The Only Presets You Will Ever Need To Create That Perfect Polaroid Look Film and polaroid cameras are only getting more expensive but thanks to the wonders of tools like Lightroom, we can enjoy all the aesthetic benefits of the tools without the price tags. With the rise in availability of digital cameras, film and polaroid style photography has only become more popular and it looks like it’s never going out of style.
So, we have put together this guide to polaroid presets to help you capture that style with ease.
Table of Contents
#10 – Portra 160
This is a free preset that has been designed to replicate the photos produced by Kodka Portra 160 camera. All the photos will look very matte.
One of our favorite things about this preset is that it works incredibly well on well-lit photos and photos taken outside. Which is rarer than you would think in the world of polaroid presets.
#9 – Kodak Funtime
If you want to capture the look of photos taken in the 1950s and early 1960s then you are going to want to play around with Kodak Funtime.
This preset is going to give you a much warmer feel thanks to Porta 160 – it has a lot more amber notes to it and a slight milky haze.
#8 – HAZY MEMORIES
You can get this preset in a bundle of 10 polaroid lightroom presets – all of which are worth checking out.
However, HAZY MEMORIES is our favorite of the bunch. It is able to make the photos look aged and hazy without washing out all of the color or the character of the original image.
#7 – Ektachrome
This is preset that you are going to want to use from Fall through to the end of Winter. It is inspired by the photos produced by the Kodak Ektachrome – which was the favorite of many travel photographers.
We love this for Winter shouts because it captures the cold light of the season and makes it a little more magical.
#6 – Fuji Color 400 N
This is a three-in-one recommendation because we love the Fuji Color 400 N, Fuji Color 400 W, and the Fuji Color 400 C.
C referring to cool, N referring to neutral, and W referring to warm. There is something for everyone in this range that captures the looks of classic Fuji cameras.
#5 – SX-70
The Polaroid SX-70 was popular with adventurers and young people on their holidays. If you love taking photos in and of nature then this is the preset you will want to look into.
It does a great job at capturing the deep greens of a forest without washing out the details of the sky and everything around the trees.
#4 – SX-7000
If you want the brown tint of polaroid photos from the 1970s then look no further. We love using this preset for city shots, it makes anywhere look like Paris at the click of a button.
The SX-7000 shouldn’t be confused with the SX-70 as they do completely different things – one is better for nature shots and the other is more suited for urban photography.
#3 – Superia 800
If you want to give your photos texture then you are going to need to pick up the Superia 800 preset. It adds an intense but natural-looking graininess to any photo you use it on.
It works particularly well in low-light shots and with photos featuring artificial lighting – particularly neons.
#2 – 1985
If you want to look like you are taking photos in Rome in the 1980s then you are going to love 1985.
This preset really highlights the areas of blue and magenta in photos which helps to bring a that authentic vintage feel to the shots. It somehow manages to soften the tones of the photo without ruining the color balance.
#1 – Viva 665
Our final recommendation is Viva 665 – it’s like a classy version of Instagram’s sepia filter.
If you love those warm, brown tones then this will give you everything you need without making your photos look amateurish. The tones in the shots will maintain their strength but the photo will look more like 1962 than 2022. *
It does not look like film and polaroid style photos are ever going to go out of fashion. If you love how these photos look but don’t want to commit to the format or the high price tag per image – then you should try using the presets above on Lightroom.
