An Old Look - Quickly/Easily

[Pichead]

This is a subtle technique I've used lately to give some of my photos a slightly old/vintage look. With the job, the wife, the baby, etc., etc., I don't always have a considerable amount of time to spend perfecting an image in post production. Here's a fast-fix for getting a specific look in a matter of minutes...



To apply the subtle, vintage look using Aperture (although I'm sure other software will provide similar results) I process the image as I normally would to maximize the overall look while keeping the photo 'looking natural.' I then over-saturate the entire image, just past the point of being usable. I follow this up by applying the Sepia Filter which, in Aperture, provides you with a slider for adjusting the strength of the sepia tone in the photo.

By backing this slider down to a certain degree (depending on the individual photo) your over-saturated colors will begin to show through, but the sepia 'blanket' you've thrown over the entire image will be enough to suggest a subtle, vintage look.

I'm not really sure why over-saturating the image before applying the sepia filter works better, but I've found that to be the case...

[Saralonde]

Interesting idea. Gives a nice golden look.

[emw314]

Cool. I just found that I can do this in Picnik (I have pro accounts for both Flickr & Picnik so have the extra bits. Not sure if the saturation & sepia are pro on Picnik.)



Emma

[spottydog10]

Excellent, looks like some of my mum's 60's pics
Mike