NATE Cam E-Chrome Collection

The E-Chrome Collection is my new pack of Lightroom presets, based on classic analog films. It goes beyond emulation to bring out incredible tones in your photos. If you want to learn more about what went into this pack and how photographers are using it to take their work to the next level, check out the E-Chrome Collection Launch Page.

My goal in this guide is simply to take you inside each of the presets and show you how to use this pack to dial in just the right tones in your photos.

Think of this as your field guide to the E-Chrome Collection.

EX01 – Super Clean, Ektachrome Tones

Overview: A lively, super-clean aesthetic. This preset was inspired by a set of Kodak Ektachrome film prints, but with (I think) improved skin tones (real Ektachrome has a tendency to produce overly-magenta skin tones).

Best for: This is a good preset for general use, but I particularly like it for softly-lit portraits, architecture, food photography, still-life and travel photography. If you find the full-strength version makes images a little too “hot” you can pull it back with the [–] and [––] versions.

Before & After:

The EX01 preset really cleans this image up and gives it an added “crispness.” You can see in the before that the skin tones have an unpleasant magenta cast (which is a common issues with the Adobe Standard camera profile). The NATE Cam custom camera profile fixes this issue and is a key part to making this preset look so great.

This preset produces very clean tones. It adds a slight lushness to greens and warms the reds up a bit.  I’ve used the “Film Punch ” preset (from the Film Toolkit) just to make this feel a bit bolder.

EX02 – AGFA-esque, with warm reds

Overview: An Agfa-esque look with prominent red undertones. This is a very usable general preset. It produces beautiful, nostalgic tones with the smallest hint of cross-processing. Great for snapshots of all kinds.

Best for: Good general purpose consumer film-look, with warm skin tones. Looks great in sunlight or in shade. If you find that it gives your image an overly red cast, try using the [-] or [–] variation.

Before & After:

The EX02 preset has an AGFA-esque quality to it and is good for adding just a bit of consumer-film “pop” to everyday photos. It has really pleasing, warm undertones that work great in shadow or in shade.

EX03 – Perfect Portra

Overview:  This preset has beautiful, soft, organic feel that is similar to the effect of over-exposing Kodak Portra . Very natural skin tones with beautiful teal blues. Soft, faded shadows and highlights.

Best for: Weddings & Portrait Photography

Before & After photos:

This preset really works magic on skin tones, with a soft, pastel color palette. It’s also a great option for desaturated landscapes