mean they’re wrong. Open your mind already.
@Stephen - lomography is expensive, the cameras cost a bomb considering what actually goes into them, and running film through them damn near makes me cry, why shouldn’t people use digital to replicate the same effects??
I have an LC-A+ and a holga, and hate the associated costs (love the images from them both though), and would love to get some of the pictures from my Nikons looking lomographic - will try this at some point soon…
Can someone please help me re create this in paintshop pro.
thankyou
really cool effect dude. I searched a long time for a decent tute with a decent effect like this one.
Finally someone who explains why you have to do this , do that , ….
thx
Its funny i posted my first lomo on the local digital web site and members said it looked more an HDR than lomo :)
I almost bought a lomo, but instead got a nice SLR for a gift. I did this tutorial with awesome results.. I still might buy a lomo for kicks, but now i can create the effect from my digital images. thanks. any other tricks?
I thought i was good at photoshop, but there’s obviously a lot more to learn.
I have one question how or what steps would you take to make 35 mm slides or film from digital pictures? I can not find it anywhere
Kim
Thanks. This is a great tutorial!!
Wow, I love this technique, it worked well for me! I really like the Lomo look but don’t know if I’ll get the camera, so this alternative is really appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to share!
AH!
i love this, thanks so much!
i did it and it worked perfectly, but i dont have jpeg under the image types for saving???
Great tutorial, thank you! You can see the results of my efforts with it here: http://philippaphotography.blogspot.com/2008/02/different-lomo-effect-tutorial.html
This tutorial was rly awesome ^^
And very easy to follow :)
Thx a lot for sharing ^^
Can you post a similar turotial for those of us who use Photoshop Elements? Thanks so much!
Two techniques for Photoshop Elements users can be found here:
http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=5&nav=messages&webtag=ab-graphicssoft&tid=8794
Awesome. Would massively appreciate a similar tutorial for paint shop pro though, any idea where I might find one? Have been looking but with no luck…
Thanks
For everyone who doesn’t understand why some people like “fake it digitally, allow me to explain.
1.”official” lomo cameras should cost in the single digit dollar range most of them, but you can’t buy them for less than 50. I can go to the local dollar store and buy a no flash, no focus, 35mm cheap plastic camera and get “lomo” shots with it fairly easily. You still have to deal with the hassles of film though. Doing the effect in photoshop allows you to take any digital camera, even a point and shoot and then get a lomo-esque photo with it. It doesn’t even have to hurt the lomo spirit. You can stil lshoot from the hip and not think and all that.
isnt this alot like acid washed levi’s or those rediculous perma dirty jeans? “oh look dahling!, with a mere 300 dollars , I can look just like the little people , but without that icky feeling of being so unclean!”
In all fairness tho, it did take a quite a bit of creativity and retro engineering. I’ll give you that. Besides, if you cant get a lomo but you HAVE to have that look,….
I’m here for exactly the reason posted by Daniel in his last post.
Here’s my first lomo, using another technique though:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/garagenoise/2359113263/
Stephen is a lomo snob.
this is a cool tutorial!
Hi,
Thanks for the tuto, I’ve used for first time with the lomo effect, and I love it, congratulations and thanks
Here the result, I hope you like it
http://www.flickr.com/photos/crgomo/2419413180/
very nice, thanks man :)
Concerning digital and film…I have a Diana and a Smena as well as a digital rebel that I just ordered a lensbaby for. I like to use all my cameras. The film cameras are great and really fun to use. Film is more work but really fun getting back….like opening a present cause you don’t know exactly how the images are gonna turn out. However, digital offers instant gradification and more control than the real toy cameras. It’s all great. To me, its about creating great images and having fun. Weither its digital or film, the final product is what matters to me. Let people have fun and quit trying to push your own preferred process or personal creative convictions on others. (to those who like to do that) No one wants a plain ole digital image. Of course we want them to have character and style. Photoshop is such a brillant software. Use it up.
I don’t see how this process is slower that actual lomography. It goes pretty fast. Film cameras go through chemical development processes before the end product. Photoshop is a digital version of that development process for digital photos. Regardless, photography is still a process in which a medium lies between the artist and the final result. I don’t think there is anything negative about it.
is there such thing as a lomo digital camera
Thanks a lot for your wonderful and informative tutorial, it helps me so much for my next photosession :-) Best regards from Germany Sue
My work (with vintage effect) http://the89s.deviantart.com/art/Vintage-and-Lomo-86367634
thank you for the tutorial. I’ve tried mine. and it came out perfect.
GREAT job! thank you sooo much! this was the best tutorial yet!!!!! THANK YOUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
lomo cam is only for people who couldnt use photoshop properly.
not bad. but i got better technique than u did here..
Thanks for this tutorial! Will try it and see if get the effect I am after.
this is way too cool dude.. comes in handy!
here’s what I did:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27428750@N06/2605692884/
thanks!
Thank you for posting this! At the moment, I don’t have a budget to get a LOMO camera. But i’m very hopeful. I may just have to stick for this one before i can get the real one. ^_^
omg. I don’t understen it. :( effect is great but I can’t do it.
ehh
Thx for sharing!
Here’s my first try on how-to-lomo-your-pictures:
http://pici.se/300078/
Thanks for this wonderful tutorial!
Here’s my first attempt:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28519412@N08/2654196789/
Fantastic. Here’s my first try: http://www.flickr.com/photos/morningstone/2655079504/in/photostream/
there is a much easier way!
under layers go to the half circle button and click black and white.
then it creates a new layer that makes the photo black and white.
set it to overlay, and you’ve got the same effects!
Mine is here, I liked it :)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wowfactor/2666030202/
here are another few:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wowfactor/2667580216/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wowfactor/2666757249/in/photostream/
and this one :)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wowfactor/2666756845/in/photostream/
Lovely tutorial. This effect really does wonderful things for cars, and it’s perfect for isolation and getting a nice, dirty feel without losing detail. Thanks for sharing this (and don’t listen to the nay-sayers :)
this one is much like the one on this tutorial, as for the colors:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wowfactor/2680355583/
do you have steps for CS3?
“Regardless, photography is still a process in which a medium lies between the artist and the final result. I don’t think there is anything negative about it.”
Well put, and completely true.
Props for this tutorial, I’ve been looking for a long time! Yay for stumble!
Photographs produced by Lomo cameras are amazing….but, I think you just found the ultimate replacement.
Good tutorial! The lomo effect is great, I always desired my photos to look like this kind of photography.
I understood everything, because it’s been written clearly and then I tried to make my own lomo-stylized photo.
It’s here:
http://flickr.com/photos/greatestshits/2702829712/
it’s amazing…
i like this effect,, but for me photograph it’s about make apicture, not take a picture..
so you made a picture verry well