I love cross-processed film. I hate waiting and paying for it. So, I’ve been working on recreating some cross-processed looks in Lightroom using existing presets as examples. Originally, I was only playing with white balance tweaks and HSL adjustments, but I was never really happy with the results. Then I figured out how to use split toning to get the looks I wanted (yeah, I’m a little slow sometimes…), and now I’m happy.
To test out the new presets, I pulled some images from a recent self-portrait shoot and went to town with the processing. The base lighting is the same in all images — Nikon SB-600 at full power with a CTO gel at camera left, sun at camera right.
Here’s what the original colors looked like:
And here are three variations on the cross-processed look I’ve been working on:
Overall, I’m pretty happy with how they turned out. I still need to do some tweaking to find a good starting point for the preset(s), but I’m starting to get the colors and tones that I want. Someday, I might even share those presets. :)
I’ll buy you a beer in exchange for those presets!
I’d love to test out some presets… they look great, well done!