REFINED SESSIONS
Take a look into this dreamy golden hour family session photographed by REFINED Co. community member & hybrid photographer Hannah Drews. The photos in this gallery are a blend of both Fuji 400H film scans and digital photos edited with our REFINED x KT Merry presets. We love the way it showcases how editing with our professionally developed presets, allows you to seamlessly edit your digital photos to match and flow with your film scans.
Keep reading and we will also explore what Hybrid Photography is and explain how you can use presets and reference images to seamlessly edit a hybrid gallery. All while continuing to showcase the beautiful images from this gallery.
What Is Hybrid Photography?
The photography industry has seen it's fair share of trends over the years but there is one particular kind that has remained evergreen—film photography.
Film is where photography began and has remained a classic and timeless aesthetic ever since. In the late 20th and early 21st century the rise of digital photography began. During the peak of digital photography, film was placed on the back burner for some photographers. Now the two methods coexist in harmony and a new kind of photography has emerged called "Hybrid Film Photography".
To be a hybrid film photographer means that in one session the photographer will shoot on both a film and digital camera body. They will then edit the digital photos to seamlessly blend with the film photos to maintain a cohesive aesthetic for their clients.
REFINED Co. presets were created with hybrid photographers in mind as our founder, Marta Locklear, is one herself. We now have 7 film inspired preset collections that help thousands of photographers save time editing while seamlessly matching their digital photography to their film scans.
REFINED x KT Merry Film Inspired Presets
The REFINED x KT Merry collection is designed to bring the timeless elegance of KT Merry's Fuji 400H film scans to your digital photography. These presets will bring out the best in natural light, creating images with a rich, dynamic range and beautifully rendered skin tones.
Compatible with Lightroom, Capture One, and including video LUTs, the REFINED x KT Merry presets provide the flexibility and versatility needed for any editing workflow. These presets are ideal for wedding, portrait, and lifestyle photography, offering a polished, professional finish that enhances the natural beauty of your images.
The film portions of this golden hour family session were shot with a Contax 645 camera body and Fuji400H film. Making the REFINED x KT Merry collection the perfect choice for Hannah when editing the gallery!
How To Achieve A Seamless Edit As A Hybrid Photographer
The key to creating a seamless gallery of film and digital photography is all in the editing process for the digital files. To save yourself hours of time you can invest in a preset collection that will edit your photos to match the aesthetic of your film.
REFINED Co.'s film inspired collections have undergone hours upon hours of development and testing to make sure they work easily on most-to-all camera bodies and photography styles. At REFINED Co. we have collections inspired by Fuji Film, Kodak Portra, Kodak Gold, Kodak Ektar, and Ilford Delta 400 & 3200.
Once you have added the preset collection that suits your film scan's aesthetic the best to your editing toolkit, you can then start editing your photos with ease. Watch our tutorial on How To Use Film Reference Images in Lightroom While Editing.
More From The Gallery
Take a closer look at this breathtaking gallery by Hannah Drews.
A golden hour timed session set at flower picking fields is the perfect inspiration for family photographers looking for summer time concepts & new ideas. We love how candid and charming all of these photos are.
Every image showcases the enduring beauty of the REFINED x Tec Petaja presets for Lightroom. This collection is perfect for photographers looking to achieve a cinematic and film aesthetic on their photography.
FAQ About Film Presets
1. What are film presets?
Film presets are pre-configured settings in Lightroom designed to replicate the colors, contrast, and tones of traditional film stocks on digital RAW files.
2. How do I make my digital photos look like film?
Use Lightroom film presets like those from REFINED Co. After you apply the preset you may adjust white balance, tweak tones with the Tone Curve, and add grain for an authentic effect.
3. Which film preset is best for family photography?
The REFINED x KT Merry, REFINED I, and REFINED III collections are the most popular amongst the family photographers in our community, offering luminous skin tones and a timeless film aesthetic. Though it truly depends on the kind of film you personally shoot or are aiming to replicate the look of. Our Kodak Gold collection is also becoming very amongst family photographers who are wanting to achieve a nostalgic and warm edit.
4. What's the difference between REFINED Co's film presets?
Each collection is designed to emulate a specific film stock:
REFINED I – Soft Fuji 400H pastels
REFINED III – Deep greens, warm skin tones (Fuji 400H & Portra 400)
Kodak Gold – Warm, nostalgic tones
Kodak Ektar – Bold, vibrant colors
Tec Petaja – Rich Kodak-inspired hues
KT Merry – Editorial, painterly aesthetics
Caroline Tran – Soft, pastel tones and creamy highlights
5. Do REFINED Co. presets work on Lightroom Mobile?
Yes! All REFINED Co. film Mobile presets are compatible with Lightroom Mobile, making it easy to edit on the go.
6. Can I use REFINED Co film presets in Capture One?
Yes! Many REFINED Co. presets are available for both Lightroom and Capture One, ensuring flexibility in your editing workflow. However, our Lightroom presets cannot be installed into Capture One due to the softwares differences. You must purchase our Capture One presets for the software.
Interested in submitting a session to the REFINED Co Journal. Email us at hello@refinedco.com
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