Adding real film grain to a digital image

[LeggNet]

Here's a capture that I wanted to have the 'grainy' film look. So, I took a scan of actual film grain on overlaid it onto the image in PS.

http://www.leggnet.com/2006/04/lonely-swings.html

It seems sometimes that the more we advance, the more we go back to our roots.....

Cheers, Rich

[bikerider]

It seems to have a different texture than film grain added in PS......perhaps a little smoother is maybe the right word. The shot certainly has that film grain look, quite nice......are going to create it as an action in PS, if that's possible from a scanned image?
Roger.

[verty]

that is a beautiful picture..

would it be possible to see the film you scanned and overlayed to get this grain effect?

[fdpiech]

Here's a capture that I wanted to have the 'grainy' film look. So, I took a scan of actual film grain on overlaid it onto the image in PS.

I use the same technique taken to the n'th degree. I've shot grey card images of a slew of real films, scaned the film and saved the individual grains as overlay patterns in PS.

Works great... Good minds must think alike.

[Duder]

I have a great film grain scan which I use as an overlay on most B&W's. It's vastly superior to photoshops grain filter, or any other digital grain filter I've seen. The big bonus of adding grain to an image, other than the obvious aesthetic reasons, is that it can disguise any digital artifacts/flaws in the image.

[fdpiech]

I have a great film grain scan which I use as an overlay on most B&W's. It's vastly superior to photoshops grain filter, or any other digital grain filter I've seen. The big bonus of adding grain to an image, other than the obvious aesthetic reasons, is that it can disguise any digital artifacts/flaws in the image.

Nod... Film grain hides a lot of sins.

[Radtech1]

that is a beautiful picture..

would it be possible to see the film you scanned and overlayed to get this grain effect?

It was Petteri Sulonen who first came up with the idea. HERE (http://www.prime-junta.net/pont/How_to/n_Digital_BW/a_Digital_Black_and_White.html?page=5) is a link to the essay where he describes it. (Actually, it is one page of a several page essay that should be required reading for anyone producing digital monochrome images.)

If you don't like to read, HERE (http://byscuits.com/grain-tm400.png) is a link to the actual GRAIN shot. It is PNG format. Just open the link, right click and "Save As..." to download it.

Rad

[Dorman]

Nifty idea, I'll have to give it a try. The images looks great btw!

[LeggNet]

Thanks for the comments (and discussion). Radtech1's link to grain is extremely similar to what I have used in this capture. I prefer this method VASTLY over the "add grain" feature in PS.

Cheers, Rich

[ghostgull]

Really good image, I really like it :-)

I came across this article on the subject today that even includes a downloadable set of photoshop actions !

http://www.outbackphoto.com/workflow/wf_95/essay.html

Even has a link to B&W conversion technique I hadn't come across before, well worth a look :D

[Atomic79]

There are also a couple of Photoshop plugin sets one from Alienskin (http://www.alienskin.com/exposure/exposure_examples.html) called Exposure and a couple from Pixelgenius (http://pixelgenius.com/products.html) that let you simulate film look to digital images. Also if all you are interested in is grain you could also look at Visual Infinity (http://www.visinf.com/gs/ps/) which makes Grain Surgery

Manipulating film grain in the movie visual effects industry has been around for years. You have to remove grain before you lay down composite of a digtial effect, then match and put the grain back in so it appears seamless, at least at 24fps.

[Duder]

It was Petteri Sulonen who first came up with the idea. HERE (http://www.prime-junta.net/pont/How_to/n_Digital_BW/a_Digital_Black_and_White.html?page=5) is a link to the essay where he describes it. (Actually, it is one page of a several page essay that should be required reading for anyone producing digital monochrome images.)

If you don't like to read, HERE (http://byscuits.com/grain-tm400.png) is a link to the actual GRAIN shot. It is PNG format. Just open the link, right click and "Save As..." to download it.

Rad

Yeah, that's were I first came across this technique. I used that grain.png for a while then had a go at making my own grain sample, which I've been using ever since.

[RLRiley]

Wow, great photo and technique. Thanks for the tip, I am definately going to have to try this out.