LR would be preferable, since I could just apply it as a preset.

However, I guess I could make my own if I just knew of a method. After looking at some old polaroids, I guess I would need to saturate the reds and de-saturate some of the other colors.

Could someone provide some more insight? This is somewhat the sort of look that I'm going for:

keith, i have an action i made up for a "vintage look."

http://ken-gilbert.com/images/export.atn

the key to the look is the use of the solid color exclusion layer. i've tried duplicating the results with other methods and this one is pretty hard to do any other way.

tweaks/caveats:

1) double click on the solid color layer and play with the RGB values. exclusion layering mode is pretty strange and screwing around is one of the only ways to "figure it out." the color cast will be altered as you change the hue.

2) the top-most soft light layer gives back some punch and contrast. for even more punch, go with hard light blending mode, and for less, reduce the opacity.

3) for a variation, the screen layer can be set to color dodge which will intensify the colors a bit.

4) after the action completes, you're probably going to want to add a HSV adjustment layer on top to desat the colors a bit. i find pulling more out of the red channel than the others to be similar to the old film/print response.

5) if, upon running the action, you get a "the command, merge visible, is not currently available" it's because you have only a single layer in your document, or you have a non-visible layer currently selected in the layers palate.

in the case of the single layer doc, just add a flat adjustment layer (ie levels) with no alteration, which will then allow the action to merge visible. you can delete the placeholder adjustment layer after the action executes.

if you have a multi layer doc, you need to select a visible layer in order to merge visible. the merge command will insert the "merged" layers one step above the selected layer.

6) reducing the opacity of the multiply layer will bring up the overall brightness.

hopefully this will at least prod you in a satisfying direction. good luck!

-ken

check out the lomo tutorials i have around here, i think you'd like that look too

Sweet! Thanks Ken. I'll try to try this out within the next few days.

I just noticed that your profile is littered with these types of shots. Some interesting stuff in there.