Film vs. iPhone | How to Edit Your Pictures Like Film Using VSCO

Can we truly replicate film colors with our phones?

Ah, yes. The age-old question. Is film worth it, given the ever-rising costs? Do I need a second mortgage to fund my endless obsession with Portra 800?

Jokes aside, this article focuses on achieving color accuracy between true film and VSCO film presets. The visual depth of film photos will diverge significantly from those captured on an iPhone – after all, portrait mode is no match for the richness of 6x7 film, right? However, the colors and tones largely contribute to film photography's unique 'feel.' So, with this in mind, we’ll set aside sensor comparisons and concentrate on what truly counts.

Here are a few points to keep in mind from the start:

1. Generally, the digital photos you see will be taken with an iPhone 12 Pro and noted if otherwise. Similarly, the film photos will be 35mm unless otherwise noted.
2. The processing of film images varied; some were scanned by camera, and others underwent lab-scanning with various devices. These methods affect the final appearance of the film, but the objective remains to align the digital photo's color and feel with its film counterpart.
3. We aimed to match the focal lengths between shots as closely as possible, yet there might be noticeable variances in perspective between the paired images. We encourage readers to look past these differences to concentrate on the color comparison, which is, after all, the crux of this discussion.

1. Understanding the Different VSCO Presets

VSCO excels as a tool for recreating that nostalgic, film-esque aesthetic. The platform offers a range of presets for iOS smartphones specifically designed to emulate classic analog photography film stocks. Among the plethora of app presets that VSCO generously provides for mobile photographers and videographers (indeed, with VSCO X, these same presets can be applied to videos!), which ones truly deliver an authentic film appearance? While their library is vast and presents many choices, here are several popular options you might consider, depending on your stylistic preference.

A6 - The perfect go-to for a minimalistic edit with lots of contrast and deep vibrance.

B5 - The most classic B&W option boasting pensive shadows and rich depth.

C1 - Bright and color options to mimic film stocks closer to Ektar 100, where the saturation is high and grain is low.

E8 - Bold blues and cooler tones for those with a moody vibe.

G3 - Neutral skin tones perfect for portraits and images close to the human subject.

KP1 - Mimicing Kodak Portra 160 with creamy highlights and punched blacks.

KP4 - Mimicing Kodak Portra 400 for perfecting various skin tones.

M5 - The classic ode to vintage 70s hues, a desaturated and mellow ideal for urban environments and portraits.

SS1 - A dazzling look ideal for street portraits and busy scenes that require a pop of color.

V1 - VSCO's most natural appearing prest with low contrast, open shadows, and a flattened tonality.

2. Ektar 100

Ektar is one of my favorite film stocks. The color, grain structure, and sharpness are all phenomenal. As a 100-speed film, it’s not the most versatile stock, but in the right situation, it sings. I found the Ektar film emulation in VSCO to be one of the most accurate presets we discuss in this article, and it’s also one of my top two most used VSCO presets.

3. Portra 160

There are multiple versions of the VSCO “Portra 160” preset, and I found that the base version and VC (vivid color) version allowed me to closely match my phone images to the colors of my camera-scanned film images.

4. Portra 400

Arguably the most popular film stock, this “Portra 400” film preset is native in VSCO and looks pretty accurate to the actual film. Something I particularly appreciate about the “film” presets in VSCO is the added level of control you can manually adjust. Instead of a single slider to adjust the strength of the filter, you get additional “Character” and “Warmth” sliders that provide more fine-tuned control.

5. Portra 800

This example is the only one in the article comparing 120 film to VSCO. Overall, I’m impressed with the match, but Portra 800 is also my favorite film stock, so I’m a little pickier here. This lighting situation highlights a film's advantage over digital, especially for how it renders ambient tones. The reflected blue light from the sky enhances the richness of the horizon, providing additional vividness.

6. CineStill 800T

Replicating the overall tones of 800T in VSCO is relatively straightforward despite the absence of a dedicated "CineStill 800T" preset within the app. However, the hallmark of 800T is the distinctive halation effect in the brighter sections of an image, a feature challenging to duplicate with a mere one-click preset. The most authentic reproductions typically demand greater effort, often involving a blend of Photoshop actions. Therefore, exploring this aspect more is advisable if you want to render your digital photos akin to 800T.

7. Fuji C200

This is my first time shooting Fuji C200, and it certainly won’t be my last. The greens and blues are so rich, and there’s a general warmth to the image that I love.

8. Kodak Gold 200

I love Gold 200 for the warmth and saturation you can get out of it, and I was pleasantly surprised by how accurately the "Gold 200" VSCO preset matched this film stock. I generally toned down the warmth in VSCO images, but the colors are spot-on otherwise.

9. Ilford HP5

It's a classic B&W film stock with less contrast and milkier highlights. VSCO has a specific preset for HP5 that I found to be pretty accurate. I softened the highlights and pumped up the “Character” slider to get the results nearly spot on the lab scans I got.

10. JCH 400

Big thanks to my friend Gene for helping with this stock! As a less widely available film stock, I wasn’t surprised that VSCO didn’t have a JCH 400 preset, but I found the FN16 simulation to work well. Like Ilford, I cranked the “Character” slider to darken the shadows and bring more contrast to the image.

11. CineStill BWxx

Arguably the grittiest of the three film stocks I tested. The grain is coarse, and the contrast is punchy, giving the images a bold look. I used the B4 preset and more contrast, plus a heavy helping of “Grain” to get my iPhone images looking like this rich slice of B&W film.

12. Tips For Editing Mobile Images to Look Like Film

Creating a film-like look in your mobile images requires attention to several elements that are characteristic of traditional film photography: color, grain, light, contrast, and sometimes even imperfections. Remember, subtlety is often the key; each adjustment should be relatively mild so that the combined effect is convincing and not overdone. Mimicking film is an art, so keep practicing and tweaking your approach.

Keep It Simple

In its very essence, film photography is as simple as it gets. The art of the image itself comes from crafting a stellar subject. The editing should never take away from the original version of your frame. You want to add, not distract.

Add Grain

Film pictures are known for their harsh scratches and granular touch. Some people do not like adding grain to digital images, which is fine, but it will help add depth and texture to your picture.

Adjust the Temperature and Tint

Analog images have a distinct color balance. Depending on the type of film you want to emulate, you might need to shift colors towards warmer (more yellow or red) or cooler (more blue) tones. Simouletanlouelsy used the "Tint" toggles to neutralize your image.

Use Diffusion

Smartphone cameras have software that sharpens images to give them extra crisp detail, but sometimes, the magic of film is in its softness. If you want to replicate the look of vintage lenses, try holding (or mounting!) a diffusion filter in front of your smartphone while you shoot.

Study Film Photos

Look at images taken with film cameras and try to analyze the colors, contrast, and grain. The more you understand what film images look like, the better you can replicate the effect.

Practice and Experiment

Every image is different, and there's no one-size-fits-all setting. Continually practice and adjust your techniques for different photos.