style

Muted & Desaturated Looks

Restrained colour, open shadows and nothing shouting — the documentary register.

Muted does not mean grey. These emulsions hold accurate hue relationships while keeping saturation low and shadows open, so a picture reads as observed rather than styled. It is the register of reportage and of most modern editorial work, and it is the most useful starting point if you intend to grade further yourself.

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7 looks in this selection

Fuji X-Trans III Classic Chrome

Fujifilm's documentary simulation — muted colour and hard shadows, evoking Kodachrome.

1 rendering

Fuji X-Trans III Pro Neg Std

A flat, neutral simulation modelled on professional portrait negative film.

1 rendering

Kodak Portra 160

The finest-grained Portra: cooler, flatter and more neutral than its 400-speed sibling.

14 renderings

Fuji 160C

Fuji's neutral 160-speed professional negative — cooler and flatter than Kodak's equivalent.

4 renderings

Fuji Superia Reala 100

Fuji's fourth-layer emulsion, built for accurate colour under mixed and fluorescent light.

1 rendering

Rollei Retro 100 Tonal

A long-scale film built for gradation rather than punch.

1 rendering

Ilford XP2

Black and white film developed in colour C-41 chemistry — unusually smooth and flat.

1 rendering