Yestderday, I talked about how I enjoy working with digital black & white. While I don’t miss heavy metals saturating my liver and my fingers smelling like fixer, I have always favored the way film grain looks, especially in Black and White photos. Now there are approximately 101 ways to achieve a film-grain look in photoshop, and the technique I am about to outline is but one. I can’t say it’s the best, but it’s been working for me so far.
As you read this, you’ll note I am coy about the particulars. A good chef never gives away his entire recipe. Part of the fun of photography is figuring out what works for you and your vision. I suggest using this guide as a starting point for experimentation until you find something you like. Here’s how it works:
Here’s a close up, for reference, of the image before grain is added:
And here’s the same area after the “grain” is added:
You can click on the images below to java-magically see a larger image. It’s a subtle effect, but the idea is to enhance your photography, not show off an effect.
Here’s the before:
And the after:
