The disposable film look is everywhere right now: soft contrast, faded blacks, warm skin tones, muted greens and a fine, hazy grain that makes a photo feel like it came out of a cheap 35mm camera from a holiday years ago. The good news is that you don't need a film camera to get it. You can create a disposable film look in Lightroom with a few simple adjustments.
In this guide I break down what makes disposable camera photos look the way they do, how to shoot with that look in mind, and how to edit a disposable film look in Lightroom step by step, with before and after examples. If you want a shortcut, I'll also show you my Disposable Film Lightroom preset pack, which I created to recreate this look in one click.
In the video above I test a Pro Mist filter at a portrait shoot. A mist filter softens contrast and adds a gentle glow to the highlights in camera, which is a great starting point for a film look, and most of the photos from that shoot were edited with Disposable Film.
What is the disposable film look?
Disposable cameras use cheap plastic lenses, a fixed shutter speed and aperture, a built-in flash and consumer film stocks like Fujifilm Superia or Kodak. That combination gives the photos a very recognisable feel. Here are the key ingredients you'll recreate in Lightroom:
- Low contrast and faded blacks: the darkest parts of the photo look slightly grey or washed out rather than pure black.
- Warm, slightly yellow highlights and skin tones: consumer film stocks render skin warm and golden.
- Muted, shifted colours: greens lean olive or yellow, blues are softer and less saturated.
- Cool or green shadows: a subtle tint in the shadows is one of the biggest tells of film.
- Visible grain: fine, organic grain across the whole image, especially in the shadows.
- Softness: plastic lenses aren't razor sharp, so the image looks gentler than a modern digital file.
- Vignetting and imperfections: darker corners, and sometimes light leaks or flash glare.
For reference, these photos were shot on real film with a point-and-shoot Olympus AF-1 Twin and Fujifilm Superia 400. Notice the warm skin, the muted greens and the soft grain. You can see the whole shoot in my Olympus AF-1 Twin 35mm film photoshoot.
Real film: Olympus AF-1 Twin with Fujifilm Superia 400, no preset.
How to shoot for a disposable film look
Editing does a lot of the work, but the way you shoot makes a big difference. Disposable cameras are simple, so photos that look like they could have been taken on one are more convincing.
- Use a wider focal length: most disposable cameras are around 28-35mm, so a 35mm lens or a phone's main camera feels right.
- Don't rely on shallow depth of field: disposables shoot at a small aperture, so try f/4-f/8 for a more authentic, everything-in-focus look.
- Embrace harsh light and flash: direct sun, backlight and on-camera flash all suit this style.
- Capture candid moments: travel, friends, everyday details and in-between moments feel more like a disposable roll than posed portraits.
- Try a mist filter: a Pro Mist or similar diffusion filter softens highlights and contrast in camera, so your photos already feel more like film before you edit.
- Expose for the highlights: it's easier to lift shadows into a faded film look than to recover blown-out skies.
How to get a disposable film look in Lightroom, step by step
These settings work in Lightroom Classic, Lightroom (CC), Lightroom Mobile and Adobe Camera Raw. Every photo is different, so treat the numbers as a starting point and adjust to taste. Shooting in RAW gives you the most flexibility.
1. Set your white balance and profile
Start with the Adobe Standard or Adobe Color profile, then warm the photo slightly by moving the Temp slider a little to the right. Film rarely looks perfectly neutral, so a touch of warmth is a good base. If your greens look too saturated, a small move of Tint towards magenta helps.
2. Lower the contrast
In the Basic panel, reduce Contrast (around -15 to -30), bring Highlights down to protect skin and skies, and lift Shadows slightly. Disposable photos are soft and low contrast, so avoid punchy edits here.
3. Fade the blacks with the tone curve
This is the most important step. In the Tone Curve, drag the bottom-left point straight up so the darkest blacks become a soft, faded grey. Pull the top-right point down slightly to soften the whites too. A gentle S-curve between those points keeps the image from looking flat.
4. Shift your colours with HSL / Color Mixer
- Greens: shift the hue towards yellow and lower the saturation for that olive film green.
- Blues: lower the saturation and shift the hue slightly towards teal.
- Oranges and reds: keep skin warm and natural; lower orange saturation a little if skin looks too orange.
- Yellows: shift slightly towards orange for warmer, more golden tones.
