Film stocks
Name a real stock and the model reaches for its color, contrast and grain. Pick one, not three.
Kodak Portra 400Warm, soft skin tones and gentle contrast. The go-to for flattering portraits and people.shot on Kodak Portra 400, warm natural skin, soft contrast
CineStill 800TTungsten-balanced night film with a glowing red halo around bright lights. Built for neon.shot on CineStill 800T, neon night, red halation around the lights
Kodak Vision3 (500T / 250D)The modern cinema negative. Clean shadows, wide latitude, gentle filmic highlight roll-off.shot on Kodak Vision3 500T, cinematic latitude, clean shadow detail
Fuji Velvia 50Punchy, saturated slide film. Deep greens and reds, high chroma. The landscape classic.shot on Fuji Velvia 50, vivid saturated color, deep greens
Ilford HP5 / DeltaClassic grainy black and white. Rich blacks and documentary grit, timeless and honest.shot on Ilford HP5, black and white, grainy, rich blacks
Polaroid / instant filmSoft focus, faded pastel color, dreamy vignette and a square frame. Instant nostalgia.Polaroid instant photo, faded pastel color, soft vignette, square frame
Kodak Gold 200Warm, nostalgic, golden cast. The everyday 90s snapshot look that feels like a memory.shot on Kodak Gold 200, warm nostalgic tone, golden cast
Fuji Pro 400HAiry and light with soft, cool pastel greens and gentle highlights. A wedding favorite.shot on Fuji Pro 400H, airy pastel tones, soft cool greens
Color grades
The grade is the mood layer. Stack one on top of your film stock, not five.
Teal and orangeWarm skin against cool shadows. The blockbuster action look, instantly cinematic.teal-and-orange grade, warm skin against teal shadows
Warm amberA golden wash over the whole frame. Cozy, sunlit, inviting.warm amber color grade, golden sunlit wash
Muted / desaturatedLow saturation, gritty and serious. The modern prestige-drama palette.muted desaturated grade, low saturation, gritty realism
PastelSoft, pale, low-contrast colors. Light, gentle and dreamy.soft pastel palette, pale dreamy colors, low contrast
High contrastDeep crushed blacks and bright highlights. Punchy, bold and graphic.high contrast grade, deep blacks, punchy highlights
SepiaA single warm brown tone. Aged, antique, old-world.sepia tone, aged antique brown, vintage
MonochromeOne color or pure black and white. Timeless, focused, all about light and form.monochrome black and white, timeless, strong tonal range
Bleach bypassSilvery, desaturated with crushed contrast. The war-film and thriller look.bleach bypass grade, silvery desaturated, harsh contrast
Analog effects
The finishing texture that kills the clean, plastic AI feel. A little goes a long way.
Film grainThe fine texture of real film. The single fastest way to make a render feel photographed.subtle 35mm film grain
HalationA soft red-orange glow bleeding around the brightest lights. The signature of CineStill.halation glow around the highlights
Light leaksStreaks of warm light washing across the frame, like an old camera let sunlight in.warm light leaks across the frame
BloomA soft haze spreading out from bright areas. Dreamy, glowing, slightly hazy.soft bloom around the light source
VignetteDarkened corners that pull the eye to the center. Quiet, moody, focused.subtle dark vignette, focus toward center
Anamorphic lens flareLong horizontal blue streaks off bright lights. The wide-screen sci-fi signature.horizontal anamorphic lens flare, cinematic widescreen
Stock for the vibe
Not sure what to reach for? Start from the feeling, then grab the stock or grade next to it.
| The vibe you want | Reach for |
|---|
| Warm, flattering portrait | Kodak Portra 400 |
| Neon night, rain and city lights | CineStill 800T + halation |
| Cinematic movie still | Kodak Vision3 500T + teal-and-orange |
| Vivid, punchy landscape | Fuji Velvia 50 |
| Gritty documentary | Ilford HP5, black and white |
| Dreamy nostalgia | Polaroid or Kodak Gold 200 |
| Airy, soft, wedding | Fuji Pro 400H + pastel |
| Blockbuster action | teal-and-orange grade + high contrast |
| Serious, modern drama | muted desaturated grade |
| Old, antique memory | sepia + film grain + vignette |
Stack it into a prompt
One film stock, one grade, one effect. That is the recipe.
[subject], shot on [film stock], [color grade], [analog effect], [mood]
Weak prompt
a woman on a street at nightSame idea, film-stock recipe
a woman on a rain-slick street at night, shot on CineStill 800T, teal-and-orange grade, red halation around the neon signs, cinematic and moodyThree quick rules
One stock at a timePortra and Velvia want opposite things. Pick a single film stock or the model averages them into mud.
Grade is the mood, stock is the baseChoose the film stock for the core look, then a color grade to steer the feeling on top of it.
Grain last, and lightlyAdd film grain or halation at the end. It is the seasoning that sells "real photo", not the meal.