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Best Aperture Preset to obtain this image composition

Davmeister

Davmeister

macrumors 6502
Original poster
May 7, 2009
334
87
London
OK so I'm not sure if this thread is in the right place, but here goes.

Can anyone recommend an either free or paid preset that would make a normal DSLR colour image look more like the attached one, below?

So, grainy, black and white, noisy etc.

Many thanks.
 

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Davmeister said:
OK so I'm not sure if this thread is in the right place, but here goes.

Can anyone recommend an either free or paid preset that would make a normal DSLR colour image look more like the attached one, below?

So, grainy, black and white, noisy etc.

Many thanks.
Click to expand...

Well, you won't be able to obtain this "composition" through software, but I assume you meant the processing of the image.

Just use Aperture and convert it to B&W or use Nik's Silver Efex Pro. Nothing special going on here.
 
I like...

I use both Topaz and Nik. The new price drop with Nik is great but Topaz new B&W 2 is pretty awesome. You can see some examples on how we use them on our photography blog AikenHDR.com. We also list the the software we use with some discount codes but I suggest the FREE trial downloads before you buy anything. They both have 15-30 day trial. Both also work great in aperture or the photoshop programs.
 
There's a moire pattern visible.... I suspect that photo was scanned from a magazine or similar process.

I've only just started to try out the Nik plugins - is there an 'add moire' effect with them?

Except for the moire, Lightroom can create that look without the use of the Nik plugins (though I assume the plugin make it simpler). I suspect that Aperture will also have this native functionality... you just have to figure out which set of sliders are required. It's a bit of colour, a bit of softness, tweak the curve and contrast, and an add grain.
 
It looks like it's been split-toned too. In Aperture, you can use a double instance of the "Enhance" brick, desaturate in the first and then use the colour discs to differentially tone shadows (greys and blacks) and highlights (whites) in the second brick. To me, and on this screen, it looks like a subtle cream in the highlights/subtle magenta in the shadows split.

Unfortunately, you can't add grain in Aperture 3 without a plugin.

I'm an onOne Suite 7 fan myself.
 
Beau Nash said:
It looks like it's been split-toned too. In Aperture, you can use a double instance of the "Enhance" brick, desaturate in the first and then use the colour discs to differentially tone shadows (greys and blacks) and highlights (whites) in the second brick. To me, and on this screen, it looks like a subtle cream in the highlights/subtle magenta in the shadows split.

Unfortunately, you can't add grain in Aperture 3 without a plugin.

I'm an onOne Suite 7 fan myself.
Click to expand...

Yes I noticed there was no grain option. Having to switch back on forth to CS6 which is a pain...your method works quite nicely though.
 
snberk103 said:
There's a moire pattern visible.... I suspect that photo was scanned from a magazine or similar process.

I've only just started to try out the Nik plugins - is there an 'add moire' effect with them?

Except for the moire, Lightroom can create that look without the use of the Nik plugins (though I assume the plugin make it simpler). I suspect that Aperture will also have this native functionality... you just have to figure out which set of sliders are required. It's a bit of colour, a bit of softness, tweak the curve and contrast, and an add grain.
Click to expand...


The only Moire pattern i can see is over the Mans face which makes me think it might be a finger print if it was scanned from an old print.
Silver Efex pro 2 is the goto B&W tool for many photographers and although the competition has caught up i would say SEP2 is till the best at the moment plus the ridiculously low price of the Nik software makes it a no brainer at the moment.
 
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Beau Nash said:
It looks like it's been split-toned too. In Aperture, you can use a double instance of the "Enhance" brick, desaturate in the first and then use the colour discs to differentially tone shadows (greys and blacks) and highlights (whites) in the second brick. To me, and on this screen, it looks like a subtle cream in the highlights/subtle magenta in the shadows split.

Unfortunately, you can't add grain in Aperture 3 without a plugin.

I'm an onOne Suite 7 fan myself.
Click to expand...

Me too, in many instances one preset click in perfect effects is enough to get a nice result.

For Nik SEP2 users there are about 30 free presets from the preset competition that Outback photo held a couple of years ago, see link below.

http://www.outbackphoto.com/CONTENT...low_basics_2011/20110307_Nik_SEP2_Contest_01/
 
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snberk103 said:
Looked at it again, and it could well be a fingerprint. On the neg, at that size. Love the know where the original print is from.
Click to expand...

Has a BBC logo on it i'm guessing an old TV program but i have to say i do not recognise the People in the photo or indeed the program it may have been, i'm getting on in years but this may be before my time (do not see many chaps with a tash like that these days in the UK)
It would be interesting as you say to know more about the image.
 
ChrisA said:
Tell Aperture to use Adobe PS as the "Default Editor" then switching is pretty much seamless. It's in Preferences
Click to expand...

Already have done this. Still a bit slow preparing image and opening app etc. just would be nice to be 'all in one'. I use batches for more than +1 images

----------
righteye said:
Has a BBC logo on it i'm guessing an old TV program but i have to say i do not recognise the People in the photo or indeed the program it may have been, i'm getting on in years but this may be before my time (do not see many chaps with a tash like that these days in the UK)
It would be interesting as you say to know more about the image.
Click to expand...

Screenshot from a recent program on 'Project Nim'. Interesting (and cruel). Another great BBC production.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfilms/film/project_nim
 
The best way to get this film look is to shoot it with a film camera. :rolleyes: It's never been cheaper to buy a good film camera, load it up with some XP2 or BW400CN and shoot some authentic B&W images.
 
You can convert to black & white in Aperture using the B&W adjustment brick. And then you can further modify the tonality with the Colour brick and also the Curves brick (by changing the curves for each colour independently). If you want to add film-like grain on top of that, I have a free preset you can download that emulates ISO400 film.
 
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