5. Colour grade the shadows and highlights
In Color Grading, add a subtle teal or green tint to the shadows and a warm yellow-orange tint to the highlights. Keep the saturation low (around 5-15). This split tone is a big part of what makes a digital photo feel like film.
6. Add grain
In the Effects panel, add grain. A good starting point is Amount 25-40, Size 30-40 and Roughness 50-70. Check it at 100%, but judge the final look at normal viewing size, because grain always looks stronger when you're zoomed in.
7. Soften the image
Lower Texture and Clarity slightly (around -5 to -15) and reduce sharpening. Plastic disposable lenses aren't sharp, so a softer file instantly looks more like film.
8. Add a vignette
Add a subtle Post-Crop Vignette (around -10 to -20) to darken the corners. If you want to go further, you can add a light leak overlay in Photoshop, but keep it subtle.
9. Save it as a preset
Once you're happy with the look, save it as a preset so you can apply it to a whole set and keep your edits consistent. You'll still need to adjust white balance and exposure photo by photo.
The shortcut: the Disposable Film Lightroom preset
If you'd rather skip the manual editing, I made my Disposable Film Lightroom preset pack to recreate this look in one click. It includes 4 presets that add a soft, hazy grain, faded tones and warm film colours, and it works in Lightroom Classic, Lightroom CC, Lightroom Mobile and Adobe Camera Raw. Here's what it does to unedited photos:
Unedited
Edited with Disposable Film
Unedited (left) and edited with Disposable Film (right).
Unedited
Edited with Disposable Film
The preset warms skin, softens contrast and adds grain.
Unedited
Edited with Disposable Film
Disposable Film on an interior shot: faded blacks and muted colours.
Unedited
Edited with Disposable Film
It works on landscapes too, with muted greens and soft, cool shadows.
Disposable film look examples
I've used Disposable Film on lots of my shoots, from golden hour portraits to travel photos. A few examples from my blog:
From my Sony GM 50mm f/1.2 portrait shoot, edited with Disposable Film.
From my Sony A6600 + 35mm f/1.8 photoshoot, edited with Disposable Film.
From my Pro Mist filter portrait shoot, edited with Disposable Film.
Travel photos from my Kyoto travel photography guide, edited with Disposable Film.
Tips for a more authentic film look
- Don't overdo the grain. Heavy grain looks like a filter. Subtle grain looks like film.
- Keep skin tones natural. Warm is good, orange is not. Check skin after every colour change.
- Edit the whole set together. Film rolls have a consistent look, so sync your settings across a series.
- Match the look to the moment. The disposable look suits candid, travel and lifestyle photos more than polished studio portraits.
- Adjust the preset Amount. In Lightroom you can lower the preset Amount slider if the effect is too strong for a particular photo.
Want more editing inspiration? Read my favourite Lightroom presets for portraits, or watch my Olympus AF-1 Twin film photoshoot to see real film in action.
Disposable film look in Lightroom: FAQ
How do you get a disposable film look in Lightroom?
Warm the white balance slightly, lower the contrast, fade the blacks by lifting the bottom of the tone curve, mute and shift the greens and blues in HSL, add a teal shadow and warm highlight colour grade, then add grain, soften Texture and Clarity and add a subtle vignette.
What grain settings look like film in Lightroom?
A good starting point is Amount 25-40, Size 30-40 and Roughness 50-70. Adjust based on the resolution of your camera and how strong you want the effect.
Can I get a film look without a film camera?
Yes. Most of the film look comes from colour, contrast and grain, which you can recreate in Lightroom. Shooting candid moments with a wider lens and harsh light or flash makes it even more convincing.
Does the disposable film look work on phone photos?
Yes. You can edit phone photos in Lightroom Mobile with the same steps, and the Disposable Film preset pack works in Lightroom Mobile too. Shooting in RAW or ProRAW gives the best results.
Is there a Lightroom preset for a disposable camera look?
Yes. My Disposable Film Lightroom preset pack includes 4 presets that recreate the soft, hazy grain, faded tones and warm colours of 35mm disposable film in one click.
Why do my film edits look fake?
Usually the grain is too strong, the colours are too saturated or skin tones have turned orange. Keep grain subtle, desaturate greens and blues, and check skin tones after every colour adjustment.
Ready to try it? Get the look in one click with Disposable Film, or browse all my packs in the Lightroom Presets for Portraits collection. If you're stuck between a few, you can buy any 3 presets and save 10%.
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