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Film is my favorite photo editing style, and while I typically use files from my mirrorless camera, it’s also possible to create these kinds of edits with your smartphone photos. Here’s how I do it; I’ll walk you through the process in two different apps.
1Making Film-Style Smartphone Photo Edits in VSCO
VSCO is, in my opinion, thebest free editing appfor film-style smartphone photos. You can do this in two ways: By adding a preset or performing manual adjustments on your own.
If you have a free plan, I recommend the first because you may only add grain with a paid subscription. Nonetheless, I’ll also show you how you can create more of a film-style look even without grain.
How to Use VSCO’s Presets for Film-Style Editing
Let’s start by looking at how to use presets:
How to Edit Film-Style Photos From Scratch in VSCO
Alternatively, follow these steps to start from scratch.
Besides VSCO, you may also want to check out theseways you can get Polaroid-style photos.
Download:VSCO foriOS|Android(Free, in-app purchases available)
2Making Film-Style Smartphone Photo Edits in Lightroom
Lightroom gives you more options for editing film-style smartphone photos, and while it costs money, you will get grain and other features. Like VSCO, you can add a preset or start from scratch.
How to Add Film-Style Presets in Lightroom
First, here’s how to add a film-style preset in Lightroom:
How to Edit Film-Style Smartphone Photos in Lightroom From Scratch
If you want to create your film-style pictures from scratch, here’s what I would recommend following instead:
Download:Lightroom foriOS|Android(Free, in-app purchases available)
Whether you choose Lightroom or VSCO, you have plenty of options for editing film-style photos. I recommend Lightroom for its broader suite of features, including grain, but the free version of VSCO is also a good option.
