This is part 1 of my. By knowing each films strengths and weaknesses , you can know exactly what to look for in a film and exactly when to use a particular film over another. When should I use one class of film instead of another? How should I process the film to make it look authentic without going overboard? We are really going deep to learn about the actual films in this pack. At first glance, many of this films look similar, but there are important, subtle differences in how to best use each of them. Well, all the films in this pack are still being produced or have only just recently been discontinued and are used widely today by photographers still shooting with film. From an aesthetic perspective, most of these films will have very natural color reproductions and extra-fine film grain. Almost all the films in the pack are known for their accurate skin-tone reproduction and fine grain structure. In most cases they offer a - and + and a ++. The most famous and widely used of these films and the primary one Fuji is still making is the Fuji 400h film. But there are great uses for each film. It also has excellent skin tone reproduction — although in some cases I find that it washes out some details in the face. The colors also feel slightly desaturated verse the other films in this family. Example Image: The soft, even lighting in this image is ideal for Fuji 160c film. I could have used the 400h, but it may have felt a little dull in this scenario. NOTE: Just use the slider on the image to see what the image looked like before and after applying the VSCO preset. In all of these examples, the only thing that has been changed in each image is the application of the VSCO preset. Just enough film grain, contrast, and saturation to give images a 3-dimensional quality without looking overdone. Best for: Wedding photography and fashion photography. Example Image: I positioned the lighting in this image to try to convey a feeling of depth and richness, but straight out of the camera, it still felt flat and uninteresting. The Fuji 400h preset instantly added depth and character to the image. The skin tone is just perfect, and the gradations of colors in the shadow on the chair are so much richer and more interesting now. The film grain is much more noticeable than with the 160C or 400H, but in the right situations it can add a pleasant depth and texture to the image. It also seems to me to be a little less saturated in the highlights and shadows, which is what makes it capable of evening out skin tones in difficult scenarios. Best For: Low-light or mixed light situations where accurate skin tones are important. Be careful of: You will lose some saturation and add some graininess with this film, so just be sure that is the look you are trying to achieve. Given that this is digital, by the way, you can also cheat and just edit the lightroom settings after you apply the preset. Example Image: I took this image with very low, very flat light. You can see in the original that there are major differences in skin tone across the face because of the lighting conditions, in some places looking too green and in others too magenta. The Fuji 800z film does a beautiful job of cleaning this up. The Kodak film really makes skin tones look glowing and luminous. To my eyes, it looks a little less true-to-life than the Fuji Pro film, but this may be the look you are trying to achieve. Like the Fuji, in most situations I would recommend starting with the 400 variety. The Kodak Portra 400 is the most balanced and versatile of the bunch, and is often compared to the Fuji 400h. Kodak Portra 160 Overview: Like the rest of the Kodak Pro films, Kodak Portra 160 has very neutral tones which tend towards the warmer side of the spectrum. The 160 is has the least saturated colors of the Kodak Pro films, and the film grain is extremely fine. The skin tones from the Portra 160 are light and luminous — almost glowing. Best for: Portrait photography, fashion photography, commercial photography. Be careful of: If you are looking for saturated colors, this is not your film. Example photo: You can really see the impact on skin tones and saturation in this image. Without any retouch work, the skin is incredibly even and luminous. The tone of the blue hat shifts more towards teal, and the purple loses much of its vividness. Colors are vivid, skin is glowing. It gets compared a lot to Fuji 400h. To my eyes, the Portra 400 has a little less texture and depth to it than the Fuji 400h. The Portra feels shiny and perfect, whereas the Fuji feels more raw, organic and lived-in. But the difference are subtle. Be careful of: This is a great, versatile film and can be used in many situations. Example photo: The Portra 400 film preset here really makes the photo feel full of life and light. The skin tone feels more natural to me than the Portra 160, and the saturation levels are perfect. It does a great job of really making the skin look great in even very difficult lighting situations. Out of the Kodak Pro color films, this one adds the most character and vibe with added film grain. Best for: Low light, natural portrait photography. Great skin tones with a bit of extra vibe. Example photo: The Portra 800 really improves the skin tone, adding some much needed luminosity to it. The film-grain also gives it more of a raw feel. It is very similar to Ilford HP5, with fine grain, medium contrast and high sharpness. The 3200 is actually a multi-speed film that in reality, is rated at ISO 800 and can be pushed up to ISO 3200 in development. But it was discontinued by Kodak in 2012 due to limited demand. So what we have here in VSCO FILM 01 is a simulated effect of pushing Kodak T-MAX all the way to ISO 3200. This gives photographers more of a raw, rough, vintage look. There is very noticeable levels of film grain, and the loss of details in the shadows that you would expect from pushing it to such high ISO levels. Conclusions on VSCO FILM 01 As you can see, there are a lot of exciting films in VSCO Film 01. Before you apply a filter, though, just pause and try to visualize what it will do to your photo. Will it increase saturation or decrease saturation? Will it warm your photos up, or cool them down? You may even start to think about which film you will be using as you are in the process of shooting. Knowing how a particular film will react to the conditions of the environment will help you discover new possibilities and take your photography skills to the next level. And his has helped thousands of photographers design incredible styles of their own. Nate lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Kim, and daughter, Ava. Thanks for all the guides you post on here! After hearing all the popularity over VSCO film presets, I bought the first pack and gave it a try. However, most of the time I used them I felt clueless and all over the place, as if I were slapping on filters on Instagram. The history of each film and its effects on saturation and tint really simplified the entire process, and I hope you write more of these guides. Thank you for your in depth reviews and explanation. Which two packs would you suggest as must haves? I grew up shooting film but have forgotten most of the particular characteristics. A professional wedding photographer friend of mine was using 01 pack to wonderful effect. All images are owned and copyrighted by Nathan Johnson unless otherwise noted and may not be used without his consent. Any film names or app names listed above are the brands and trademarks of their respective holders. None of the film producers or app produces listed on this page endorse or sponsor Nate Photographic, or any other content contained on this page, nor are any of the film producers or app producers affiliated with Nate Photographic. All trademarks and copyrights are the exclusive property of their respective owners.