Superhero Photo Challenge: Vintage look

Maybe it was the dress. Maybe it was her beautiful skin or her hair or her classic beauty. But there was something so old world about the shots I captured of Gypsy Girl Alex that day.  

As many of us post-process our images, we start to recognize when a shot lends itself to black and white or a more saturated Lomo look, or something even dreamier. This is one of my favorite parts of digital photography these days.... being able to decide what the shots wants to be even after the fact, or surprising myself by saving a mediocre shot with a bit of creative post-processing. 

Do you have any shots that have a special look to them now? Maybe a vintage wash was just the right thing, or a super saturation or a vignette? Show us your creative shots that surprised even you.

Comments

[Teri]

I really like how this photo turned out. I processed in Lightroom using Sarah Ji Antique NE and TLR tone (basic) Green presets.
http://teriargo.wordpress.com/2009/09/29/262365/

[Debi]

A shot of a friend trying on wedding dresses - the carpet was a blue/green which I normally love, but it was just not working for this particular image. I just played with it, desaturated, darkened, glowed it up - whatever it took. Her bare feet and the dress's embroidery make me feel like twirling. :)

http://emmatree.blogspot.com/2009/09/wedding-tale.html

[kosenrufu mama]

i tryed some effects as polaroid style
http://esterdaphne.blogspot.com/2009/09/per-passare-un-buon-weekend.html

[Michelle Gills Photography]

I took a picture of my dad and my youngest daughter at a rodeo. Aged the picture in Paint Shop Pro X2, then added a frame to it. I really liked the way it turned out!
http://michellegillsphotography.blogspot.com/2009/10/countryfying-picture.html

[Liz]

i like this, grainy or not :)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lilybeth29/3529540543/in/set-72157594587515983/

trying, with the clothes
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lilybeth29/3964567665/in/photostream/

probably the most vintage looking! b/w really made this shot.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lilybeth29/3339314011/in/set-72157614923806649/

[Liz]

This was just a run-of-the-mill shot of some tree branches against the sky, I didn't think all that much of it...but then I started playing around with adding an antique effect and boosting the color, and I'm pretty pleased with how it came out! It reminds me of old-fashioned wall paper...

http://inventingliz.blogspot.com/2009/09/antique-blooms.html

[Marcie]

I'm definitely into that timeless 'vintage' look..of late:

http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=930
http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=873

And - when the image is right - a more 'dream-like' one:
http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=935

[Christian @ Modobject at Home]

It's the vintage lunch box and the sunlight that do it...

http://www.modobjectathome.com/2009/08/more-nostalgia.html

[Ali]

A few photos with my totally dorky - "true ttv" camera contraption... http://crazytobeme.wordpress.com/2009/09/16/wordless-wednesday-ttv/

[djbeat]

i vintaged this one a little (started with a real vintage sailor suit) - would love to learn some nice weathered texturing.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/djbeat/3949800994/?editreplace=1

[Heather]

I really like this photo of a little toy plane -- I can't remember all that I did . . . it's been several weeks.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36491030@N02/3917263444/

[Dana (Buttercupyaya)]

I love this shot...the dress captures that vintage feel for me anyway. :)

I've been MIA here for a bit, but am glad to be back. Been pumping my business to make it more than a hobby now that I am unemployed from my day job.

I did a family shoot at my new favorite location and they had the inspiration from a wedding the whole family was in a few weeks before. So, halfway thru the session, they changed into the clothes from the beach wedding and I fell IN LOVE. I was so glad to have brought my old suitcase along, and to find this wall. While these photos are completely self indulgent - not their style at all, and they thought i was CRAZY for doing this - we were all so thrilled with the result.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/buttercupyaya/3948446289/in/set-72157622442322158/

(Dana)

[sophie_vf]

although I'm usually too impatient to do a lot of processing, sometimes it can lift a picture from the pain of unusability. I'm grateful to underthewaves at Flickr whose presets helped save these:

http://forloveandidleness.blogspot.com/2009/09/window-of-st-nicholas-church.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/limesally/3880767137/in/photostream/

[Mel]

This is definitely my favourite picture at the moment, I processed it to make it feel more autumnal! It's autumn after all!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23639736@N04/3974412816/

And I like this one too, my daughter Dharma playing with her Daddy:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23639736@N04/3971828420/

[Vanessa]

this shot totally transformed when i converted it to b/w and played around with the contrast a little. i love it so much more this way: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanessa_r/3861831054/in/set-72157621418074939/

[melissa]

addicted to retro right now!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lovethehalls/3979628308/

[Mrs Soup]

It's so amazing when something just CALLS for the different post-processing.

I went on a photowalk into Downtown Industrial Portland, and so much there just called for antiquing.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrssoup/3906358185/in/set-72157622205083481/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrssoup/3907136762/in/set-72157622205083481/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrssoup/3907139306/in/set-72157622205083481/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrssoup/3906356629/in/set-72157622205083481/

[Trude]

I feel the same way! I was playing around with my new set of Florabella textures and I'm in love with what it did for this photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/trudem/3970495308/

[Catherine V]

What a perfect and timely post. The vintage look, like a lot of other things retro, is back. I've been enjoying the combination of vintage + balloons lately! http://thelittlebirdblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/love-love-love.html

[Elicia]

this was taken on self timer and was way overexposed, but when i played with it it became awesome. i love it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eliciaruth/3928886173/

[Kathryn - Collage Diva]

I just posted these photos I took of rose hips. The Florabella textures really make it easy to add a distressed, vintage look. What fun!

http://collagediva.typepad.com/collagediva/2009/11/aedm-16.html